Kidde recalls millions of combo smoke/CO detectors

Kidde is recalling millions of its NightHawk combination smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

The alarms in these detectors can fail to chirp when the detector has reached its 7-year end of life and needs replacing, the company said. Homeowners could believe that their detectors are still working properly when, in actuality, they are not.

Eight incidents have been reported so far because of the alarm failures, but no one has been hurt.

The company said 3.6 million NightHawk combo detectors were sold in the U.S. and 1.5 million were sold in Canada. They were sold at electrical distributors and home centers across the nation, as well as on Amazon.com, for $40-$65.

The round, white units have "Kidde" engraved on the front and are 5-6 inches in diameter. They are hard-wired into the home's electrical power and have a compartment on the back where homeowners can install a replaceable 9V backup battery.

They have the model number KN-COSM-IB and manufacture dates between June 1, 2004 and Dec. 31, 2010, which can both be found on the back of the unit.

Kidde said homeowners should immediately stop using the nighthawk combo detectors and contact the company for either a free replacement or a discount on a new detector, based on the manufacture date.

Contact Kidde toll-free at 855-239-0490 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or online at www.kidde.com. Click on "Product Safety Notice" for more information.