INDIANAPOLIS (BRAIN) — Silca has released a service bulletin about its SuperPista floor pumps, advising owners to remove the pump's gauge lens temporarily to avoid danger.
"We've identified the cause of issue and have an interim solution in place that takes just a few seconds to complete. We've also developed a long-term solution in the form of a gauge replacement which we will be sending out by mail," the company said in an email to SuperPista owners on Thursday.
Company president Joshua Poertner told BRAIN that corrosion on a galvanized steel piece inside the gauge can cause pressure to build up behind the lens during pumping, potentially causing the acrylic lens to shatter. The company plans to send out replacement gauges in January but said in the meantime the pump is safe to use once the lens is removed. The company posted a service bulletin on its website, as well as a video (below) showing how to remove the lens.
Poertner said the problem involves the first 1,000 pumps produced. Later production, which can be identified by a vent hole on the base (see photos below) is not affected by this safety notice. The company is reaching out to distributors, retailers, and consumers who bought the pumps directly from Silca.
He told BRAIN that Silca has received two reports of broken lenses, one from a retailer and one from a consumer. Both were from coastal areas where corrosion is more common. He said no one was injured in either case.
He said the replacement gauges use stainless steel components to eliminate any corrosion concerns. The replacement gauges also are updated with some running changes that Silca has made to improve accuracy.
More information: silca.cc/pages/superpista-support-page
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Bases with a vent screw indicate pumps are not affected. -
Pumps with bases without the vent screw are affected.
