Home Repair Books Recall

One of the most trusted names in DIY, Menlo Park-based Sunset Publishing, was forced to recall six of its titles after the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said consumers who followed some of the wiring instructions in the books risked electrical shocks or could start a fire.

The recall covers nearly 1 million home repair books dating back to 1975.

No injuries have been reported, and the commission declined to detail the specific problems, except to say the books “contain errors in the technical diagrams and wiring instructions that could lead consumers to incorrectly install or repair electrical wiring.” Consumers are advised to stop using the books and return them for refunds.

“It all stems from the same problem going back to 1975,” said Dawn Bridges, senior vice president of corporate communications for Time, Sunset’s parent company. However, she said, there may have been slight changes in wording or diagrams over the years from book to book. And the advice could crop up on different pages in different books.

She encouraged consumers to call the toll-free line (866-696-7602) because “they really want to personalize the advice based on what book” each person is using.

Affected by the recall are six titles by Sunset, including “Sunset Basic Home Repairs,” “Sunset Complete Home Wiring” and “Sunset Complete Patio Book”; two titles sold under the

Lowe’s home improvement store name; and one under the AmeriSpec title.