The Consumer Product Safety Commission and Tyco Fire Products issued a renewed warning on September 24, 2026 about millions of recalled fire sprinkler heads that may still be installed in buildings across the country, and this time the alert speaks directly to property managers. The recalled Central Sprinkler fire sprinklers, made with O ring seals, were manufactured from the mid 1970s through June 2001 and were the subject of one of the largest product replacement programs in CPSC history when the original recall was announced. The concern now is that, decades later, a significant number of these sprinklers have never been replaced.
The hazard is specific and mechanical. Minerals, salts and other contaminants in water can degrade the rubber O ring seals inside these sprinkler heads over time. A degraded seal can cause the sprinkler to fail to activate during an actual fire, which defeats the entire purpose of a fire suppression system at the moment it matters most. The recall covers two types: "wet" sprinklers, installed in piping that stays filled with water, and "dry" sprinklers, used in areas exposed to very cold temperatures where the piping does not hold water. Affected heads carry identifying marks on the metal frame or deflector, including the words "CENTRAL" or "STAR," the letters "CSC," a "G" inside a triangle, or a star shaped symbol.
Why this still matters after 25 years
CPSC and Tyco Fire point out that National Fire Protection Association standards already require annual, 5 year and 20 year inspections, testing and maintenance of fire suppression systems. Those inspection cycles should catch recalled sprinklers, but the September alert makes clear that a meaningful number have slipped through, whether because a building changed ownership, records were lost, or a prior inspection missed the specific markings that identify a recalled head. A sprinkler that looks intact and passes a visual glance is not the same as one confirmed to have been replaced.
What a property manager should actually check
The starting point is the inspection record itself. Any building with a wet or dry fire suppression system, particularly one built or fitted before 2001, should have its most recent NFPA required inspection report reviewed specifically for whether it identified and addressed Central Sprinkler O ring heads, not just confirmed general system function. If that documentation does not exist or does not speak to this recall directly, the next step is a physical inspection by a qualified fire protection professional who knows what to look for on the sprinkler heads themselves.
Any recalled sprinkler that is found should be replaced by a qualified fire protection professional, not left in place pending a future inspection cycle. Given that the underlying hazard is a failure to activate during an actual fire, this is not a maintenance item to schedule around convenience.
A recall that is old enough to predate many current property managers' careers is still an active hazard in whatever buildings never fully completed the original replacement program, and this month's renewed warning is a reason to confirm, rather than assume, that a portfolio's fire suppression systems are clear.
