Smart 50 water heaters, kind not given
1 report to CPSC, the latest made Dec 16, 2020. A report isn’t a recall.
Watch and the shortlist are kept with a free account, on every device. Your watch list. CPSC’s own search is on saferproducts.gov.
At a glance
From SaferProducts.gov, released Oct 25, 2026.
- 1report to CPSC
- Dec 16, 2020the latest report was made
- Dec 16, 2020the earliest
- 0with the company’s comments
- Brand
- Smart 50
- Maker
- TRIANGLE TUBEMakers, importers or sellers, as the reports name them
- Product
- Water heaters, kind not givenCPSC’s product type: Water Heaters, Not Specified (code 134), in Home Maintenance and Structures: Plumbing & Bath
By month
The numbers, as a table
| Month | Reports |
|---|---|
| December 2020 | 1 |
How badly anyone was hurt
- No incident, no one hurt 1 CPSC: No Incident, No Injury
As each report says it, in short words; CPSC’s own words are under each.
The reports, as CPSC published them
Reports people made to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. CPSC publishes each one after sending it to the company named, and doesn’t guarantee they’re accurate. A report isn’t a recall.
Each report is the words of the person who made it, as CPSC published them. The company’s comments, where CPSC published any, are set apart as the company’s own.
CPSC, SaferProducts.gov public database export. Released Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily.
-
No incident, no one hurt Made Dec 16, 2020, sent to the company Feb 2, 2021, published by CPSC Feb 17, 2021
The product, in the report: Triangle Tube Smart 50 water heater MOdel Smart 50
Subject: Dangerously hot water from Triangle Tube Smart 50 water heater caused by inadequate installation instructions:
In 2006 we had a Triangle Tube Smart 50 indirect water heater for DHW (Domestic Hot Water) installed in our house.
One of the most mystifying problems that I’ve finally solved was that occasionally the DHW temperature at the house faucets was dangerously hot. This problem appeared immediately on installation, so I had a mix (anti-scald) valve installed directly between the cold inlet and the hot outlet for the water heater. That helped for 90% of the time, but there were still times, such as first thing in the morning, when the problem continued to occur.
I finally was able to diagnose the problem within the past couple of weeks by replacing the original thermo-mechanical thermostat with a digital one, and by installing digital temperature sensors on the hot inlet and outlet of the mix valve. What I found was that there can be a huge temperature gradient between the water temperature in the center of the storage tank, where the temperature sensor is designed to sit, and the temperature of the water at the top of the tank after it has been sitting undisturbed for a few hours, such as overnight. The water at the center will be 120F but the water at the top of the tank, where the outlet picks up the water, can rise to 150F overnight. So a mix valve should be mandatory, not merely “optional” as described in the installation manual.
Furthermore, after much searching on line, I found out that the mix valve MUST be installed with a heat trap loop and with a minimum of 20” between the heat trap loop and the mix valve. If not installed in this manner, the mix valve itself will become hot throughout the valve body and the temperature regulation mechanism will not work properly. This was the case with our installation until I finally replumbed it a couple of weeks ago. It has worked perfectly ever since, and I’ve been monitoring the digital temperature sensors closely.
In the installation manual, the installation of a mix (anti-scald) valve, is suggested, but not required. Furthermore, the installation diagram makes no mention of the actual requirements for proper installation of a mix valve so that it works as intended.
I just downloaded the installation manual for Triangle Tube’s current model of this water heater, and the installation instructions have not changed since 2006.
I suggest that you require Triangle Tube to rewrite the installation manual. Please see attached pdf.
- Model
- Smart 50
- UPC
- unknown
- Serial number
- unknown
- Where
- Palo Alto, California: Home/
Apartment/ Condominium - Who was involved
- Unspecified
- The reporter’s relation to them
- Self
- As this report names them
- Brand Smart 50, made or sold by TRIANGLE TUBE
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- No Incident, No Injury
CPSC’s disclaimer
Disclaimer: CPSC does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the contents of the Publicly Available Consumer Product Safety Information Database on SaferProducts.gov, particularly with respect to information submitted by people outside of CPSC.
Word for word, from the disclaimer in CPSC’s export.
Sources
Sources
-
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, SaferProducts.gov public database export.
Released Oct 25, 2026 and checked Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily. Public domain (U.S. Government work). CPSC asks to be credited, and that no endorsement be implied.
Reports of harm are from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), on SaferProducts.gov. CPSC does not endorse Hearth Record.