The federal government on Friday instructed families with certain Chinese-made drywall to rid their homes of the material and replace electrical wiring, gas pipes and sprinkler systems.

The drywall has been linked to respiratory and electrical problems in thousands of new homes, primarily in Florida and Louisiana. Consumer advocates have argued that high levels of hydrogen sulfide in the drywall corrode electrical wires and create health risks.

For now, homeowners must front the cost of removing the drywall, which builders estimate at more than $100,000 a home. But lawmakers and consumer groups called Friday for providing financial assistance to the about 3,000 households that have complained about the drywall.

“Removing the problem drywall is the best solution currently available to homeowners,” the chairwoman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Inez Tenenbaum, said in a statement.