USB charger exploded

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Nate001

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#249346 7-May-2019 08:50

Came home yesterday and found the power sockets in the bedrooms were not working so checked the breaker and it had triggered. I checked all the devices plugged in before resetting as I know they don't just blow for no reason and found a dual USB charger had exploded.

I take it I'm lucky it didn't cause a fire, I guess the combination of the breaker doing its job and the ABS plastic being V0 meant it didn't catch fire. Left some gnarly soot on the usb cables, thankfully they still work as one is for a pebble gen 1 watch that would be hard to replace.

I bought this charger from PBTech 2 years ago, is there any point taking it back? Or does this just happen occasionally? The apple cable has lost its plastic outer sleeve but I hardly think that was the culprit.

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2degrees

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#2232120 7-May-2019 08:56

As nasty as that is, I would think you'd have a hard time arguing 2 years wasn't a 'reasonable life' for a cheap USB charger even under the CGA.

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tehgerbil

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#2232126 7-May-2019 09:04

I would take it back and demand a refund given it almost burnt your house down.

However as much as I'd like to see PBtech do something about it (like taking remaining stock off shelf) I honestly have such little faith in them I severely doubt they'll do anything whatsoever.

Nate001

638 posts

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#2232135 7-May-2019 09:12

tehgerbil:

I would take it back and demand a refund given it almost burnt your house down.

However as much as I'd like to see PBtech do something about it (like taking remaining stock off shelf) I honestly have such little faith in them I severely doubt they'll do anything whatsoever.

Interesting thing is they no longer appear to stock this charger. If I look back on my purchase history on their website it takes me to a different product whereas if I check the invoice I was emailed it has the original product. Seems a bit suspect to me.

timmmay

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#2232140 7-May-2019 09:19

I have a couple of those... but I'll toss them out now. I never really rated them.

xpd

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#2232150 7-May-2019 09:49

Nate001:

Interesting thing is they no longer appear to stock this charger. If I look back on my purchase history on their website it takes me to a different product whereas if I check the invoice I was emailed it has the original product. Seems a bit suspect to me.

Probably old model, that's all.

Lot of stuff I've bought I cant find via the retailer online anymore. Long as you have a invoice, you're fine.

But yeah, Two years would be pushing it a bit.

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

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Rikkitic

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#2232157 7-May-2019 09:58

Aren't we supposed to have some kind of standards for imported electrical things to protect against this kind of occurrence? Over the years I have seen some absolute rubbish from Chinese suppliers yet friends with a business had to get every lamp they sold inspected by an electrician at considerable cost (no fault ever found). I would think the odds of a house burning down due to a shoddy electronic power supply, would be a lot greater than a faulty lamp fitting.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

xpd

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#2232168 7-May-2019 10:20

Yup, but do you want to pay for someone to check every single model of power adapter thats made available to NZ via places like Aliexpress ?

Its the risk you take.... probably find if the OP's house did burn down, and the adapter had come from somewhere like Aliexpress and not a local supplier, that they may end up with some insurance issues.

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

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Rikkitic

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#2232177 7-May-2019 10:36

Thank whatever for smoke alarms.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

MadEngineer

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#2232252 7-May-2019 12:43

Not saying this may have been the case here, but it always makes me laugh when someone buys a $1000+ phone then cheaps out and buys a nasty $10 charger/cable for it.

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floydbloke

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#2232256 7-May-2019 12:46

Rikkitic:

Thank whatever for smoke alarms.

Bunnings, in my case.

Did Eric Clapton really think she looked wonderful...or was it after the 15th outfit she tried on and he just wanted to get to the party and get a drink?

DarthKermit

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#2232260 7-May-2019 12:53

timmmay:

I have a couple of those... but I'll toss them out now. I never really rated them.

Why bother? They're all pretty much the same, mass produced for as little cost as possible in whichever Chinese factory spits them out.

timmmay

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#2232275 7-May-2019 14:07

DarthKermit:

Why bother? They're all pretty much the same, mass produced for as little cost as possible in whichever Chinese factory spits them out.

Why bother tossing them out? Well, they're not used often as I purchased more expensive USB power supplies, and if they're a risk I don't see any need to keep them.

mattwnz

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#2232277 7-May-2019 14:17

xpd:

But yeah, Two years would be pushing it a bit.

I don't think the point of the post is that it failed. It is how it failed. I would contact the retailer about it. This has now got me looking at my chargers to see if I have any non branded ones. I have had an apple one fail in the past, but it just died, with no external signs of issues.

aspett

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#2232282 7-May-2019 14:31

timmmay:

DarthKermit:

Why bother? They're all pretty much the same, mass produced for as little cost as possible in whichever Chinese factory spits them out.

Why bother tossing them out? Well, they're not used often as I purchased more expensive USB power supplies, and if they're a risk I don't see any need to keep them.

Absolutely toss 'em. I got one from PBTech included with a parallel imported Pixel XL, and realised immediately from the sound and heat they make that they're a danger to your house.

'They're pretty much all the same' is not true at all, and I'll probably always prefer to buy chargers from a well known brand because of it. Not worth damaging my devices, or the property.

openmedia

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#2232298 7-May-2019 15:20

I've got a couple of those. One works ok but the other makes a nasty buzzing sound.

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

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