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trasnformer/adaptor fire

I remember ca 1971 (I was ten) Readers Digest mentioned fires from answering machine adaptors. So I have always been wary about leaving an adaptor plugged in for long. I generally didn't leave my fax or answering machine plugged in for long and generally abhored leaving computers on for days. (ca

1986 my workplace had a semicomical incident where they ran a simulation all night and the janitor kept shutting it off). Now I hear radio ads from the patent office about "fakes" causing fires, and I wonder who is right? Where do you draw the line? Would you trust Chinese made ryobi battery+charger (40V Lithium) clones from China? Would you trust a microwave or space heater from CHina or Vietnam? WHat about a simple light socket (that costs $1.50)? What rules of thumb do you folks use in evaluating such?
Reply to
vjp2.at
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Seconded. I leave things on all the time, especially adapters. Almost everyone does. If I bought it from a store with a real reputation, I assume it to be safe. If I bought it online from a no-name seller or built it, I assume it to be unsafe until proven otherwise.

It sounds like there was a spate of faulty adapters in *1971*. Avoiding all adapters is like avoiding all phones because of Galaxy Note 7s had a manufacturing defect that made them caught fire. Actually, since it was

1971, it's more like avoiding all phones because the ENIAC's vacuum tubes burned out a lot. Proper commercial products catching fire is very much the exception, not the rule.

Stores like Amazon sell a lot of stuff that isn't "proper commercial products". Youtube user "bigclivedotcom" has demonstrated this by taking some apart. This one:

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- possibly the most famous because of the accompanying song:
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- has a *quarter of a millimeter* gap in between mains power and something that connects to your fingers. That's a bargain-bin cheap one imported from China. It wouldn't have cost them anything to move those wires apart, but they didn't care.

I've also seen teardowns of *official* Apple chargers (mains-to-USB adapters) showing surprisingly high quality, with good quality components, proper design, and better filtering than necessary. Apple might be dogshit because of its lock-in philosophy, but at least its adapters are well built.

You might unplug them to save the last scrap of power, though.

Reply to
immibis

+1

KenW

Reply to
KenW

1977 -- Mr. Coffee -- another appliace that's usually left plugged in 24/7.
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Who you gonna trust?
Reply to
Allodoxaphobia

I've just got notice of a recall for the SMPS wall wart charger for a hand-held vacuum cleaner we bought over a year ago: "(we) are aware of a manufacturing defect with a small number of the DC Adaptors supplied with the vacuums. The defect may cause the back of the DC adapter to come off...If you have bought one of these products, stop using it immediately."

It's been plugged in for all that time. It's never been removed from the socket at the back of the cupboard the vacuum cleaner is kept in, so why would I want to unplug it? Unless, of course, there's another "shoddy workmanship" hazard inside that adaptor...

Reply to
Jeff Layman

If it us UL listed, is it probably ok - they are quite strict. Some other approvals agencies are fairly diligent too. In addition, I would not leave lithium batteries fast-charging unattended, and would avoid allowing piles of paper or curtains to drape around any mains-powered device that is unattended.

Reply to
Chris Jones

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