The Recall Desk
SevereCPSC·14001·Announced 2013-10-03

Schneider Electric Recalls APC Surge Protectors Due to Fire Hazard

Schneider Electric is recalling APC SurgeArrest surge protectors because they can overheat, smoke, and melt, posing a fire hazard.

What this means for you

Illness, injury, or structural failure has been reported. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves significant injury and property damage reports, including 13 injuries and over $1.6 million in fire damage, which meets the criteria for a Severe rating.

Plain-English summary

Schneider Electric IT Corp. is recalling approximately 15 million APC 7 and 8 series SurgeArrest surge protectors manufactured before 2003. The recall involves units with serial numbers indicating manufacture years 93 through 02. These products were sold at Best Buy, Circuit City, CompUSA, and other stores nationwide from January 1993 through December 2002 for between $13 and $50.

The surge protectors can overheat, smoke, and melt, posing a fire hazard. The company has received 700 reports of the surge protectors overheating and melting and 55 claims of property damage from smoke and fire, including $916,000 in fire damage to a home and $750,000 in fire damage to a medical facility. There are 13 reports of injuries, including smoke inhalation and contact burns from touching the overheated surge protectors.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled surge protectors, unplug them, and contact Schneider Electric for a free replacement surge protector. Schneider Electric IT Corp. can be reached toll-free at (888) 437-4007 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or online at http://recall.apc.com.

The recalled product

Product
APC SurgeArrest surge protectors
Manufacturer
American Power Conversion (APC), now known as Schneider Electric IT Corp., of West Kingston, R.I.
Category
Consumer Product — Electronics
Hazard
Affected units
15

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

Related recalls

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