Sony recalls defective power bricks
Shocking admission
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a recall for tens of thousands of power adapters for Sony VAIO desktops.
According to the notice, 69,000 faulty VGP-AC19V17 AC adapters were included with Sony's VGC-LT and VGC-JS2 VAIO Desktop series computers, along with VGP-PRBX1 and VGP-PRFE1 docking stations.
The Chinese-manufactured adapters have faulty internal insulation which can "fail over time, posing an electrical shock hazard to consumers," according to the CPSC. Sony is offering free replacement adapters to customers saddled with the aforementioned danger bricks.
If you squint really hard, you might be able to read your power brick's serial number
The CSPC also notes that Sony has received four reports of short-circuiting adapters, but has not received any reports of anyone being injured by their defective guts.
If your VAIO Desktop is powered by one of these disasters-in-waiting, call Sony at 1-877-361-4481 (US residents only) or visit Sony's "AC Power Adapter Replacement Program" web page and enter your adapter's serial number to discover if yours is among the insulationally challenged.
If you and your VAIO live outside the US, the same page also includes links to similar help for residents of Canada, Brazil, and Latin America - which includes advice, oddly enough, in English. Residents of "All other countries" are advised to "go to Sony Global Home and then choose your country."
The CSPC is still investigating the defective AC adapters, so if yours is acting up, they'd appreciate it if you'd let them know here. ®
COMMENTS
also leave out
They also leave solder out as well. Our $US 3500 NCR POS laser scanners one AC input lead to the PC board was not soldeed on all our PSU,s causing arcing and intermiitent use. Had a QC sticker on them chinese bricks tho.
Chinese made power supplies
It seems that every product is engineered to be as cheap as possible, sometimes even leaving out parts that are otherwise necessary. They leave out the EMI filters so that the PS wipes out your radio. They leave out the surge suppressors so that the first spike blows the PS away. Now it they're leaving out the insulation. I shudder to think of what could be next. Better to wear rubber gloves when you use it.
@Juan Inamillion
".. if this was an Apple product there'd be much wailing and gnashing of teeth about how 'crap' Apple products are and how the sky is going to fall in...
Just my opinion, mind."
So since it wasn't an Apple product why air your opinion that Apple products are not all they are cracked up to be?
Of course...
.. if this was an Apple product there'd be much wailing and gnashing of teeth about how 'crap' Apple products are and how the sky is going to fall in...
Just my opinion mind.
Sony and Electricity
They just don't get along. Maybe Sony should just get out of the power supply market, or pick a better OEM... Its gotten to the pint were I assume that any power device with the Sony logo on it will explode, short circuit, etc. and just buy a 3rd party adapter / battery for my laptops.
