Last week Schneider Electric recalled over 15 million surge protectors that pose a fire hazard to consumers and their property. Schneider issued a recall on select model American Power Conversion (APC) series 7 and 8 surge protectors that it manufactured between 1993 and 2002. The products were sold nationwide at retailers like Best Buy, Circuit City, and COMP USA. Click here for a list of all model numbers. The Schneider surge protectors can be identified by the words “Personal,” “Professional,” “Performance,” or “Network” printed on the product.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission recall, Schneider has received 700 reports of the surge protectors overheating, including 55 claims of property damage from fire and smoke. This includes one instance of $916,000 in damage to a home and another instance of $750,000 in fire damage to a medical facility. In addition, there are 13 reports of personal injuries, including smoke inhalation and contact burns from touching the overheated surge protectors. Schneider Electric is a global manufacturer of numerous electronic products ranging from weather observation hardware and solar equipment to circuit breakers. Schneider has set up a recall website for consumers to obtain a free replacement surge protector.
