Anker has issued a voluntary recall of its 535 battery packs — additionally marketed because the PowerCore 20K — considered one of which is believed to have induced a home fireplace earlier this month.
In keeping with the recall notice, “as a consequence of manufacturing situation, a small variety of Anker 535 energy banks could overheat and pose a hearth security threat.”
In response to questions in regards to the difficulty, Anker claimed the ability financial institution met all relevant business requirements previous to its sale within the US, Canada, UK, Europe, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. It was solely later, the corporate says that the defect was found and a was recall issued.
The producer says it is now working with authorities businesses to recall the gadgets earlier than they trigger any harm. Nevertheless, it now seems that the battery could have already induced a home fireplace within the hamlet of Leitersburg, Maryland, USA, in early February. In keeping with one newspaper, State Fireplace Marshal Oliver Alkire believes the “most possible trigger” of the fireplace was an Anker 535 battery pack.
The rechargeable energy supply was reportedly packed inside a suitcase with no gadgets related to it, and the home-owner instructed the media the battery hadn’t been utilized in a couple of week. Investigators had been capable of decide the ability financial institution was an Anker 535 primarily based on a purchase order receipt from November.
Nobody was damage, and the fireplace was restricted to the bed room. Nevertheless, fireplace officers instructed reporters the blaze may have been worse if the residents hadn’t taken steps to restrict the fireplace’s unfold — specifically closing the bed room’s fire-proof door earlier than evacuating the constructing.
Aside from the Maryland case, which Anker didn’t immediately deal with in its response to The Register’s questions, we’re instructed that the maker has “obtained stories of a small variety of cases the place the 535 energy financial institution overheated and caught fireplace,” however didn’t present any specifics.
Prospects who’ve bought an Anker energy financial institution are inspired to verify to find out if their system is topic to the recall. Customers can visually establish the charger by checking for the branding “535 Energy Financial institution” or “PowerCore 20K” and the mannequin quantity “A1366.”
Anker has issued a recall for these energy banks, labeled mannequin quantity A1366
Whereas Anker has introduced a recall, it is clear they don’t need the gadgets again. Prospects in possession of affected Anker 535 gadgets are suggested to cease utilizing the system instantly and retailer it in a protected location till it may be correctly disposed of at a facility that accepts lithium battery cells. Your nearest recycling middle ought to assist.
Anker additionally advises prospects to not throw the battery within the trash bin — which we’ll be aware is against the law in lots of jurisdictions anyway. However given the chance of the system inflicting a literal dumpster fireplace, the advisory is comprehensible.
Anker has shared a web form the place prospects can request a refund.
That is hardly the primary or highest profile incident of lithium-ion batteries inflicting fires. In 2016 Samsung was compelled to recall its then new Galaxy Be aware 7 in its entirety after the system’s batteries started experiencing explosive failures, together with one incident on a aircraft.
In the meantime, bigger scale battery packs have been identified to trigger spectacular fires. Final yr, a Tesla battery pack at a California substation ignited simply six months after it was put in. ®
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