Unplug that Anker battery pack now: House blaze sparks recall

Anker has issued a voluntary recall of its 535 battery packs — additionally marketed because the PowerCore 20K — one in every of which is believed to have triggered a home hearth earlier this month.

According to the recall discover, “due to manufacturing condition, a small number of Anker 535 power banks may overheat and pose a fire safety risk.”

In response to questions in regards to the concern, Anker claimed the facility financial institution met all relevant trade 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 companies to recall the units earlier than they trigger any injury. However, it now seems that the battery might have already triggered a home hearth within the hamlet of Leitersburg, Maryland, USA, in early February. According to 1 newspaper, State Fire Marshal Oliver Alkire believes the “most probable cause” of the hearth was an Anker 535 battery pack.

The rechargeable energy supply was reportedly packed inside a suitcase with no units linked to it, and the home-owner instructed the media the battery hadn’t been utilized in a couple of week. Investigators have been in a position to decide the facility financial institution was an Anker 535 primarily based on a purchase order receipt from November.

No one was harm, and the hearth was restricted to the bed room. However, hearth officers instructed reporters the blaze might have been worse if the residents hadn’t taken steps to restrict the hearth’s unfold — particularly closing the bed room’s fire-proof door earlier than evacuating the constructing.

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Other than the Maryland case, which Anker didn’t instantly handle in its response to The Register’s questions, we’re instructed that the maker has “received reports of a small number of instances where the 535 power bank overheated and caught fire,” however didn’t present any specifics.

Customers who’ve bought an Anker energy financial institution are inspired to test to find out if their system is topic to the recall. Users can visually establish the charger by checking for the branding “535 Power Bank” or “PowerCore 20K” and the mannequin quantity “A1366.”

While Anker has introduced a recall, it is clear they don’t want the units again. Customers in possession of affected Anker 535 units are suggested to cease utilizing the system instantly and retailer it in a secure 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 word is unlawful in lots of jurisdictions anyway. But given the danger of the system inflicting a literal dumpster hearth, the advisory is comprehensible.

Anker has shared an internet kind the place prospects can request a refund.

This is hardly the primary or highest profile incident of lithium-ion batteries inflicting fires. In 2016 Samsung was pressured to recall its then new Galaxy Note 7 in its entirety after the system’s batteries started experiencing explosive failures, together with one incident on a aircraft.

Meanwhile, bigger scale battery packs have been identified to trigger spectacular fires. Last 12 months, a Tesla battery pack at a California substation ignited simply six months after it was put in. ®