Most recalls that were issued in conjunction with the CPSC this year have involved either household items or children’s items. Many of these items were recalled due to concerns about fire and burn hazards. For instance, in September Waterlogic issued a recall for approximately 48,000 water cooling and heating systems because of the risk of the machines overheating and catching fire. This week, an unlikely product is being recalled due to similar reasons. Google and HP, manufacturers of the Chromebook 11, are recalling about 145,000 charging cords due to the risk of the cord overheating and melting.
According to the CPSC, the chargers for the computer could pose fire and burn hazards if they overheat. Prior to the recall, Google had received nine complaints about the chargers melting after overheating. One report described small burns to a consumer, and another report involved property damage. Google had paused sales of the HP Chromebook 11 due to the reports, the company explained in a blog post last month.
The charger is packaged with the HP Chromebook 11, and is unique in that it provides a microUSB connection instead of the standard USB connection to the computer. The cord is approximately six feet long and black. The model number MU15-N1052-A00S is stamped near the outlet pins. The HP Chromebook 11 was sold at Best Buy stores, Amazon.com and on Google and HP’s websites for approximately $280. The computers were only available for purchase from October 2013 through November 2013.
Google recommends that consumers use a different cord to charge their Chromebooks, and immediately discontinue using the recalled charger. By contacting Google at 866-628-1371 from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. PT, consumers can find out how to get a free replacement charger. Additionally, chromebook has information on replacing the recalled charger.