American Power Conversion Corp. Recalls Back-Up Power Supply Systems
NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20207
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 14, 2003
Release # 03-068
APC Recall Hotline: (866) 272-7359 CPSC Consumer Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: Scott Wolfson, (301) 504-7051
CPSC, American Power Conversion Corp. Announce Recall of Back-Up Power
Supply Systems
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission (CPSC), American Power Conversion Corporation (APC), of West
Kingston, R.I., is voluntarily recalling about 900,000 back-up power
supply devices. These devices are primarily used to protect computers
in case of a power failure. The power supply device can fail, causing
the unit to overheat, which may pose a fire hazard to consumers.
APC has received six reports of units overheating resulting in the
melting of the unit's outer casing and three reports of minor property
damage. No injuries have been reported.
The recalled Back-UPS® CS Uninterruptible Power Supply devices
include the Back-UPS CS350 and the Back-UPS CS 500 models. The model
number can be found on the front of the unit, along with the words,
"Back-UPS CS" and "APC." In addition, one of the following numbers shows
up on the bar code label located on the bottom of the unit: BK350,
BK500, BK500BLK. The recalled power supply devices also have one of the
following serial numbers - AB0048 through AB0251, BB0104 through BB0251,
and JB0125 through JB0251 - which can be found on the bottom of the
unit. Units with an "R" at the end of the serial number within the
above ranges are not part of this recall.
Retailers, computer and electrical distributors, and catalogs
nationwide sold the power supply devices from November 2000 through
December 2002 for between $70 and $130.
Consumers should immediately stop using the power supply devices
by turning off the power to all connected equipment, turning the Back-
UPS CS off, and then unplugging it from the electrical outlet. To
obtain a free replacement unit, consumers should contact the company at
(866) APC-RELY (272-7359) between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through
Friday or log on to the company's website at www.apc.com/rely
