RECALL Woolworths 'Essential; &Chevron double adptors

Bantam,
while agreeing with you on the cheap items it also happens to good quality products. This has happened to schneider/clipsal with their 413 series outlets. Although these would normally be installed and tested by an electrician if one of them made a mistake in testing or not testing the results could be fatal.

I know those outlets have been around for years and it would just take a lapse of testing protocol for something very bad to happen.

Clipsal recall

I bought a pack of 3 powerboards for about $10

I hesitated because of thier price but reassured myself they would have to meet australian standards

within less than a minute of using one (cant remember what was plugged in it but it wasnt much and it came with a circuit breaker which didnt pop) started smoking so i just binned them all

No doubt there are recalls on usually reliable and reputable products.

BUT......there has been a string of recalls on generic electrical items in recent times....three power board recalls in about as many months.

Additionally there have been a string of horror recalls on low cost generic appliances sold by some chain stores......and this is not a slip in quality controll.....these appliances where just badly designed and should never have been put on the market....how they got approval is beyond me......the importers and sellers are certainly short on their duty of care.

The fact remains that these cheap generic electrical items are rubbish.....you don't need to be qualified to see that, the touch and feel of them is flimsy.

When you are paying less for a generic power board than the trade price of a brand name rewirable plugtop....don't wonder why.

AND remember those selling these items are making a full retail margin....and then some if they are direct importing.
So the factory door price of these power boards will be betwen $1 & $2.

I've pulled a few of these power boards appart...after chopping the plug off....as ya do.....I simply can't believe how they could possibly make reliable contact long term.

The lowest I will go is the HPM branded 4 way and 6 way power boards like officeworks stock......I am not happy with the quality and would pay more for a better item....but they seem servicable and I have not seen any fail without undue cause.

This issue of poor contacts in power boards is not an uncommon one....I have removed several from various clients installations that have shown signs of overheating due to poor contact quality.
Melted, chared, or discouloured plastic, burning smells, equipment not working reliably.
Its come to the point where I look at the power board before I do anything else.

Every single one has been an unknown brand.

combine two particular problems.....poor contacts and insufficiently flame retardent plastics, and you have a recipie for a house or caravan burning down.

Its simply not worth the couple of dollars saved.

Two things I and my technician mates are finding that we did not 5 years ago....failed plug pack power supplies and failed power boards.....and items that are not very old or in arduous situations.

The quality has just dropped a very long way.

Sorry to harp...But I call em like I see em.

cheers

I do agree Bantam, just look at the heavy duty 15a leads that look like they came of a small light fitting and had a plug and socket fitted each end.

HI Bantam
Well put!
Sadly it seems the situation is only going to get worse
The Fed Gov right now is proceeding with changes[in the name of reducing red tape ]that would appear to remove any local checking of submitted approval certs,provided those Certs have been issued by a"reputable"overseas testing co

Just like most of those recalls have had before being issued with various State approvals simply based on checking the paper work.
You may have noticed all the above did have Aus /State approval
eg
xxxxxxxxQ

PeterQ

The problem seems to lie with the approval process, price is irrelevant
The consumer is buying these products in good faith from large well known retailerers, not shonky backyard deals and the products are displaying their compliance approval

The authorities are not doing their job

Hi Alby
The approval is being put on at the point of manufacture
Up to now:
After a reputable? co had tested the product to confirm it complied to Aus standards
At that point the paper work was checked for all the right boxes to be ticked ,then an Aus [usually a STATE] approval was issued
The Aus states accepted the paper work as being correct & the tests had been carried out
But now:
,in the name of reducing red tape, it appears our federal gov is going to remove even that safegaurd
If the maker says it has been tested[ By an "approved"testing co ]& complies that ,is all that will be needed...........
IMHO the worst is still to come

PeterQ

Yes I understand that the approval stamp is going on at point of manufacture, no different to any other company and how they produce their product.
But if a prototype was made and approved there is either a QA problem at manufacture or they have illegally modified the product as approved and should face disciplinary action as a result because they are selling a fraudulent product not approved as being advertised

The process and country of manufacture is most likely similar whether it is a Homebrand type product or one of the leading brand names
I appreciate that there will be different price and quality levels but the product still has to be compliant and safe

As far as third party certification, I have found with similar scenarios that often it makes the approval process harder as these individuals/ small businesses are scared of being sued and also carry huge insurance premiums to maintain their accreditation. The public servant versions are far less diligent as they carry little personal responsibility

Its all very easy to point blame here and there.

But in the end we are all individually responsible for what we have in our homes and camps.

If none of us baught this crap, there would be no market for it.

ALSO in the end the seller AND the importer are responsible for the quality and compliance of the item offered.

I have and do buy chineese products......truth to tell they can produce a product of any quality specified.....and some of the stuff comming out of china is very well made....I have had the lid off chineese made equipment that is better made and finished than audtralian made product of 5 or 10 years ago.

It does all come down to price.....if an importer wants to pay $2 or less for a power board ( remember they want a full, generous retail margin ...at least 100% mark up) this is the sort of crap they will get.


Do yaself and everybody else a favour...don't buy this crap.

cheers