My Iphone Charger Burnt Me!

WOW! I thought this was dead. For those capable of making rational thoughts, thank you for that.

I can't speak for the guy who this happened to in the original pos, however I can speak for myself when I say there was nothing split, no debris, metal shavings, walked on, etc, etc, etc. This was not misuse on my part. It is known that the usb power adapter has been replaced due to a recall of prongs breaking off and excessive power. It they are capable of one product recall, why is it so hard to believe that the there is/was a problem with my cable. Why does it have to be misuse or something that I did. If I left my home with my iron plugged up, that is misuse. Leaving a phone cable plugged up, that is not misuse. Twist it however you like. I would like to visit your house and see if all your electronics are unplugged. Lets say your computer faulted or microwave - is that your fault too?

For those that say they unplug their phone charger when its not in use, good for you. What about the other 9 billion others who don't? I'm sorry, but that's a ridiculous remark. That's like telling someone who was hit by a drunk driver that its their fault because they should have not been on the road. By knowing that its possible that it can happen, if you put yourself in that situation, its your fault. Because I left my phone charger plugged up, its my fault. What if this happened with my phone connected? Is that my fault too? Or would that change things? It's not different.

And the argument that in my case I made this up and planned for it to happen - do you know me? How can you make that accusation? I have nothing invested in this. I'm not out to hire a lawyer and or look for a settlement. In the end, I you can honestly say that if this happened to you, would you just say - ah no worries, it was my fault.

Some pictures. And before the comments of - "Ah see the fibers" Thanks for the obvious, I already told you about it burning and melting into my carpet.

jlawson09 said:

I can't speak for the guy who this happened to in the original pos, however I can speak for myself when I say there was nothing split, no debris, metal shavings, walked on, etc, etc, etc. This was not misuse on my part. It is known that the usb power adapter has been replaced due to a recall of prongs breaking off and excessive power.

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Leaving a phone cable plugged up, that is not misuse. Twist it however you like. I would like to visit your house and see if all your electronics are unplugged. Lets say your computer faulted or microwave - is that your fault too?

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Would you leave a set of jumper cables hooked up to your battery on your car, with the live ends just sitting on the garage floor? That's essentially what the OP did. This isn't a case of a powerstrip plugged up, sitting on the floor and not being used. There a metal end on the power cable of the iPhone. If you plug the other end into a USB port or use the wall adapter, the other end is live. I'm not saying that if you touch it, you'll die, but that part actually goes inside the iPhone to establish metal-to-metal contact. Unplugged to the iPhone with the other end plugged into a power source, the iPhone end is exposed to everything. I don't think it was designed to just sit out in the open.

What about the other 9 billion others who don't? I'm sorry, but that's a ridiculous remark.

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How do you know how many people don't? Where are you getting your numbers? You act like its weird to treat power (and cabling) with respect. I've a cousin who learned to respect power after he found a pair of tweezers on the floor (when he was small) and stuck them into a wall socket. Did his parents sue the tweezer maker? Uhmm...no. They just made sure to put the tweezers (and anything else metal and small) away in a safe place. They also began to use socket covers. Does that make them weird? No. You can't just blame manufacturers all the time, not when the average adult should have intellect enough to know certain things about powered objects.

That's like telling someone who was hit by a drunk driver that its their fault because they should have not been on the road. By knowing that its possible that it can happen, if you put yourself in that situation, its your fault. Because I left my phone charger plugged up, its my fault. What if this happened with my phone connected? Is that my fault too? Or would that change things? It's not different.

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The thing is, it didn't happen when your phone was connected. Assumptions are assumptions. If it happened, it happened, if it didn't, it didn't. We can play the 'what if' game all day and it won't make a difference.

And the argument that in my case I made this up and planned for it to happen - do you know me? How can you make that accusation? I have nothing invested in this. I'm not out to hire a lawyer and or look for a settlement. In the end, I you can honestly say that if this happened to you, would you just say - ah no worries, it was my fault.

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You're paying the price for utilizing public forums to explain your issue. You'll always find that some people agree while others don't...no matter what the topic is. You bet, if I left that live charging cable on the floor and it burned me or surged, I'd say it was my fault. I've my own understanding of and respect for electricity (due to military training). People die every day because of their lack of understanding of powered items. You disagreeing doesn't change the fact that the juice running through power cords can kill or cause damage.

All of my comments were directed toward the thread starter...the OP. I've no idea about your situation or why it happened to you, but I doubt there's an Apple conspiracy going on. Apple is hardly paying me to say this and I'm not a sheep being lead to slaughter. All most people are saying is that if the OP had disconnected his power cable from the power source, it is highly unlikely that his issue would've happened. This is basic common sense. Nevermind the fact that lots of other users may be doing it...they're wrong also. Safety isn't a consensus thing where the majority wins because they are the majority. If your argument is that they're doing it and they're not getting hurt or burned cables...I've no idea on that...all I can do is point you to a google definition on the word CHANCE or PROBABILITY. Play with fire and you eventually get burned.

jlawson09 said:

Some pictures. And before the comments of - "Ah see the fibers" Thanks for the obvious, I already told you about it burning and melting into my carpet.

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Carpet fibers got caught in the slats of the connector? Dunno. Wouldn't have happened if the cord was unplugged from the power source.

unixfool said:

Would you leave a set of jumper cables hooked up to your battery on your car, with the live ends just sitting on the garage floor? That's essentially what the OP did. This isn't a case of a powerstrip plugged up, sitting on the floor and not being used. There a metal end on the power cable of the iPhone. If you plug the other end into a USB port or use the wall adapter, the other end is live. I'm not saying that if you touch it, you'll die, but that part actually goes inside the iPhone to establish metal-to-metal contact. Unplugged to the iPhone with the other end plugged into a power source, the iPhone end is exposed to everything. I don't think it was designed to just sit out in the open.

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You just compared a cherry bomb to an atomic bomb, and that's hardly a fair comparison. Especially because a jumper cable isn't for household use (and by that I mean to be used inside your house), where as an iPhone charger (whose cord is hardly long enough to even reach from the wall to a desk), is made to be used in a home, and to be touched and moved and (contrary to popular belief in this thread) to sit on the floor on occasion.

Oh and I'd just like to point this out because no one else really has: even if the OP disconnected it from the wall, if the "debris" that apparently caused it to malfunction was still caught inside the charger, then when he plugged it into charge his phone, it could have very well malfunctioned and melted his phone. If so, it has nothing to do with plugging it in while it sits on the floor, but rather that it can't be kept on the floor (which wasn't advertised by Apple whatsoever), and its kind of counter intuitive, because most cords are kept on the floor, and since the iPhone cord is so short, it's almost certainly going to end up on the floor sooner or later. And if it does, we should just expect it to melt? Please.

Edit: And furthermore, if the charger can be compromised by fibers getting inside it, then how the heck is anyone supposed to carry it with them? Does the charger come with a case to carry it in? No. So how can people take it with them? Certainly they could never do something like put it in a backpack, where it will undoubtedly collect debris... Come on you guys, get real.

yeah i have to agree, that's a terrible comparison. I leave mine like that all the time, who unplugs it and replugs it every time just to recharge?

Why can't you accept that the cable is deffective???? Do you worship Apple so much that everything has to be the user's fault??? Chargers are designed to be connected all the time!!!!!! Sure if it was not connected it wouldn't have happened. Also if he had not bought it it wouldn't have happened either!! He used it like intended and the thing melted. I don't see why is it so hard to people to see what the problem here is.

The OP drank too many Coronas (look at the bottle cap on the floor), and thought it'd be funny to burn a spare connector with a lighter then post it up here.

vampire electronics - please read!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is an article that i think will help. Yes, I do unplug things as much as possible.

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Five Percent of U.S. Electricity Wasted By "Vampire" Electronics
by Terrence O'Brien, posted Oct 31st 2007 at 12:27PM


You may not know it, but your electronics use electricity even when they're "off." Most home electronics, including your microwave, TV, and DVD player, continue to consume small amounts of power even after you're done using them. Why? Because rather than switch off all electronic circuits, gadgets and devices often switch into "standby" mode.

This small amount of power adds up over time. It's estimated that five percent of all electricity in the United States is wasted powering devices that are not in use, and that figure could rise to 20 percent by 2010, according to the Department of Energy.

California, which is usually at the forefront of conservation efforts, passed the Vampire Slayers Act last year, which requires that electronics have a tag detailing the amount of energy used not only during normal use, but also in standby mode, as well as when turned off.

Even chargers, such as those for cell phones, are a major drain on the system. They use up a trickle of energy after the phone is completely charged, or even if the phone is disconnected.

You can avoid adding to the problem with some simple tips:

Unplug any devices you can when not in use. If you're done charging your phone, don't simply disconnect the phone, but unplug the charger completely. The same goes for laptops, electric razors and toothbrushes. When you're done watching TV, unplug the set from the wall.
Utilize power strips. Plug your home entertainment system, as well as your computer, monitor and other peripherals into power strips or surge protectors so that you can easily shut off the whole set up when you're done. You can try "Smart" power strips, which shut off automatically if a device isn't on for a certain period of time, as well as shut off, say, all your peripherals if you turn off your computer. (That said, make sure to keep your cable box plugged in to a separate, always-on power strip, since the cable box often de-authorizes itself if left unplugged for too long.)
Look for the Energy Star logo. The government backed program rates electronics on energy efficiency. Looking for electronics with the highest Energy Star rating possible will guarantee you waste as little electricity as possible.

Vampire electronics not only drive up your electricity bill, but also drive up the price of energy in general and pollute our environment. These tips along with switching your light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs will make sure you contribute as little as possible to global warming.

milani said:

You just compared a cherry bomb to an atomic bomb, and that's hardly a fair comparison. Especially because a jumper cable isn't for household use (and by that I mean to be used inside your house), where as an iPhone charger (whose cord is hardly long enough to even reach from the wall to a desk), is made to be used in a home, and to be touched and moved and (contrary to popular belief in this thread) to sit on the floor on occasion.

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Not really. Don't compare the cables themselves, but what runs through them...electricity. Whether or not jumper cables are for home use, both those cables and the iPhone charger are electrical components...that was the point. People who leave items plugged into a power source but leave the other end unplugged is just asking for trouble, REGARDLESS IF THE COMPONENTS ARE DESIGNED FOR HOME USE. You guys keep missing the point, but I think its more because you prefer to be difficult than try to understand that cables should not just be discarded without unplugging them...

About your other comment regarding fibers being stuck in the connector....you mention that fibers could've gotten stuck in the connector when the cable was unplugged, only to smolder when the cable was plugged into power. Maybe, but that's a supposition. We can play the 'what if' game all month long. The facts are that he stated that the unit was plugged into power but was left unattended on the floor.

BTW, I agree with spacetycho's post above. It highlights the misconception that people have regarding power and its usage, but definitely shows that there is live current running through wires that may be unplugged from devices but still plugged into power sources.

Or how about this -- If something's plugged in, don't leave it on the floor. Just in case.

JUST as a simple little "better safe than sorry" tip. That's all!

spacetycho said:

Unplug any devices you can when not in use. If you're done charging your phone, don't simply disconnect the phone, but unplug the charger completely. The same goes for laptops, electric razors and toothbrushes. When you're done watching TV, unplug the set from the wall.

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I know that you didn't say this, but unplugging your TV set from the wall when you're done watching it is ridiculous. I wonder how many people actually do this?

themoonisdown09 said:

I know that you didn't say this, but unplugging your TV set from the wall when you're done watching it is ridiculous. I wonder how many people actually do this?

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the only thing i don't unplug is my entertainment center(tv, xbox, dvr, stereo) all which have standby power while off(major vampire electronics). it's just not convinient to turn in off although it's all on one power strip. cable box would have to reboot everytime

i do unplug my studio computer setup everytime i finish a session. it's all set up on battery back up and powers strips but i still unplug after shut down.

obviously kitchen appliances need to stay on, but i do unplug the toaster after use.

i am very consious of turning things off and unplugging them, it's not too much of a pain, and it does save money. and keeps things from catching on fire!

themoonisdown09 said:

I know that you didn't say this, but unplugging your TV set from the wall when you're done watching it is ridiculous. I wonder how many people actually do this?

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haha Yeah that'll never work for me.

IT WILL STOP MY TiVO RECORDINGS
let alone the 10 minutes that DirectTV takes to reboot

Maybe the only appliances I agree to disconnect would be an Iron, and perhaps a woman's Curling Iron

unixfool said:

Can you show where the OP said, 'dock'? The OP didn't have a dock.

We're not talking docks. We're talking plugs. There's a HUGE difference, and, your dock is on a nightstand.

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The OP didn't say, "dock." I did.

You said that you shouldn't plug in a device with no load attached to it. Doesn't the dock count for that?

Just so you know, I'm not arguing with either side, I'm just trying to see the situation from all perspectives.

TheConfuzed1 said:

The OP didn't say, "dock." I did.

You said that you shouldn't plug in a device with no load attached to it. Doesn't the dock count for that?

Just so you know, I'm not arguing with either side, I'm just trying to see the situation from all perspectives.

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Exactly, so one should unplug their docking systems when not in use? No.
The plug on the charger and the plug on docks are the same.

TheConfuzed1 said:

The OP didn't say, "dock." I did.

You said that you shouldn't plug in a device with no load attached to it. Doesn't the dock count for that?

Just so you know, I'm not arguing with either side, I'm just trying to see the situation from all perspectives.

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The dock doesn't count for anything in this case, as the issue is with the exposed connector, IMO. I'm focusing on the OP's description of the issue, is all.

Note that a cord that is plugged into a power source but not attached to any device is still drawing a load (see the vampire post a few posts up).

unixfool said:

The dock doesn't count for anything in this case...

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...Note that a cord that is plugged into a power source but not attached to any device is still drawing a load (see the vampire post a few posts up).

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Do you see the contradiction in your statements?

SFStateStudent said:

Sounds like the OP was lucky his house didn't burn down...

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i thought the same thing when he said a part of his floor burnt too. though he has a blister on his foot, he got lucky.

TheConfuzed1 said:

Do you see the contradiction in your statements?

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You're cherry-picking.

A dock doesn't expose the connection. When the dock was mentioned, safety was being discussed. There's no contradiction.

The discussion did go on a bit of a tangent regarding vampire electronics. The poster for that subject matter highlights the drain of power when leaving things plugged up but not being used. Notice his red text? That text was highlighted for a reason and does somewhat play into the debate of safety, but, again, you won't burn your foot on a docking station. You can certainly burn your foot on a smoldering/burning connector that was left plugged into a wall socket with nothing connected to the iPhone end.

There is no contradiction at all.

Boneclinks said:

lol sum of u guys are so funny still unable to accept that all mighty apple made a faulty product, they recalled it, u remember??? Chill out fanboys this happens and all the ******** about he light it on fire oo he spilled beer on it think whatever you want i cant change ur mind i just posted here to let people know that this happens. And obviously it does, as another person has fallen victim to the APPLE CHARGER BURN! Incoming ********s of guys who all happen to be electricians and know everything about apple products. FLAME ON!

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Since you know so much already, WTF did you start the thread for? You posted just to let us know it happened? I coulda told you that ages ago. I've never seen someone injure themselves, blame a manufacturer but not do anything (as in initiate some legal action) but go to a forum and chat about it...

All the more reason to not believe this BS story. Cut yourself shaving, blame the product...very logical. Get shampoo in your eyes, blame the product. Eat peanut butter cookies, have an allergic reaction, blame the manufacturer. Leave your car running, it gets stolen, blame the manufacturer. Blame anyone but yourself...that seems to be the game. You guys need to grow a set of stones and wake the hell up. In life, **** happens, but that **** can happen because the guy it happened to didn't know WTF he was doing, yah know???? This isn't an Apple issue. It's an issue of someone not using common sense. I don't have to know about the product if someone says that a plug caught fire because they left the business end unplugged and on the floor...you don't have to be a brainiac to see that something isn't right about that story.

Yeah, flame on...that's what the connector did.

I plugged my iPhone charger in the wall & sucked on the other end (pin conector thingy) & nothing happened, so I believe the OP.

Im also happy to hear that military training includes a chapter on unplugging all electrical home appliances lest the nasty electric vampires come get us

Another Cable Burn

Hi guys, just yesterday I was going to charge my iphone 3G and when I pick up the cable it was burn exactly the same as in this thread. The strange thing is that my charger is not working but the cable is. I guess I have to ask for a new one. Even do my charger has the green dot.