Phone Charger Safety

How can you make sure your phone charger isn’t a health hazard? You might think your phone charger is little more than a helpful piece of equipment that helps keep your phone working, but in reality you’re talking about something that uses live electricity, and without careful care and attention it could cause a fire, an electrical shock, and potentially kill someone. Yes, chargers can be deadly, and if you don’t buy the right one for your phone you’re asking for trouble.

Counterfeit charges.

A high percentage of phone chargers count as counterfeit, that is they aren't the correct ones for your phone, have the potential to cause an accident and are a dangerous hazard. This is something you really need to keep in mind when you’re buying a new phone charger. It pays to carry out some simple checks so you can avoid a nasty accident in your home.

There is a 3 point check you can carry out to ascertain whether or not your phone charger is safe to use.

Check the plug pins.

There should be at least around 9.5mm between the edge of each pin and the edge of the charger. There should be 9.5mm of distance between the pin edges and the edge of the charger.

Check to see how easy the plug fits into the socket by actually plugging it in - it should fit in easily. If the charger doesn’t fit that smoothly into the socket it may be a bad sign. There could be a mismatch with the size, length or distance of the pins. If you leave it as it is, you could end up with overheating of both charger and socket leading to a fire.

What markings does your charger have?

You should be able to spot a CE mark. The CE mark should be joined by a set of ratings and output voltage which matches the electrical device you’re using. A CE mark tells you that the product has met all the legal safety requirements - but this can be faked so don’t rely on this alone. 

Adequate warnings and instructions.

There should also be adequate warnings and instructions with the charger and they should include information about limitations and conditions of use, electrical safety guidance and of course, instructions on how to dispose of it once it’s no longer needed. 

Cheap phone chargers are not always the solution they seem.

Phone chargers can be made cheaply overseas and often contain poor quality materials, they won’t always have the safety features we would expect from a professionally made phone charger. Counterfeit electrical chargers are seized all the time, and the most important thing is to take time to make the necessary checks so you don’t get caught out. 

VC Electrical - Expert Electricians

If you have any questions about what we’ve talked about, or any concerns about a charger you’ve bought recently, get in touch with one of our expert electricians and we’ll answer your questions. We’re always here to help!