iPad charger caused electrical short?

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Level 1

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iPad charger caused electrical short?

I bought my 3G yesterday. Today, after about 30 seconds after unplugging my iPad from the charger cable, sparks and loud noise came from the outlet where the charger was still plugged in. I unplugged it from the GFCI outlet and the sparks stopped.

After checking and resetting the breaker(it wasn't tripped, but I reset it anyway), the outlet is dead. But I don't care about the outlet. The charger still works but my wife is concerned that there is a problem with it.

Any clue if there is a problem with the chargers?

iPad 3G

Posted on May 1, 2010 1:11 PM

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Answer 1

red555

Level 4

2,581 points

May 1, 2010 1:24 PM in response to funnyguy00

I recommend you have the outlet changed out. Not a good idea to use a toasted outlet. If the gfci is part of the outlet, even better. Change it all. If you can, I'd take the charger to apple and swap it out too.

WAs there burn marks on either.?...?

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Answer 2

Tamara

Level 6

13,738 points

May 1, 2010 1:32 PM in response to funnyguy00

It may have been purely coincidental that the iPad charger was plugged in when the outlet failed. Since the GFI didn't trip and it should have in that situation, I'm guess that the outlet itself was at fault rather than the charger since you didn't have anything plugged in to the charger that would be drawing power.

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Answer 3

funnyguy00 Author

Level 1

0 points

May 1, 2010 3:32 PM in response to Tamara

The GFCI outlet is dead now. So I'm going to replace it

As for the GFCI not tripping, it is not an arc fault interrupter. I don't know what happened, but unless you know it caused a ground fault, there is no reason to say the GFCI should have tripped.

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Answer 4

Tamara

Level 6

13,738 points

May 1, 2010 3:46 PM in response to funnyguy00

I had a GFI fail in my laundry room (sparks and all) and it tripped.

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Answer 5

Esther.B

Level 1

0 points

Dec 20, 2012 9:18 PM in response to funnyguy00

ITS NOT A JOKE MY DAUGHTERS IPAD CHARGER STARTED A FIRE WITH HER AND HER 2 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER IN THE HOUSE THE FIRE DEPT. PUT OUT THE FIRE AND MARSHALL SAID THE IPAD CHARGER STARTED THE FIRE THE HOUSE IS BURNT DOWN TO THE GROUND EVERYTHING HER FAMILY OWNED IS NOW ASHES

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