Why did our USB port explode? - Anxiety about wiring
We’re setting up our office space about 1 month after a gut renovation was finished in our apt. We got a new printer, for which I installed the software and did a test page with no problem. Then my husband goes to do the same thing on his machine, but when he inserted the USB…
We’re setting up our office space about 1 month after a gut renovation was finished in our apt. We got a new printer, for which I installed the software and did a test page with no problem. Then my husband goes to do the same thing on his machine, but when he inserted the USB cord into the port as directed, it burst into flames and melted, and instantly the circuit for that end of the apt tripped. The computers still worked when we put the electricity back on, but we really want to know what could have caused this since no one that I’ve talked to has ever heard of something like this happening before.
Can anyone reading this shed some light on what would make a usb cord/port explode like that? Is there something wrong with our new wiring? Did our new heavy-duty surge protectors do what they were supposed to? Do we need new computer equipment or a new electrician?
FOLLOW UP: We returned the scanner and bought one from a different company. My husband again had sparks appear when he tried to hook it up to his imac, but I used it 4-5 times with my laptop without incident. Then last week I was using my laptop (Lenovo, running on battery, with my HP printer attached through USB). I plugged another USB cord from the (new) scanner into my USB port on the laptop, and heard a loud popping sound. This time the laptop was dead, as was the transformer brick on my printer. The laptop’s motherboard needed to be replaced and I was lucky (again) that the thing was still on warrantee and that I was able to find a place that fixed it back to normal very quickly (Lincoln Business Machines near Lincoln Center). The circuit did not trip this time.
Yesterday we had an electrician evaluate our apt. He couldn’t see anything in our wiring that would explain our USB power surges problem and basically said these events with different scanners and different computers must each have been a freak accident (!)
But one thing he noticed and questioned was that the devices involved (all except my laptop) have 3 pronged plugs on the end of their transformer cords. He thought this was strange, and a new trend he hadn’t noticed before, so he wondered if this could have something to do with it.
On Google I found some articles about the 3-prong transformer cords leading to excessive electrical noise that is particularly a problem for audio recording. They say the problem is that the devices are attached to each other by cords (like USB) but if 2 or more of the devices have 3-prong transformer electrical cords they are also connecting to each other through the grounding wire. The suggestion in these articles was to attach only 1 3-pronged device to the computer at a time, and if you have to use another one, use an adapter to cover its grounding pin.
Has anyone else heard of or experienced a related problem? Given this new information, any ideas what is causing such powerful surges through our USB ports? Do you think the 3-prong transformer cords could have something to do with it? Thanks in advance for any ideas you have.
It sounds like there is a problem with the power supply in the epson printer, and it is leaking high voltage, somehow, to the port where it was attached to the Imac.
Disconnect it from the wall immediately and take to a professional computer repair shop. It might not be worth repairing…
Absolutely NOT KIDDING.
Yes, lucky – that there wasn’t a fire, or an electrocution, or more damage to our computers, or that this didn’t turn out to be faulty wiring from our renovation. On this last possibility, the sloppiness that we can see and the hidden screw ups we have come to learn about since moving back in to our apt would have made us not completely surprised by faulty wiring (just completely ill). But having been spared even that I know that this once we were very lucky.
It was the USB port and the end of the USB cord that melted. The i-Mac still works as well as before, but has a burnt-out hole of melted metal and plastic where one of its USB ports used to be.
I suppose not believing this story, Epson customer support asked us to plug the printer in again to test it. There was a spark at the outlet and the circuit tripped again.
Although Epson still won’t agree to take it back (apparently not sufficiently convinced that their printer has a problem) I won’t be plugging it in again so I’ve got a very bulky expensive paperweight until they do. Aggravating yes, but not the end of the world, or even as serious as I was afraid it might be when I posted last week. Thanks for your input everyone.
Kiddo,
Are you for real or are you just screwing around to see how many people respond?
I ask because the power system inside the computer is controlled by a digital circuit that should have been damaged by the short that tripped your power breaker. Usually a power event this large would have damaged the motherboard or at least damaged the power supply.
So either, you are VERY lucky or just fooling around.
I would guess that it’s a problem with the printer or the computer, not the electrical. The fact that it popped the breaker, is more likely due to problems with the printer or computer shorting somehow.
I’d guess it’s unlikely that you plugged in the printer exactly at the same time that there was a power surge in the line. It sounds like the USB shorted something in the computer or printer.
Contact the manufacturer of the printer and computer.
I would say anytime you’re wiring explodes, theres something wrong.
This is the first time I’ve heard of such a thing. A USB port puts out around 5 volts and anytime you plug an active load into a power source you can generate a spark.
If you look online you will find reports of sparks and even fires caused by defective USB ports.
Instead of a surge protector you can try a line conditioner. In any case if your house circuit breaker tripped then whatever surge protector you were using for the electronics failed and needs to be replaced.
What burst into flames? The printer? Not the computer, I suppose since it still worked.
Without more info, this should have nothing to do with the mains/surge protector/house wiring. Since the breaker tripped, you must have a problem with one of the units that the USB cord plugged into.
Maybe stupid Q: you’d didn’t plug it into a socket, did you?