UL Warns of Potentially Hazardous Decorative Lighting Strings

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NORTHBROOK, Ill., - December 5, 2005 - Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) is notifying consumers and retailers that decorative lighting strings manufactured by Dongguan Waylite Electric Appliance Co. Ltd. may pose a shock or fire hazard.

Name of Product: Mini Light Sets, Models WL or WLC followed by -10, -15, -20, -30, -35, -40, -43, -50, ,-70, -80, -100, -105, -120, -140, -150, -160, -175, -200, -250 or -300, followed by /1C, /2C, /3C, /4C, /5C, /1CA, /2CA, /3CA, /4CA, /5CA or /6CA.

Units: At least 2 million.

Manufacturer: Dongguan Waylite Electric Appliance Co., Ltd., Yuan Jiang Yuan Management District, Changping, Dongguan, Guangdong, 523566 CHINA

Hazard: These products have features that do not comply with UL's applicable safety standard which may result in overheating or exposure of live parts. This poses a risk of electric shock and fire hazard to users of the products.

Identification:
On the product: The end of the decorative light string includes a tag with the marking "E254698" and one of the model numbers as identified above.

What you should do: UL recommends that users stop using the products immediately and return them to the place of purchase.

[Linked Image from ul.com]

UL News Release: http://www.ul.com/media/newsrel/nr120705.html

I just got a recall notice from costco for these lights. Costco item # white outdoor LED 501702
blue LED which was the ones i purchased Item # 501701 both sets were sold in boxes of 3 of 35 lights each and were manufactured by Bortex for Universal lites.
Says there has been some incidents of electrical malfunction.

Model # COD-TL-35

Strange that these lights i have the only thing that would have identified them was the last 2 digits of the model #, the company names are completed different

Looks like the new lights I just bought from Target are affected as well. I have the 100-lite, multi-color "Super brite" sets with white cords.

Those sets sell for around $2.00 each. I would say you get what you pay for, but:

I have many other strings from the same store which are over 4 years old and in near perfect condition. (All 100 lite minis.)

edited to add:

I do wish UL were more specific as to what the problems are. I have carefully checked out the ones I have, and they seem to be better built than the older strings I have. They also have enlongated bases on the bulbs with a wedge end that keeps the wire secured and the contacts separated. The cord insulation also seems a mite thicker than the older sets too. I'm having some difficulty seeing the problems here....

[This message has been edited by mxslick (edited 12-12-2005).]

Post-season follow-up:

All light strings survived intact, with no problems at all. They didn't trip the GFI during some intense rain storms despite being zip-tied to a metal railing and nothing got hot or melted. They were run 8 hours a night and all night Christmas and New year's eves.

Still waiting for UL to clarify what the problem is... [Linked Image]

Yeah, I really wish they'd give more details when they issue a recall. Some of these things just sound like more of an effort to scare people into hysterics.