With almost two dozen fires reported it seems Ring has recalled over three hundred thousand smart doorbells. Sure, two dozen might not sound like many but when it comes to potential house fires, we’re better off safe than sorry.
According to Fox Business, the company has recalled 350,000 select second-generation video doorbells because they have batteries that can overheat if they are not installed properly. It seems for some reason the incorrect screws for this product were included with the product and that has lead to some issues. At least 85 incidents have been reported and just over 20 fires have actually managed to break out though minor damages have occurred thus far.
CBS News wrote as follows on this topic:
The recall involves Ring Video Doorbell (second generation, model number 57M5E5) smart doorbell cameras sold at electronics and home goods stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com and Ring.com from June through October. The retail cost of the product is about $100.
About 350,000 of the video doorbells were sold in the U.S. and another 8,700 were sold in Canada. Consumers should immediately stop installing the recalled items and contact Ring for revised installation instructions or download them here.
Made in China, the recalled doorbells have a blue ring on the front and come in two colors: black and silver or black and bronze. Sold with a mounting bracket and a USB charging cable, the two-way audio doorbell can be hard-wired or battery-powered and supports night vision.
As noted above customers are able to check and see if their Ring devices fit into this by entering their serial number on the Ring website. If you find that your Ring device is part of this, stop using it and take the steps needed to get things resolved. I know, this might not be something everyone wants to take the time to look into but for the safety of your home, you should if you’re using Ring products.
CPSC wrote as follows on this recall:
This recall involves Ring Video Doorbell (2nd Generation), model number 5UM5E5 smart doorbell cameras. The video doorbells have a blue ring at the front and come in two colors: “satin nickel” (black and silver) and “venetian bronze” (black and bronze). They were sold with a mounting bracket and a USB charging cable. The two-way audio doorbell can be hardwired or battery-powered and supports night vision. The Ring logo is printed on the bottom front of the doorbell and the model and S/N are on a label on the back of the doorbell and the outer packaging. Consumers can determine if their doorbell is included in this recall by entering the doorbell’s serial number at http://support.ring.com/ring-2nd-gen-recall. Only Ring Video Doorbell (2nd Generation) models with certain serial numbers are included.
Consumers should immediately stop installing the recalled video doorbells and contact Ring for revised installation instructions or download them here. Consumers can check if their video doorbell is part of this recall through Ring’s website or app.
To learn more about all of this please take a look at the video below. Again, if you’re using Ring products in your home take the time to check things properly. The last thing any of us need is our homes catching on fire.