Amazon’s smart home brand Ring has issued a recall for around 350,000 of its 2nd generation video doorbells sold in the US over fire and burn concerns. According to a notice published by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, Ring has received 23 reports of doorbells igniting and causing minor property damage, and eight reports of minor burns. Ring’s site says affected doorbells do not need to be returned, but that users should follow their updated instructions.
Although Ring says there is no risk if the doorbell is installed correctly, the CPSC notes that the device can overheat if the wrong screws are used. Ring says that it received 85 incident reports of people using the incorrect screws which could damage the doorbell’s battery. Ring has put out an updated set of instructions for its video doorbell, which specifically warn users not to use any screws other than the “smart security screws” to secure the video doorbell to the bracket.
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“Customers do not need to return their devices,” Ring told CNET in a statement, “We have and continue to work cooperatively with the CPSC on this issue and have contacted customers who purchased a Ring Video Doorbell (2nd Gen) to ensure they received the updated user manual and follow the device installation instructions.”
The specific doorbells affected are 2nd generation video doorbells sold this year between June and October for around $100 with the model number 5UM5E5. You can enter your device’s serial number over on Ring’s website to see if your doorbell is affected. Although Ring doesn’t explicitly say it, owners who have already installed their 2nd generation Ring doorbells incorrectly with the wrong screws should contact customer support. We’ve reached out to Ring for clarification, and will update this piece if we get a response.
