My $40 smart plug almost burned my house down in Seattle

I bought a cheap smart plug from a random brand to control a lamp, and it started making a weird buzzing sound after a week. The thing got so hot it melted part of the outlet, and I had to cut the power to the whole room. Has anyone else had a gadget fail in a scary way like that?

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2 Comments

miles6056mo ago

Did you actually see any scorch marks or smoke, or was it just warm and making noise? Sometimes those things get hot but it doesn't mean there was real danger.

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the_riley6mo ago

So you're saying if it's just hot and loud, it's fine? What's the line where you'd actually call someone?

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