What lurks within - shocking ...

[Adrian C]

I was scrabbling below my desk trying to sort out a mess of adaptors, cables and other PC connections (too many PCs). It's dark down there, so I investigated with a torch rather than my fingers.

A good thing I did, this cheepo uncertified PSU (for a USB hub, 5V 2A) had its guts splayed out in wait. If my fingers had found it, i'd be minus a few atoms or worse :-(

closely, the moulding around the still captive screws had failed

- you can see large holes in the plug base where they once stuck. Also the top casing had detached - glue, heat, chinese cheese pizza grade plastic?

Last time I saw a transfomer like that, it was in a transistor radio...

[meow2222]

Can we put the piccy on the wiki?

NT

[Adrian C]

Yup :)

[Lee]

Unfortunately doesn't seem to be that uncommon, happened to two PSUs that I have had and one that hasn't yet, but was subject to a recall for the problem.

Maybe coincidentally, the 2 failures I had were the same shape case, although different manufacturers. At least the name, case and innerds looked different, could have easily come from the same factory of course. Like you, I wonder if it's just that the cheap designs simply get too hot and the cases/glue goes brittle.

[Brian Gaff]

I had a Goodmans PC speaker psu come apart recently as well. I'm not sure what held it together, but the answer was not a lot.

Brian

[Brian Gaff]

A friend had a Ferguson one just crack open in several pieces as she grasped it to pull it out one day. I repaired it with parcel tape for a quick fix but bought another in Maplin. Brian

[Lobster]

>

Just that happened to the charger for my late, unlamented PowerPlus(?) B&Q drill a while ago. Never even dropped it or nuffink.

David

[Andy Burns]

> Looking closely, the moulding around the still captive screws had failed

The cases are often ultrasonic welded rather than glued or screwed.

The transformer is smaller because it's likely to be a switch mode power supply, so it's operating in the ten of kHz range, not at mains 50Hz.

[Bob Eager]

I've had similar things happen with the PSUs from two Argos reading lights.

I bought empty PSU cases and transplanted the innards - much more DIY!