Skip to the content
TOTAL PRODUCT RECALL
CPSC #03068Electronics & batteries
Recalled Back-UPS® Back-up Power Supply Device

American Power Conversion Corp. · Recalled

CPSC, American Power Conversion Corp. Announce Recall of Back-Up Power Supply Systems

Fire & burns

The power supply device can fail, causing the unit to overheat, which may pose a fire hazard to consumers.

Units
About 900,000
Reports
6
Injuries
—
Deaths
0
Price
$70–$130
Remedy
See notice

Reports, injuries, deaths and price are read out of the notice’s wording by rules, so they can miss unusual phrasing. The official notice is the record.

Affected

The recalled Back-UPS® CS Uninterruptible Power Supply devices include the Back-UPS CS350 and the Back-UPS CS 500 models. The model number can be found on the front of the unit, along with the words, "Back-UPS CS" and "APC." In addition, one of the following numbers shows up on the bar code label located on the bottom of the unit: BK350, BK500, BK500BLK. The recalled power supply devices also have one of the following serial numbers - AB0048 through AB0251, BB0104 through BB0251, and JB0125 through JB0251 - which can be found on the bottom of the unit. Units with an "R" at the end of the serial number within the above ranges are not part of this recall.

The file

Sold at
Retailers, computer and electrical distributors, and catalogs nationwide sold the power supply devices, from November 2000 through December 2002, for between $70 and $130.
Product type
Adapter/Power Supply/Charger/Battery
Made in
United States
Recalled by
American Power Conversion Corporation (APC), of West Kingston, R.I.

Incident log

APC has received six reports of units overheating, resulting in the melting of the unit's outer casing and three reports of minor property damage. No injuries have been reported.

What the notice says to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the power supply devices by turning off the power to all connected equipment, turning the Back-UPS CS off, and then unplugging it from the electrical outlet. To obtain a free replacement unit, consumers should contact the company.

Consumers may contact the company at (866) APC-RELY (272-7359) between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or log on to the company's website at www.apc.com/rely

Open official CPSC notice ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Recall notice published by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. This site is independent: always confirm on the official notice before acting.

Notice first dated JAN 14 2003; last revised MAY 14 2025.

All 2003 recalls · Back to the timeline