Dead adapters working again. Anyone experience this?

[draconian]

This has happened to me twice now. First with my laptop battery and now with my psp charger.

Both times, for some reason or another they will fail to charge. Thinking it's broken, I'll buy another charger. Then just for curiosity sakes and a few days later, I'll plug the dead/old adapter and they magically seem to work again.

 

[Grall]

It must be because of your psychic energy you give off!

*Ahem* Sorry about that, hehe. Didn't mean any offense. Anyway, I wouldn't use an adaptor that has failed and then work again. These things have a propensity for catching fire and stuff, so it's probably not good to use it if it's a bit dodgy to begin with.

Of course, it could be the power socket you're using as well - did you try a different one? Seems to me that US wall and power strip sockets in particular are prone to being of low quality and loose contact. Standard EU pin-type sockets have been a lot more robust in my experience. Dunno where you live, so I don't know if this applies to you...

 

[Bludd]

Listen for a scratchy electrical sound when you jiggle the power plug in the socket.

 

[draconian]

Of course, it could be the power socket you're using as well - did you try a different one? Seems to me that US wall and power strip sockets in particular are prone to being of low quality and loose contact. Standard EU pin-type sockets have been a lot more robust in my experience. Dunno where you live, so I don't know if this applies to you...

No, I tried using different sockets and such. I'm positive that it wasn't an electrical contact problem.

I'm thinking that there must be something that acts like a fuse in these adapters. After a while of nonuse, the fuse resets itself? and thus the adapter works again?

 

[Grall]

I doubt they're spending money on auto-fuses in these cheap dealies. If there's a fuse at all it's likely one that's just soldered in and once/if it blows you're screwed. I bought a food processor once (fairly expensive model too) which was killed by a carrot that got stuck in the finger-hole of the rotating plate holding the grating thingy. When the carrot blocked the rotating motion the motor shorted out the fuse. Fuse was soldered in and couldn't be replaced without a soldering iron and a suitable replacement part which you can't buy in regular stores...

If you've had adaptors that quit on you and it's not electrical contact issues I suggest in the name of safety that you DON'T USE THEM... Turn them in for electronics recycling at wherever place you do that around where you live. You say you've bought replacements already anyway, so better safe than sorry eh?

 

[Frank]

The adapter rarely fails, it's almost always the outgoing wire that does. Jiggle it around a bit, and it will start/stop working.