Defective Pyle power conditioner

[SpivMighty]

New member here. This concerns a recently purchased brand new Pyle power conditioner. I realize that Pyle has a mixed reputation, but my recent experience with this unit is concerning and I feel is worth some attention.

The unit is a Pyle PCO885, 20 Outlet Rack Mount Power Conditioner. I used it for audio system components and home recording. Long story short, I recently discovered that the entire unit has reverse polarity and registers as hot. Up until now, I thought a destroyed (smoking) preamp and a blown out power amp were the result of the fates or built in obsolescence.

The reality is the power unit is responsible for the damage.

I am curious if this had happened to anyone else. More importantly, I wonder if others could be impacted in a similar way. Apart from losing equipment, this could cause an electrical fire with catastrophic consequences. I feel that anyone who has this unit should test it. And I'd like to alert others to this potential problem.

Am I over reacting?

BTW I reached out to Pyle and they immediately responded by shipping me a new model; and they want the defective unit sent back.

Thanks for reading.

 

[OldHvyMec]

I recently discovered that the entire unit has reverse polarity and registers as hot.

What registers as hot and what do you mean it has reversed polarity? The neutral and hot leg are swapped? and The outside of the
enclosure is hot via 120vac or hot to the touch?

Two lost pieces of equipment is no fun, that would be an issue for me IF the outlet was the issue. I'm not sure I'd send it in either
without some assurances. LIKE if you're stuff messed up my stuff what you gonna do about it?

Just curious what did you pay for the outlet?

Regards

 

[SpivMighty]

What registers as hot and what do you mean it has reversed polarity? The neutral and hot leg are swapped? and The outside of the
enclosure is hot via 120vac or hot to the touch?

All twenty outlets register as hot/polarity reversed using an outlet tester. The case is not hot to the touch.

 

[OldHvyMec]

I'd keep the outlet as long as it hasn't been opened. I'm pretty sure I'd be mad if it blew up my equipment. I would certainly
attempt to get my equipment replaced within a reasonable amount of time, but giving the piece back, I don't think that is
wise if you're looking at compensation.

Most people expect an electrical outlet, being sold as an outlet, to be wired correctly. That is reasonable. One receptacle not
working that is reasonable. The whole thing wired backwards, that's liable! Even with a name like Pyle, it still has to work
without burning down the house and be wired correctly.

Sorry to read about stuff like this.

 

[PatentLawyer]

This is incredibly unhelpful advice, I know, but it might help someone else:

Unless you are dealing with really special power circumstances (candidly, I struggle with what those could even be), I highly doubt that you need a power conditioner. A number of tests here have shown that power tweaks have no measurable impact on what's connected to them.

And by using a power product made by a super-sketchy company like Pyle, you sadly ended up with damaged equipment.

I wish you good luck getting this all resolved, but this strikes me as a cautionary tale -- power "tweaks" can have far worse consequences than merely not improving sound quality.

 

[DVDdoug]

If you are in the U.S. a reversed connection won't (usually) hurt anything and it's not dangerous (with modern equipment) unless there is another fault. If it's properly earth-grounded the worst that should happen is a blown circuit breaker or fuse. Of course if the chassis is hot, instead of grounded, and the rack isn't otherwise grounded that's very dangerous to humans!

Old TVs & tube amplifiers used to have the neutral wired to the chassis and if that was reversed you could get shocked, but the equipment would still work. If you connected it so something more-modern with an earth ground, you'd blow a circuit breaker or fuse. I'm pretty sure it's illegal to sell anything like that now, but plenty of people have "classic" guitar amps.

Also, the screw-part of a light bulb socket is supposed to be neutral, and if you reverse that you can get shocked while changing a bulb (otherwise you have to stick your finger all the way inside to get shocked).

...I assume that you made-sure the socket it's plugged-into, and any extension cords or other wiring is correct?

 

[SpivMighty]

What registers as hot and what do you mean it has reversed polarity? The neutral and hot leg are swapped? and The outside of the
enclosure is hot via 120vac or hot to the touch?

Two lost pieces of equipment is no fun, that would be an issue for me IF the outlet was the issue. I'm not sure I'd send it in either
without some assurances. LIKE if you're stuff messed up my stuff what you gonna do about it?

Just curious what did you pay for the outlet?

Regards

 

[SpivMighty]

I very much appreciate everyone's feedback. Just to clarify, the unit is similar to a power strip, with 20 grounded outlets you can plug into and supposedly has various protective features. It is pro gear, in that you could use it in a home studio, or in my case, as a more elaborate, well constructed power strip, for my audio components. I figured the power conditioner features, were, if effective, nice, but the idea was that I could position in it on a shelf and get the benefit of a decent looking power strip.

Apart from the issues I have experienced, my primary concern is that this isn't an isolated occurrence, and that others could experience similar outcomes. Thanks.

 

[SpivMighty]

If you are in the U.S. a reversed connection won't (usually) hurt anything and it's not dangerous (with modern equipment) unless there is another fault. If it's properly earth-grounded the worst that should happen is a blown circuit breaker or fuse. Of course if the chassis is hot, instead of grounded, and the rack isn't otherwise grounded that's very dangerous to humans!

Old TVs & tube amplifiers used to have the neutral wired to the chassis and if that was reversed you could get shocked, but the equipment would still work. If you connected it so something more-modern with an earth ground, you'd blow a circuit breaker or fuse. I'm pretty sure it's illegal to sell anything like that now, but plenty of people have "classic" guitar amps.

Also, the screw-part of a light bulb socket is supposed to be neutral, and if you reverse that you can get shocked while changing a bulb (otherwise you have to stick your finger all the way inside to get shocked).

...I assume that you made-sure the socket it's plugged-into, and any extension cords or other wiring is correct?

Yes. I checked the outlets and all the other wiring is as it should be.