With any educational technology program, AC adapters, aka power chargers, are crucial to sustain the daily functionality of your Chromebooks. AC adapters are a common replacement item and it’s imperative to ensure that your program uses and supplies UL-certified AC adapters. Opting for generic adapters may cut costs but could endanger the safety of your students. AGParts Education stocks 200,000 OEM new and reclaimed Chromebook parts, including authentic UL-certified AC adapters.
So, what exactly is a UL-certified adapter? Why is it so important to use only authentic UL-certified AC adapters? And, how can I spot a counterfeit adapter? Today, we’ll answer these important questions.
What is UL?
UL stands for Underwriter Laboratories. Founded in 1984 in Chicago, they are a third-party certification company that provides benchmarks and standards for products and processes in regard to safety, quality, security, and sustainability. Their mission is to make the world safer, smarter, more secure, and more sustainable.
What is a UL-certified AC adapter?
A UL-certified AC adapter bears an authorized UL Mark. This means it has been evaluated and meets the appropriate Standard for Safety. These adapters comply with UL safety requirements for the US.
It’s important to understand that if an AC adapter bears a UL Mark, this does not mean that it is not a counterfeit or generic adapter.
Why is it so important to use a UL-certified AC adapter?
It’s simple: generic AC adapters are dangerous. We understand that electronic devices are expensive and generic accessories could seem like a good way to cut costs. But their risks far outweigh the money saved.
Counterfeit and generic AC adapters are often are made with substandard parts that fail to meet basic safety requirements. These faulty parts are a serious safety risk because they can overheat. Overheated parts can damage your equipment. More importantly, these sub-standard parts pose an immediate fire and burn risk and hazard.
When you use a UL-certified AC adapter, you have the peace of mind knowing that this product has met stringent requirements for safety and quality.
How can you spot a counterfeit AC adapter?
If an AC adapter is branded and bears a UL Mark, this does not necessarily mean that it is a UL-certified AC adapter unfortunately. Most counterfeits will closely resemble an authentic UL-certified AC adapter.
To truly discern whether a product is fake it should not only be examined for label inconsistencies, but it should be tested by a trained technician. Below, we’ve outlined our process for authenticating AC adapters.
The first step is label inspection. There are several tell-tale signs on the label of an AC adapter to help you identify a counterfeit. These are easy indicators that you can spot yourself. The trick is to look for inconsistencies. Counterfeit products have phony printed logos, texts, and in some cases, typos. See photo below.
UL-Certified AC adapters should include:
- OEM logo
- Matching OEM part numbers
- UL Mark
- Clear text and no typos
If the label passes inspection, this still does not guarantee it is an authentic UL-certified AC adapter. That’s why further testing and inspection are required.
After label inspection, AGParts Education tests the AC adapters for power and current under load. Once the adapter passes, our technicians then perform an internal component inspection. We perform a spot check, opening a percentage of each shipment to verify:
- Industry-standard construction methods
- Authentic OEM identifiers
- Safety compliant materials
The best way to ensure that your school district has UL-certified AC adapters is to purchase from a supplier that sells authentic UL-certified AC adapters. At AGParts Education, the safety of your students and teachers are our number one priority. We only sell authentic UL-certified AC adapters.
For more information on how we can help with your district’s 1:1 education technology initiative, contact us today!