Students who own certain Hewlett-Packard printer models are being advised by the technology company to check the power cord connected to the unit because it may cause electrocution.

According to a notice that is being sent by the company to all registered owners of the affected models, the Longwell ‘LS-7C’ gray two-prong power cords that were shipped with certain Deskjet 800 and 900 series printers are prone to cracking and exposing hazardous electrical wiring. In response, the company is now announcing a recall for anyone who purchased the cords.

Butch Auchterlonie, manager of the computing section of the Syracuse University Bookstore in the Schine Student Center, said that those specific models are very popular among the student body.

“We have sold an awful lot of the 900 series this year,” he said.

Auchterlonie added that he estimates the Bookstore sells about 400 to 500 of the printers a year, including many Deskjet models.

“Just through the Bookstore alone,” he said. “I bet we have sold 500 or 600 of these in the past two years.”

To be affected by the recall, the units both had to have been shipped between April 2001 and January 2002 and have the word “Longwell” molded or printed between the two prongs, said Wei Sun, a Hewlett-Packard customer service representative.

Sun added that black Longwell power cords are not part of the recall.

Jim Hopkins, the manager of Computing and Media Services, said that even though the Deskjets are not used in his department, other departments at SU might have purchased them without notifying CMS. He said that although the models are not officially recognized by CMS, anyone who has questions or concerns about the recall can contact his office.

“They could call us and we would be glad to help them,” Hopkins said.

To get instructions about how to identify and replace the faulty part, customers can either call (877)917-4378, a hotline specifically set up to aid in the recall, or go online to http://www.hp.com for more information about ordering a replacement part that would be delivered through the mail.

The cords were also shipped with Photosmart 1000, 1100,1200 and 1300 series printers.

Published on April 3, 2002 at 12:00 pm