Cen-Tech / Harbor Freight model 69662 electric wiring
1 report to CPSC, the latest made Aug 31, 2013. A report isn’t a recall.
Watch and the shortlist are kept with a free account, on every device. Your watch list. CPSC’s own search is on saferproducts.gov.
At a glance
From SaferProducts.gov, released Oct 25, 2026.
- 1report to CPSC
- Aug 31, 2013the latest report was made
- Aug 31, 2013the earliest
- 0with the company’s comments
- Brand
- Cen-Tech / Harbor Freight model 69662
- Maker
- Harbor Freight ToolsMakers, importers or sellers, as the reports name them
- Product
- Electric wiringNot panel boards or outletsCPSC’s product type: Electric Wire or Wiring Systems (Excl Panelboards Recept (code 4062), in Home Maintenance and Structures: Electrical Systems
By month
The numbers, as a table
| Month | Reports |
|---|---|
| August 2013 | 1 |
How badly anyone was hurt
- No one hurt 1 CPSC: Incident, No Injury
As each report says it, in short words; CPSC’s own words are under each.
The reports, as CPSC published them
Reports people made to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. CPSC publishes each one after sending it to the company named, and doesn’t guarantee they’re accurate. A report isn’t a recall.
Each report is the words of the person who made it, as CPSC published them. The company’s comments, where CPSC published any, are set apart as the company’s own.
CPSC, SaferProducts.gov public database export. Released Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily.
-
No one hurt Made Aug 31, 2013, sent to the company Sep 10, 2013, published by CPSC Sep 24, 2013
The product, in the report: Power inverter, 2000 watt, converts 12v DC to 110v AC.
WE COULD HAVE ALL BEEN KILLED. URGENT AND IMMEDIATE ACTION ITEM
December 2012 I purchased a Cen-Tech 2000 W power inverter from Harbor Freight online. Here is a link: http://www.harborfreight.com/2000-watt-continuous4000-watt-peak-power-inverter-69662.html Purpose was to provide 110 volt power to various small electric/electronic items on my boat, a 37’ cutter rigged cruising sailboat. The item number is 69662. The unit connects to a 12 volt power supply and then can be switched on and supplies AC current via three conventional outlets.
After about four months of operation, the cooling fan suddenly malfunctioned. It ran all the time, even when the master switch was in “off” position, regardless of temperature. The proper behavior is for the fan to be activated only when a predetermined critical temperature is reached.
I called the supplier to report this malfunction and was told that the warranty was only for 90 days. In any case, we were sailing outside the US and would have had difficulty doing an exchange. I rewired the power supply lines with a switch so that I could turn off the fan when the unit was not in use and continued to use it in a limited way because it was cumbersome to go into the battery area to flip on and off the switch, and the fan made a noise all the time of course.
On August 24 2013 with my boat in a Marina in the SF Bay area, I turned on the inverter to charge a few electronic items and heard some pop pop poping noises. I moved closer to the inverter, and then saw sparking inside. In very short order the sparking turned to flames inside the unit; at the sight of the flames I quickly turned off the main power switch, grabbed a fire extinguisher, turned on a couple of fans in the salon and fled to the cockpit. The interior salon had filled with smoke. With the power off, the flames died out.
I am working with Harbor Freight to try to get the unit replaced. Had this happened offshore when all hands were topside, we could all easily have been killed by the fire that certainly would have erupted.
I take good care of my boat and gear; #2 cable was used to connect the short, 4’ run to our #2 battery bank which consists of two [REDACTED] deep cycle fully charged lead acid batteries. This is overkill for a 2000 watt unit.
If this can happen on my boat, it can happen anywhere. I urge you to find and fix the problem before people die.
Thanks and feel free to call with any questions. [REDACTED]
- Model
- 69662
- UPC
- unknown
- Serial number
- Unknown
- Bought from
- Harbor Freight
- Where
- Castro Valley, California: Other
- Who was involved
- Unknown
- The reporter’s relation to them
- Unspecified
- As this report names them
- Brand Cen-Tech /
Harbor Freight model 69662, made or sold by Harbor Freight Tools - How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Incident, No Injury
CPSC’s disclaimer
Disclaimer: CPSC does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the contents of the Publicly Available Consumer Product Safety Information Database on SaferProducts.gov, particularly with respect to information submitted by people outside of CPSC.
Word for word, from the disclaimer in CPSC’s export.
Sources
Sources
-
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, SaferProducts.gov public database export.
Released Oct 25, 2026 and checked Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily. Public domain (U.S. Government work). CPSC asks to be credited, and that no endorsement be implied.
Reports of harm are from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), on SaferProducts.gov. CPSC does not endorse Hearth Record.