Hewlett-Packard Co. has issued a voluntary recall of more than six million AC power cords sold with HP and Compaq laptops and docking stations between September 2010 and June 2012 because of a potential fire hazard.

The company issued a statement yesterday saying that “certain power cords shipped with notebook PC products and AC adapter accessories may pose a risk of a fire and burn hazard to customers.”

In a post on HP’s support forum blog page, HP explained that the voluntary recall only pertains to the actual cord that connects the power pack to the wall socket. It should be marked with the part number “LS-15”, and is molded to the connector that plugs into the AC adapter.

According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, HP has received 29 reports of power cords overheating and charring or melting. This has resulted in two claims of minor burns and 13 claims of property damage.

“Customers should immediately stop using and unplug the recalled power cords and contact Hewlett-Packard to order a free replacement. Consumers can continue to use the computer on battery power,” said the CPSC in its recall notice.

HP has shipped more than 5.6 million of the defective power cords in the U.S. and about 446,000 in Canada. However, the CPSC said not all units shipped during that time were affected. It advised customers to check the part number.

Customers will to receive a free replacement for each unit, the company said.

photo credit: Luminis Kanto via photopin cc