SaferProducts incident

Failure type

Electrical shock / short

Incident narrative

SaferProducts.gov consumer incident report 20260918-D517E-2147309663. Severity: Injury, Level of care not known. Product: Black Flag 75027 (Black Flag 2-Pack Electric Bug Zapper Rackets, Mosquito & Fly Swatter, Battery Operated). Incident: I purchased a few of these 1500V handheld bug zappers that are available almost everywhere (Amazon, [REDACTED]). Here is a link to an example from [REDACTED] I used one of these bug zappers to kill a drain fly. Because it wasn't vaporized, the dead fly was stuck to the metal grid. I was not pressing the on button but used my left hand's middle finger to tap the grid while positioned over the toilet bowl so the drain fly would fall and I could flush it away. I received a substantial shock on the tip of my finger even though I was not pressing the button. The shock was more than the static shock one gets when shuffling on shag carpet and touching an decorative icicle on a Christmas tree and less than getting bit by 110V house current. I wondered how long it takes for the voltage to dissipate from the zapper electrical grid? I found out that it can take anywhere from a few seconds to several days for the voltage to dissipate, depending entirely on how the bug zapper's internal circuitry was manufactured. Here is the breakdown of why that happens and the timeline for dissipation: With a Bleeder Resistor (3 to 10 seconds): Higher-quality units include a component called a "bleeder resistor" wired across the high-voltage capacitor. Once I let go of the power button, this resistor immediately and safely drains the stored voltage down to zero in just a few seconds. Without a Bleeder Resistor (Hours, Days, or Weeks): To save a few cents on manufacturing, many budget zappers completely omit this bleeder resistor. Without it, the capacitor holds onto its 1,500V charge like a battery.