Ring Video Doorbells are catching fire — what to do now

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If you used the wrong screw to install your Ring Video Doorbell, it could catch fire. Here's how to check.

Ring Video Doorbell 2
(Image credit: Ring)

Ring has issued a recall for a number of its second-generation video doorbells over a concern that they could catch fire if installed improperly. 

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission released a recall notice, stating that Ring received 85 incident reports of incorrect doorbell screws installed with 23 of those doorbells igniting, resulting in minor property damage, and eight reports of minor burns.

This issue affects roughly 350,000 units of the second-generation Ring Video Doorbell that were sold in the U.S., and about 8,700 units sold in Canada. Affected units, which were sold between June and October of this year, will have the model number 5UM5E5. You can also check if your model is affected by entering its serial number on Ring's recall notice page.

The issue revolves around the screws that Ring includes with its video doorbell. There are two types of screws that come with the doorbell: One — which is long and pointy — is meant to attach the doorbell's base plate to your door jamb. The other screw, which is much smaller and has a blunt end, it meant to secure the video doorbell to the base plate. 

According to reports, some customers tried using the longer screws in the hole meant for the smaller ones; as a result, they inadvertently pierced the Ring Video Doorbell's battery, which resulted in the incidents described above. 

Ring says affected doorbells do not need to be returned so long as the screws have been installed correctly; the company has released updated instructions on its site. If, however, you have a video doorbell with improperly installed screws, you should contact Ring customer support immediately. 

Mike Prospero
Mike Prospero
U.S. Editor-in-Chief, Tom's Guide

Michael A. Prospero is the U.S. Editor-in-Chief for Tom’s Guide. He oversees all evergreen content and oversees the Homes, Smart Home, and Fitness/Wearables categories for the site. In his spare time, he also tests out the latest drones, electric scooters, and smart home gadgets, such as video doorbells. Before his tenure at Tom's Guide, he was the Reviews Editor for Laptop Magazine, a reporter at Fast Company, the Times of Trenton, and, many eons back, an intern at George magazine. He received his undergraduate degree from Boston College, where he worked on the campus newspaper The Heights, and then attended the Columbia University school of Journalism. When he’s not testing out the latest running watch, electric scooter, or skiing or training for a marathon, he’s probably using the latest sous vide machine, smoker, or pizza oven, to the delight — or chagrin — of his family.