News
Male-to-male “generator back-feed” cords recalled for electrocution and CO risk
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Background. This event is more than 90 days old. We keep it for reference; it is not current news. Recalls stay in force until the maker says otherwise, so the checks below still apply.
What changed at a glance
| Item | Before | Now | Source date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Male-to-male extension cords (pigtail cables), models RY-US-06 and RY_US-1.5, 125 V 12 AWG | Sold on Walmart.com (Apr to Nov 2025) | Recalled; stop using them | |
| Remedy | None | Full refund |
What changed
On April 9, 2026, the CPSC announced a recall of about 200 male-to-male extension cords, sometimes called pigtail cables, models RY-US-06 and RY_US-1.5 (recall 26-401). They’re 125 V, 12 AWG cords, blue or yellow, with a three-prong black plug on both ends, between 23.6 and 59 inches long. The model number is on the purchase order or receipt, not the cord.
The CPSC says these cords “are generally used to back-feed electricity to a residence during a power outage by connecting a generator to an outlet in the home.” Its hazard statement covers three separate dangers:
“The recalled male-to-male extension cords violate safety requirements because their exposed prongs can become energized when one end is plugged into a generator or other power source, posing a risk of serious injury and death from electrocution. In addition, using the cords to supply power from a generator to a residential electrical system (backfeeding) poses a risk of electrocution and fire. The cords’ short length encourages the use of generators close to homes or enclosed spaces, posing a risk of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.”
No injuries were reported. The cords were sold on Walmart.com from April 2025 through November 2025 for $18 to $26. The remedy is a full refund.
Who it affects
Directly, the few hundred people who bought these specific cords. Indirectly, anyone tempted to power a house through a wall outlet during an outage. The recall is small; the warning in it applies to every cord of this kind, whoever sold it.
This is outage season advice for home dish owners. When the power goes out, the Starlink dish and router are often the first thing people want running, and plugging a generator into a wall outlet “just for the internet” is exactly the setup the CPSC is describing.
What it means for your power setup
You don’t need to back-feed anything to keep Starlink online. The dish runs from one ordinary outlet:
- Run a heavy-duty outdoor extension cord from the generator to the Starlink power supply and router, with the generator outdoors and well away from the house. Our generator safety guide covers placement, cords and carbon monoxide.
- Use a battery or power station indoors instead: no fumes, no cords through windows. The outage guide and UPS for the home dish size one.
- If you want the house’s circuits powered from a generator, that’s a job for a licensed electrician installing a transfer switch or interlock. Never a cord.
What to do
- If you have a cord with a plug on both ends, stop using it. If it’s one of these models, contact the seller for the refund: j2mrecall@gmail.com, or Walmart’s recall page (corporate.walmart.com/recalls, “Shenzhen Shijingjie Network Technology Recall”).
- When unplugging one, don’t touch the far plug: the CPSC warns its prongs can be live.
- Keep any generator outdoors, far from doors, windows and vents, and use CO alarms inside.
- For whole-house backup, talk to a licensed electrician about a transfer switch.
What stays the same
- The Starlink dish’s power needs during an outage: unchanged. One outlet’s worth of power keeps it running.
- Generator-to-appliance cords with a proper outlet end: not part of this recall.
What we don’t know yet
- How many similar cords are sold under other names. The CPSC recall covers only these two models from this seller.
Source
Update notes
No updates since publication.
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