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Electrical appliances Plugs and Sockets Installation Guide Show continue…

Posted in Cable, Cleaner, FireWire, Heater, Homeplug, Household Appliances, Major Appliances, Radio Frequency, USB, Wi-Fi on July 3, 2008

Testing the earth path

The earth path of an appliance can be checked easily using a simple test meter. Remember, path of low resistance is required from all items within a appliance that are linked into the earth path via the yellow and green cable.

The earth path of an appliance from its exposed metal parts to the earth pin of the plug should be a maximum of 1 ohm (BS3456).

Checking the earth path of a socket requires an earth loop test meter which needs to be operated correctly. This is an expensive item and, moreover, problems may be encountered with distribution boards fitted with an RCD. It is, therefore, advisable to have these tests done by a qualified electrical contractor.

A simple plug-in socket tester, like the one shown overleaf, indicates if an earth path is present, but will not show the quality. That is to say, it may have a very high resistance but would still allow the neon of the tester to light. If the earth resistance is high, this may result in a failure to ‘blow’ the fuse.

Appliances RenovationA plug-in tester is most useful for checking a socket for reverse polarity. In other words, it will show whether a socket has been incorrectly wired. A wrongly wired socket may still work and give no outward sign of any problem. This is a dangerous and quite common fault.

  • Plug-in testers can be bought in most good electrical shops and D-I-Y outlets.
  • Burn marks around entry points on the socket.
  • Plug hot to the touch after the use of the appliance in that socket.
  • Pungent smell from socket when the appliance is in use.
  • Pitting and burn marks around the casing and on the pins of the plug.
  • Radio interference to equipment nearby caused by internal arcing within the socket creating spurious radio emissions.
  • Intermittent or slow operation of the appliance.
  • Failure of the fuse in the plug caused by heat being transferred through the live pin and into the fuse.
  • All these conditions are more likely in appliances such as heaters and kettles, which draw a higher current.

Double insulated appliances

Not all appliances require earth facilities. These are classed as double insulated and carry a ‘double square’ symbol on their rating plates. This shows that the product incorporates a fail-safe system by having no external metal parts with which the user could come into contact. Such products are fitted with only two-core flex when they are manufactured.

Fitting a Electrical plug

This is often believed to be a straightforward task requiring little or no explanation or even care. On the contrary, many problems and dangers may occur if a plug is not fitted correctly. Do not neglect this important item.

If your property has round-pin plugs and sockets, the house wiring is probably old and it would be wise to have it checked thoroughly by an expert.

When wiring a plug, it is good practice to leave the earth wire (yellow/green) longer than is necessary merely for connection to the earth terminal. The extra length is taken up in a slight loop shape within the plug. Doing this means that, should the appliance flex be pulled hard accidentally and the plug’s cable grip fail to hold, the live and neutral wires will detach from the terminal first, leaving the earth loop intact to provide continued safety cover. A post and nut plug, however, does not allow for this and the manufacturer recommends that all wires be cut to the same length.

Moulded Electrical plugs

Some appliances are supplied with one-piece moulded 13 amp plugs fitted to the mains cable. Because of its construction, it is not possible to remove a moulded plug in the normal way if, for example, you need to slot the cable through a hole in a work surface or the plug has been damaged. It must be cut off with suitable wire cutters and a new plug fitted correctly.

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