Plug wiring?

helpimcrap

helpimcrap

helpimcrap

Soldato
Joined
13 Jan 2004
Posts
12,779
Location
Leicestershire
I can wire a plug - brown = live, blue = neutral, black or yellow/green= earth.

Just got a singer sewing machine, no idea of age but it looks old.

Plug has 2 wires as not got a plug on - red and yellow wires. Assuming red is live, but is yellow neutral or earth?
 
Last edited:
helpimcrap said:
I can wire a plug - brown = live, blue = neutral, black or yellow/green= earth.

Just got a singer sewing machine, no idea of age but it looks old.

Plug has 2 wires as not got a plug on - red and yellow wires. Assuming red is live, but is yellow neutral or earth?
Click to expand...
If it's just two wires it won't be earthed, so one will be live one neutral.

Your assumption should be correct.

If you wired it to live and earth it'll probably trip the circuit breaker on your consumer unit, or it should do anyway.
 
Cheers, I was assuming it would be neutral but couldn't find an actual confirmation anywhere except AI which isn't always trustworthy.
 
Gotta remember the earth isn't part of the circuit, it's just a safety mechanism. Without the other two, your device is open circuit and therefore current won't flow.
 
It'll fit right in with our 100yr old electric switches and rubber sleeved cables which an electrician said quote "I don't often see rubber coated cables but I don't often see 100yr old switches either." :D
 
b0rn2sk8 said:
…and as it’s AC, it doesn’t actually matter which way round they go*

*the live should be fused either way, I just meant from a fundamental standpoint.
Click to expand...
Not entirely true as some old equipment like radios have the chassis directly connected to the neutral.
 
ALD said:
Not entirely true as some old equipment like radios have the chassis directly connected to the neutral.
Click to expand...
They shouldn’t because that is a recipe to get an electric shock and wouldn’t ever have been compliant.

If it’s connected to the neutral and you provided another path to Earth, you’d get an electric shock.
 
If the sewing machine has any exposed metal I would also consider replacing the cable and connecting the earth to a metal point of contact on the sewing machine.

It may be worth getting it PAT tested once wired up before you use it.
 
Hodders said:
If the sewing machine has any exposed metal I would also consider replacing the cable and connecting the earth to a metal point of contact on the sewing machine.

It may be worth getting it PAT tested once wired up before you use it.
Click to expand...
This.

If it's going to be used it should be upgraded to be earthed. It's an electric motor, it can fault and so should be protected.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom