Assistance with Cooker Terminals

[Maria]

Ok, thanks for all previous advice. I have new cooker, and struggling to connect the cable at the back. I'm ill and seem to be having a very blonde week. I've never seen this before - here is a photo - please can someone tell me how to get the wires attached to the terminals? I loosened one of the screws and the backplate fell off inside the cooker - had to take the back off, fish it out, and spend an hour trying to relocate it.

've never met a terminal I didn't like before, and it took me half an our to get the plastic box open and the flex grip out! Like I said, I'm pretty poorly and having difficulty concentrating, so a signpost would be helpful. Are you supposed to somehow wrap these thick wires around the screws? There are what look like feeder holes underneath, but the screws when done up don't grip anything. And numpty question time - if you have to sleeve the earth wire, why doesn't it just come sleeved? Thank you :(

[Chris J Dixon]

From the photos, it looks very much as if it is intended that you push the stripped ends (don't strip too much, as in the photo) of the cables into the holes you mention. It could be that you haven't slacked off the terminal screw enough to push the cable properly into the grip. It is sometimes necessary to use small pliers to align and insert the cable.

It saves money. There is no need for any extra covering whilst within the cable sheath. When exposed it ought to be sleeved.

Chris

[Maria]

The cable inserted all the way with no problem - maybe I haven't stripped the cable back far enough? (It only fits in the hole up to the sleeve - I didn't want to end up with too much exposed wire). I slacked off the screw so far the back fell off inside the cooker!

[Chris J Dixon]

No! You can see that the length of conductor to be stripped is no more than the width of the block housing the terminal screw - there is nowhere further for the copper to go. You should not be able to see any significant amount of exposed copper once it is correctly connected.

If the cable had been properly secured, yet looked like your photo, there would be far too much stripped off.

Just to check out the terminals, and get a feel for them, you could use a spare bit of thinner wire, that you can manipulate more easily, to see if you can get it to grip that properly.

A small mirror might enable you to see better exactly how the terminal grip is arranged. It is sometimes possible to thread the wire wrongly.

Chris

[Road_Hog]

I would agree, wiht the above. From your second photo, that looks how it should be done. The problem would seem to be that the wire is not quite inserted right and the bolt and clamp isn't 'biting' properly to hold the wire in. It woul definitely seem that the metal plate (beneath the bolt) should hold the wires in place, certainly I wouldn't expect an oven to have the old fashioned way of wrapping the wires around the bolts.

BTW, they're not Torx screws as someone has suggested, as they are round headed screws. These are bolts,

[Maria]

There seems to be only two components to this terminal - the bolt inside the box, and the threaded back plate on the inside of the oven back, on the back of the box. (I know this because I undid one too far and the backplate fell off - I haven't lost a bit because I didn't undo the other one too far and that is exactly the same and also won't grip the wire). The old one was so much better - just some nice steel clamps on big bolts.

[Maria]

I had about 12mm of bare wire which disappeared nicely into the hole up to the sleeve - no bare wire, but no gripping either.

Thanks for the tips - I'll give it a try.

[Bob Eager]

[Lieutenant Scott]

Surely sleeving the earth in the entire cable would reduce fire risk when a mouse chews it in the loft?

[ARWadsworth]

Why?

[Lieutenant Scott]

Less chance of a 240 volt and a 0 volt line coming into contact.

[Mike Clarke]

[snip]

Well after chewing through the the grey outer sheaf and the nice tasty red or brown sleeve I'm sure the mouse would find a green and yellow one equally appetising.

[Chris Bartram]

I've done one just like that (Electrolux IIRC) recently. The nuts were loose enough as supplied to get the cable in on this one- just look up into the terminal near the nuts and you'll see a hole for the cable, then tighten the nuts. It's hard too see, unless you lie the cooker down or tilt it, and yes, the cable grip and cover are both fiddly, but will come with a bit of levering.

[Lieutenant Scott]

It would have to like the mix of green and yellow with brown at the same time. All mice know that doesn't taste so nice.

[jgharston]

Getting back on topic...

With some of these terminals the gripping is by a flat plate that the screw/bolt rises to clamp against the static part. It can sometimes be quite easy to push the cable under the wrong side of the flat plat so as you tighten up the screw/bolt it actually rises /away/ from the cable.

It looks like you're going to have to tip the cooker on it's side so you can actually look at the terminals to check where you're pushing the cable. Look into the empty cable hole and start to tighten the screw/bolt to check how it clamps.

If you're in Sheffield I could pop over and have a look in exchange for a cup of tea and a biscuit.

JGH

[Nei Champion 17th edition qual]

The cable as stipulated in the manual has to be Butyl heat resistance cable ...its like normal flex but will with stand a lot more heat The cabler rating as per manual stipulates 1.5 mm2 3 core flex ...What you have there is 2.5 mm2 solid cable that IS NOT HEAT RESISTANT .THIS HAS TO BE CHANGED NOW ..Yes the bare earth cable is sleeved wherever a connection is made ie a Socket outlet /switch etc . It does say all electrical connections to be made by a Competent electrician ....Quiet clearly you are not because of this one question ...".Why doesn't the earth come sleeved "?.....the bare earth wire has never ever been sleeved in any form of Twin and earth ....3 core and earth cable ...Not making the correct connections can result in arcing which could start a fire ....I firmly suggest you get a qualified electrician to look at this post haste !!!!!

[Jonno]

Nei Champion 17th edition qualified electrician scribbled

There's champion, Champion! I wonder how old the OP was.

[RobertL]

I realise this is not what was asked, but surely electrical work in a kitchen may only be done by a part-p qualified electrician.

Robert

[Nei Champion 17th edition qual]

5 years i wonder what state the cable is in !!!!!

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Anyone who is a half competent DIYer would just ignore this stupid legislation.