Wiring in a new cooker

[ian.beaumont]

Having recently bought a new cooker from John Lewis, I'm about to wire it in.

Having looked at the back of the cooker, it has a terminal block for me to connect to. The problem is, coming out of the live connector is a blue wire, and coming out of the neutral is a brown wire (so the wrong way round).

So, my problem is, when wiring in - do I match the wire colours up, or follow what it says on the connector block. To me they have got it wrong - but I can't get through to anyone on the phone who can help.

So - 1. does it matter if I do it the wrong way round (after all we do work on AC)? 2. anyway I can check which is really the live and which is the netural?

TIA

[Dave Plowman (News)]

You might get a clue by tracing the wiring to a switch etc. If a single pole type this will be in the line.

As a guess, I'd go for the wires simply being crossed at the block, but the right colours.

[Chris Bacon]

This will generate some mileage, I'm sure.

Do what it says on the block.

[Christian McArdle]

Definitely check with the manufacturer. I suspect the cable colours are more likely correct. However, I simply wouldn't connect to this until the terminal block and cable colours are corrected. It would be dangerous to get them the wrong way round and might cause interference with electronic devices, too.

Christian.

[manatbandq]

Whatever, John Lewis are usually very helpful. We had a problem with a cooker which left us with no cooking facilities (except m/wave) for a week. They paid for all our food for a week until it was fixed.

We didn't take the piss, and didn't eat at Le Manoir every night, LOL!

MBQ

[dom]

I'd follow the trace the wiring but most likely the wire colours are right and have been stuck the wrong way round in the block.

My guess (and this is just a guess, I've taken no cookers apart to check) is that each ring and oven/grill is controlled by a seperate triac and the incoming live wire is hooked to each one, these then go to each heating element, and the neutral side are all hooked together and back to the incoming neutral wire.

So if you wired it wrongly - although it would work as expected - it would mean the heating elements were permanently live.

[David Hansen]

On 16 May 2006 05:37:32 -0700 someone who may be [e-mail] wrote this:-

I would do neither. The cooker you have purchased is not built properly, take this up with John Lewis. It is for them to deal with their sub-contractor.

The elements will probably still be live after you turn the control knob off.

Multimeter and removing the elements, if you really want to.

[Chris Bacon]

I read the OP wrong. I agree.

[ian.beaumont]

Thanks people for all the quick feedback.

You made me feel uncomfitable enough to not want to progress with the wiring. Eventually I got John Lewis to listen, and they basically said follow the colours, and wire the blue to the live.

He said at worst if it was the wrong way round it would just trip the fuse - which is a bit different to what you people have said.

Anyway, I was surprised that he was willing to tell me to just wire it wrong without sending out anyone to inspect, and he offered me a replacement instead. So that is what I've gone for. A bit over the top, but if they aren't willing to send anyone out to check it then I'm not happy with the possiblity it could be wired wrongly.

It makes you wonder what sort of checks are performed before this stuff is shipped.

Maybe I should have pushed for the free meals as well :-)

Thanks again.

[Stuart]

Hmmm...Who did you speak to at JL....seems a bit of a gung-ho answer to your enquiry .Was it a techy person . I think in the circs you did the right thing .

Stuart

[dom]

I'm VERY surprised by that advice. I doubt any qualified electrical engineer would give that advice on any electrical equipment that has been sold by their company - particularly over the phone - and to a customer. I also doubt that all possible wiring faults would trip a fuse (you might have old-fashioned 30A wire fuses for all they know).

[Christian McArdle]

Indeed. The most obvious wiring fault in this case is very unlikely to blow a fuse. It may well be very dangerous, though, depending on the cooker design.

Christian.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

It's very unlikely you spoke to any form of technician on the phone.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

In my experience of phoning up any large company for 'help' you *never* get through to a technical person. You might well get a proper answer to a letter or e-mail, though.

[Alun Jenkins]

I boought a De Detrich hob, seems that that has live on blue too . N goes to two browns joined , thats according to the Installers guide, manual and their tech people. How odd.

[Ed Sirett]

I agree. However the OP should wire the line to whatever terminal says L regardless of the colour the manufacturer used internally. The 45A DP switch will take care of any "isolation for maintenance" issues.

Cooker installation is notifiable - thanks to the ODPM (office for destroying practical methods)

[Ed Sirett]

Is there any requirement for an appliance manufacturer to use the same scheme that fixed wiring would require. In many countries where this appliance might be sold polarity is not respected.

[Owain]

If it's a continental manufacturer, there's a possibility that the cooker is designed to me changed between single-phase (UK) and three-phase (Europe) operation, as some European countries routinely use

3-phase for large domestic appliances. If this is the case and you've been left with a brown (which is phase under the new colour scheme) and a blue (which is phase under the old colour scheme, wonderful innit) something seriously wrong might have been done with the internal wiring when converting for the UK. I think not using it until it's been replaced or looked at would be the sensible course of action.

Owain

[David Hansen]

On Tue, 16 May 2006 21:06:17 +0100 someone who may be Owain wrote this:-

And some, like at least parts of France, also offer two phases for such applications. Makes life more interesting.

[ARWadsworth]

I do not think a cooker "swap" is notifiable. Although the OP has not said if it is a swap or new installation

Adam