Hi All
Can you spot the errors made by putting this sewing machine out for sale in a charity shop?
- 13 amp plug with unsleeved L and N pins
- figure-8 single-insulated wire outside the machine casing to the lampholder
- unguarded drive belt and pulleys between the motor and the machine*
Not this exact machine, but this sort of arrangement, see photo 11
Owain
If its an antique, one must cut the plug off and make sure you have a sheet that goes with it about it not complying with modern safety standards if actually powered up.
This sort of thing will mean a heck of a lot of old kit that people might like to collect ends up as landfill, sadly. Brian
No I cannot see the plug. However, if it is for sale at $35 I assume it is US 110V. I do not know whether sleeved pins are required. Perhaps you could enlighten us.
Not sure what this means but are wires usually insulated more than once?
It is advertised as a 'vintage' machine so were it not authentic I think there would be a bigger issue in terms of confirmity to description.
Unsleeved plug & single insulated flex are PAT fails of course.
The drive belt I don't believe has enough force or momentum to cause injury, so not a problem. And not an electrical issue anyway.
not true of course
NT
Well, that's not for the UK market, so unsurprisingly it doesn't conform to UK/EU appliance safety rules.
Unsleaved plug is not a PAT fail in itself. However, it is illegal to sell such an appliance under the Plugs and Sockets (Safety) Regulations (even at a fair or car boot sale). When performing a PAT test, the owner should be advised of this. If the PAT test is specifically to ensure the item is suitable for sale, then obviously it isn't.
He's spot on. You can sell something as an antique which would be dangerous to use, providing the buyer is made aware and it's supplied in a condition where it can't be put back into service without the use of tools. Supplying without a plug is a common way to meet this.
As some people may have misunderstood me, the picture illustrates the general arrangement of motor and drive belt, not the actual machine in question.
And it's displayed with a helpful notice saying "sewing machine - full working order", not an an antique for display purposes.
I'm certainly not volunteering to stick my finger anywhere near the motor.
Owain
Not at all, lots of antique electrical kit passes current PAT tests. And lots doesn't.
I don't believe that supply without a plug makes it legal. It directly contravenes the Act.
NT
Perhaps it was a venerable Singer 99K like we have? It belonged to SWMBO's grandmother and spent 50 years in my late MiL's cellar until I rescued. It has twin flex to the plug and the foot pedal (the later has no exposed metal) the flex is double insulated. The plug is an old MK with no sleeving on the pins. I am in no hurry to replace that.
I suppose I should really fit a three core mains led and earth the machine, perhaps I'll get round tuit.
Oh, top for anyone with a 99K. I was using it on Monday, and left it plugged in for half an hour while I went outside. When I returned the machine was operating at about half speed, "stitching its own thread".
A little investigation showed that the interference filter capacitor across the rheostat in the foot pedal was reading 50 ohms. I snipped it out.
Yes it does end up as landfill, I spoke to the bloke at the tip, apparently collectors regularly want to see what has come in in case its valuable. Increasingly old radios and sewing machines are collectable by those with the space and the inclination. What next, Old lawn mowers perhaps? Maybe its different out in the sticks. If you mean the bit about illegal to sell. The info I gave came from trading standards 2 years ago, when I wanted to sell a vintage granite table lamp with single insulated flex. Its not illegal to own it and to own it you had to have bought it, but all provision has to be made to stop anyone else using it in the condition which does not comply with current regulations. I bet there are houses still running that have old rubber covered wiring in them, and its only when it goes phut anyone bothers to worry. Brian
That's OK provided it had the original lead sheath as an earth connection.
I'm not sure you can expect them to make it safe for UK use as it's an auction in america.
Rubber insulated cables were widely used long after lead sheathed cables went out of fashion. And the lead sheathing might not always provide a good earth due to creep under the clamps at the junctions leading to poor contact.
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