It's a fused connection unit. The front has a wee hole through which the flex is fed. The bulge we can see in the photo is the rear view of where the fuse sits.
Another question for the electricians....
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Tanis8472
Guru
Aha, didn't see that from photos lol.
Yes, sloppy reply on my part. I should have said "isn't down to new colour coding of fixed wiring", which is what I assumed people were alluding to.
swansonj
Guru
I don't think that's a socket outlet, I think it's a fused and possibly switched connection unit as others have said - there're clearly separate "supply" and "load" terminals.
Edit:cross posted with Tim Hall, sorry
lazybloke
Ginger biscuits and cheddar
- Location
- Leafy Surrey
Yep. Looks like a "switched fused spur", often used for connecting built-in appliances.
If so, this mitigates some of the risks posed by the incorrect wiring. Still needs correcting though.
If so, this mitigates some of the risks posed by the incorrect wiring. Still needs correcting though.
subaqua
What’s the point
- Location
- Leytonstone
wrong.
the colours are there to ensure the protective device is in the Phase( line) (live) conductor not the neutral which should generally be at 0V . Most motors in fridges are universal AC/ DV so it doesn't matter which way round the polarity is they will still run the same way. Washing Machines are the same , the motor runs backwards by changing Rotor or Stator field.
Most modern appliances have a transformer and rectifier in them for the electronics. again not an issue with reverse polarity in respect of working.
for Safety ( and compliance) the Brown MUST go into the Load L terminal and the Blue MUST go into the Load N . this ensures if there is a fault the fuse operates correctly and in event of overcurrent doesn't leave the live energised and the N with voltage on at appliance. ( hurts - YCAMHIKT)
the yellow at the nottom is the Green and yellow CPC.( circuit Protective conductor) .
my guess is the house is built before 1977 as there is Green only sleeving on the fixed wiring and Thats when the regs changed to Grn/yellow ( little bit of electrical History )
swansonj
Guru
That 1970s switch from red/black/green to brown/blue/g&y was of course one of the early examples of those undemocratic bureaucrats the other side of the water imposing their retrograde and arbitrary ways on our superior native British version. However, even an ardent Brexiteet might just concede that a system where live and earth were indistinguishable to the 5-10% of the population red-green colour blind was possibly not ideal.
subaqua
What’s the point
- Location
- Leytonstone
the switch to Grn/yellow from Grn only was a good safety step. as was having flexible cords with separate colours to fixed wiring. flexible cord changed in the 70s fixed wiring didnt
Full harmonisation of fixed wiring has now ,10 years on, started to show the issues lots of us argued would happen that JPEL/64 if IET assured us wouldn't.
on new builds its fine, but when you get refurbs on pre 2004 :shudders:
the big one is a lot of younger sparks don't know the older colours and I have seen a neutral old colour connected to L2 (was yellow now black) and neutral new colour connected to L3 old colour ( both Blue)
makes testing the installs fun.
swansonj
Guru
In my business, where "400" would be kV not V, we stick to RYB for the phases. Brown-black-grey never struck me as a recipe for clarity.
subaqua
What’s the point
- Location
- Leytonstone
I can get my head round L1 L2 and L3 , but prefer RYB and still use rd yellow and Blue.
swansonj
Guru
I prefer to see it as solidarity and fraternal feeling across the voltage levels.
But, now you mention it, it's amazing how many times you hear anecdotes about qualified electrical types supposedly pissing against electric fences...
subaqua
What’s the point
- Location
- Leytonstone
couldn't possibly comment .
