Which Colour Wires to connect ???

[dinga]

HELP!  It's the age-old question....

 

Bought a replacement Otto kettle and (of course) the electrical lead on the new one is much shorter than the old (and has a different size base connection).

No probs thinks I - just join the old and new leads and all will be good....  Cut the leads, and despite the fact that both plugs have the usual 2 round prongs (and no ground) there are 3 bl**dy wires coloured Green/Yellow; Brown and Blue (hopefully clear in the photo attached).

 

My question is which colour denotes the ground (and should be ignore...)??????

 

Tks

[Crossy]

Green/yellow is ground.

 

Brown is live, blue neutral.

 

Are you quite sure the plug has no ground? Please post a photo of it.

[dinga]

Looks like the green/yellow is the ground and, in this case, can be ignored.

 

Tks Crossy for the below!

 

 

http://www.crossy.co.uk/wiring/colour codes.html

[Crossy]

I always worry when someone says they are going to ignore the single most important wire, particularly on a kettle.

 

Please post a photo of the plugs.

 

Do you have 3 wires in both cables?

[dinga]

7 minutes ago, Crossy said:

I always worry when someone says they are going to ignore the single most important wire, particularly on a kettle.

 

Please post a photo of the plugs.

 

Do you have 3 wires in both cables?

Here are the plugs (looks like the ground plug is AWL).  Yes - both the old and new cables each have the 3 wires. 

Edited December 18, 2019 by dinga
photos omitted

[Crossy]

Those are Shuko plugs and are indeed grounded, the ground is the metal strip down the sides of the plug. 

 

You should really replace the plug with a local 3-pin plug, of course you need grounded outlets.

 

[dinga]

1 minute ago, Crossy said:

Those are Shuko plugs and are indeed grounded, the ground is the metal strip down the sides of the plug. 

 

You should really replace the plug with a local 3-pin plug, of course you need grounded outlets.

 

Thanks Crossy - so as well as a new 3-pin plug, I need to find a 3 wire connector (haven't seen any other those in my local stores)?  Maybe it's simpler to buy a new bloody kettle with a decent length lead.....

[Crossy]

Choc-bloc connectors are your friend and readily available, cut to length.

 

 

 

[dinga]

2 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Choc-bloc connectors are your friend and readily available, cut to length.

 

 

 

Thanks - I'll try them one last time (wasn't successful on the first attempt, with the screw failing to adequately secure the wires). 

[Crossy]

9 minutes ago, dinga said:

Thanks - I'll try them one last time (wasn't successful on the first attempt, with the screw failing to adequately secure the wires). 

 

The secret with these chaps is to get the right size, too big and the wires don't grip properly. You could also strip the wires long enough that both wires go under both screws.

 

Once it's done and working you can wrap with PVC insulating tape. 

[Golden Triangle]

@Crossy  How do those plugs connect to the Earth when they have no pin ? Both my Table top oven / grill & toaster have that type of plug fitted but I have been all around this house and not found an Earth ground pole / spike anywhere,  both the washing machine and 80 litre outdoor water heater are 3 pin, would I need to take the cover off the distribution board and possibly post a pic ?

[Crossy]

Shuko outlet:-

 

 

You can actually get adaptors (ok could I've not seen them for a while) and outlets that fit Thai back-boxes, but in reality the best fix is to cut off the plug and fix a local 3-pin.

 

If you post a photo of the board with the lid off we can hazard a guess if you have a rod, often they are buried under concrete. Do your 3-pin outlets actually have 3 wires connected?

 

 

 

[chickenslegs]

1 hour ago, dinga said:

the electrical lead on the new one is much shorter than the old

Hi dinga.

I was always taught that there's no such thing as a stupid question - so please excuse this one.

If your new kettle sits on a base, the cable is usually coiled underneath. Have you checked to see if you have another 50cm under there?

Also, personally, I would not be happy with a block connector part way along a cable near to a source of water. Can't you just buy a longer cable, remove the plate under the base, and connect it there.

Edited December 18, 2019 by chickenslegs
punctuation

[ezzra]

I'm used to the question 'which wire to cut, red or black?... watched too many mind numbing action movies i guess...

[SteveK]

What's the point of wiring up the earth (ground) if the house is not grounded like many in Thailand? Does it even do anything? My plug sockets don't look like the ones above with upper and lower contacts for the ground strip on the plug, just two holes in a piece of plastic.

[OneMoreFarang]

About any wires anywhere in Thailand: Don't take for granted what it should be because even it if should be like that does not mean it is like that.

I saw electrical installations in supposedly modern office buildings in Thailand. If any reputable inspector would have seen that he would have shut down the whole building right away.

 

Test it! If you don't have a multimeter then buy one. They are cheap.

https://www.lazada.co.th/catalog/?q=multimeter

 

[xylophone]

6 minutes ago, SteveK said:

What's the point of wiring up the earth (ground) if the house is not grounded like many in Thailand? Does it even do anything? My plug sockets don't look like the ones above with upper and lower contacts for the ground strip on the plug, just two holes in a piece of plastic.

The poster who mentioned that he couldn't see on earth was in fact @Golden Triangle whereas the original poster was basically commenting on his plugs.

Those plugs are designed for the sockets that were pictured and if the OP were to remove the socket cover he would see if there is an earth there, so all will be good (that is provided the earth wires go somewhere useful!).

In the past I have replaced the socket outlet as well as the plug so that the fit is good and there are no connectors used, but as Crossey has said you can use connectors if you are careful.

[Golden Triangle]

59 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Shuko outlet:-

 

 

You can actually get adaptors (ok could I've not seen them for a while) and outlets that fit Thai back-boxes, but in reality the best fix is to cut off the plug and fix a local 3-pin.

 

If you post a photo of the board with the lid off we can hazard a guess if you have a rod, often they are buried under concrete. Do your 3-pin outlets actually have 3 wires connected?

 

 

 

None of my sockets look anything like that, they are the usual 2 or 3 pin flush with the wall, so all my 3 pin Earthed plugs are more or less useless/redundant, I'll take a photo of my distribution board tomorrow, I need the Mrs to give me a hand to move the fridge freezer so I can get easy access to it. 

 

[wgdanson]

2 hours ago, Crossy said:

I always worry when someone says they are going to ignore the single most important wire, particularly on a kettle.

 

Please post a photo of the plugs.

 

Do you have 3 wires in both cables?

And are the sockets in your home grounded?

[wgdanson]

13 minutes ago, Golden Triangle said:

None of my sockets look anything like that, they are the usual 2 or 3 pin flush with the wall, so all my 3 pin Earthed plugs are more or less useless/redundant, I'll take a photo of my distribution board tomorrow, I need the Mrs to give me a hand to move the fridge freezer so I can get easy access to it. 

 

So if your lights go off at night because of a fault, do you need to move the fridge in darkness to flip the breaker back. MOVE THE FRIDGE IN ADVANCE!

[SkyNets]

Yeah, I cut these type of plugs off and fit a 3 pin one, some come with a pin that can be screwed in, look inn the box.  An earth tester is cheap and should be in your tool box.

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/mestek-advanced-rcd-electric-socket-tester-automatic-neutral-live-earth-wire-testing-circuit-polarity-detector-wall-uk-plug-breaker-finder-electric-leakage-test-with-voltage-backlight-display-i561592533-s1030164628.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.21.197a17d76jVj42&search=1

Edited December 18, 2019 by SkyNets

[VocalNeal]

 

 

Canada

 

 

[Golden Triangle]

17 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

So if your lights go off at night because of a fault, do you need to move the fridge in darkness to flip the breaker back. MOVE THE FRIDGE IN ADVANCE!

No, I can reach the breakers to turn them back on, what I cannot do is reach the board to take the cover off and get a photo, the fridge freezer sits in a space made for it, I rent this gaff, so not my problem really, see attached photo and maybe you will understand. so as you can see, I need to move the fridge freezer out of the way to get at the box, happy now !!

[wgdanson]

5 minutes ago, Golden Triangle said:

No, I can reach the breakers to turn them back on, what I cannot do is reach the board to take the cover off and get a photo, the fridge freezer sits in a space made for it, I rent this gaff, so not my problem really, see attached photo and maybe you will understand. so as you can see, I need to move the fridge freezer out of the way to get at the box, happy now !!

Of course I understand. What a stupid place to put a fridge!   LOL... Joking mate. It's the box which is in the wrong place....get it moved.   LOL

Edited December 18, 2019 by wgdanson

[Golden Triangle]

6 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

Of course I understand. What a stupid place to put a fridge!   LOL... Joking mate. 

I agree it's a stupid place to put a distribution box, I can't even tell what circuit does what, so when the guys come to clean the aircon it's a case of flick every switch until the one they wanna clean goes off.

 

My lounge has the grand total of 3 power outlets, I have 2 extensions plugged into other rooms and trailing into the lounge to run fans PC's TV's etc etc.

 

How stupid is that ?

Edited December 18, 2019 by Golden Triangle

[dinga]

3 hours ago, chickenslegs said:

Hi dinga.

I was always taught that there's no such thing as a stupid question - so please excuse this one.

If your new kettle sits on a base, the cable is usually coiled underneath. Have you checked to see if you have another 50cm under there?

Also, personally, I would not be happy with a block connector part way along a cable near to a source of water. Can't you just buy a longer cable, remove the plate under the base, and connect it there.

Tks chickenlegs.  Wish that was the answer (have seen that coiling many times in hotel kettles - but sadly not with this new Otto).    I'm like you, and don't much like the idea of block connectors.

 

However, will sleep on Crossy's idea of the block connectors and a new 3-pin plug.  My house doesn't have the Shuko outlets and the old kettle was plugged into a power board that does cater for 3-pin plugs (while the house circuits are grounded, I therefore assume the old kettle was therefore NEVER grounded).  Is it then an option to consider just cutting the yellow/green wires and only connecting the other two????   

[chickenslegs]

2 hours ago, dinga said:

Tks chickenlegs.  Wish that was the answer (have seen that coiling many times in hotel kettles - but sadly not with this new Otto).    I'm like you, and don't much like the idea of block connectors.

 

However, will sleep on Crossy's idea of the block connectors and a new 3-pin plug.  My house doesn't have the Shuko outlets and the old kettle was plugged into a power board that does cater for 3-pin plugs (while the house circuits are grounded, I therefore assume the old kettle was therefore NEVER grounded).  Is it then an option to consider just cutting the yellow/green wires and only connecting the other two????   

I was thinking that you could remove the plastic plate from under the base and re-wire from there, using a longer 3-core cable.

I just removed the plastic plate from my own kettle base to take a look at what you might need to do (not an OTTO, but I guess they all have similar wiring).

Anyway, for starters the makers used screws with triangular slots to fix the plate (I assume that is to prevent 'meddlers' like me from messing around - but I was able to get inside using a very small posidrive screwdriver at different angles of approach.

Inside, the electrical connections are all 'spade' fittings (like in car electrics) so you would need the crimping tool or a soldering iron to make the connections. There is not enough space under there to use connecting blocks.

Then, it was a bit of a fiddle to put it back together. About 10 minutes from start to finish.

IMHO do-able for the average 'meddler' like me. Of course, it would invalidate any warranty.

I just realised that I should have taken a photo of the insides before I closed it.  Doh!

[Golden Triangle]

@Crossy Afternoon all, the Mrs finally got back, we moved the fridge and the photos are attached.

Hopefully there is enough info for you.

 

[johng]

Go to "Thai Wutsadu"  or "Homepro" hardware store  and look for some Haco P002  3 pin plugs   about 45 baht each

they are a little bit fiddly to wire up but work well with nice firm fit into the wall socket.

  

 

Homepro ? used to sell the WA-GF(R5B) WONPRO shuko earth adaptor which allowed you to earth it with a "normal" Thai socket,but as you already cut the plug off then best wire "proper" 3 pin one

 

[johng]

18 hours ago, Golden Triangle said:

None of my sockets look anything like that, they are the usual 2 or 3 pin flush with the wall,

Yep I've never seen a shuko socket in Thailand  so why on earth are they selling equipment with Shuko plugs on them which has an earth  that would not be connected to "earth" using the "normal" Thai socket so totally useless and potentially very dangerous !    T.I.T