Wiring unearthed cooker hood

lyntwyn · Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 1:28 pm Post Subject: Wiring unearthed cooker hood

I have purchased a new stainless steel cooker hood. Unlike my existing canopy type which plugs into normal 13 amp outlet (within the cooker socket), this hood has only a two core cable and bears the double insulated sign.The manual says to "connect the cord to a socket or ominpolar switch which must have a minimum contact opening of 3mm".
Will it be enough to connect a 13 amp plug using only the L & N connections ( as obviously there is no earth cable) with a 3 amp fuse and use the original socket, or will I have to install a new omnipolar (what's that?) fcu? If so, can I run a cable from the original socket to the FCU?

bernardgreen · Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 1:50 pm Post Subject:

Cooker hoods are one place I do NOT trust "double insulation" where the exposed surface is metal.

What ever the instructions say I would earth the frame.

A cold hood and a pan of boiling water on the hob and condensation inside the hood may over come the double insulation.

Bernard
Sharnbrook

lyntwyn · Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 2:19 pm Post Subject:

I understand your reservations, which up till now I have shared. However, it appears to me (following a visit to Currys & B&Q)that the majority of hoods are now double insulated, and carry the instruction "this appliance MUST NOT be earthed". This includes top brand names such as Miele etc. Therefore I am now happy to accept the principle despite it being rather alien to me. I am just concerned about how to wire it up properly.
I have removed a hob unit which will not be replaced so I have a spare cooker power point on a radial 32a circuit. Can I use this to wire to a 3a FCU next to the hood, into which the hood will be directly fed? Should (must) I use the existing cooker cable to wire in to FCU?