Mixed up neutral and live

[alan0259]

Installing a new cooker hood in my kitchen. The old wiring is RED and BLACK, the new wiring is BLUE and BROWN.

So I remembered the plugs wiring and brown was LIVE and blue was NEUTRAL, so I wired it up this way and nothing worked, so I tried it the other way round and still nothing.

Then realised it's running off a fused switch and bang it works

But is the wiring still the wrong way round? I thought it wouldn't work if this was the case.

Gone back to work now and I'm worried it might blow up! I turned it off but it's still switched on at the fused switch.

Help!
Cheers.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Yes it will work as you have found out but for safety

you MUST put it back as it should be. Red to Brown - Black to Blue.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Gone back to work now and I'm worried it might blow up! I turned it off but it's still switched on at the fused switch.

It won't blow up but If anyone else is at home tell them to switch off and not to use it.

 

[alan0259]

Ok thanks, i'll put it back the right way when I finish work, I didn't think about it at the time as it worked and I thought if it was wired wrong that it wouldn't power on.

As mentioned, the cooker hood itself is powered off, but the fused switch on the wall is at the ON position, would this cause any danger?

Just dont want to have to rush out of work for half hour if it will be ok.

Thanks

 

[Taylortwocities]

If there is nobody at home then you are fine.

If there is somebody at home, tell then to turn that switch off & sort it when you get back from the pub/work .

 

[EFLImpudence]

What you have done is the same as putting all the switches (fan and light) in the Neutral wire so that everything is Live all the time but only works when you connect the Neutral.

Not dangerous unless there were a fault in which case the hood itself may become live but not blow the fuse/ trip breaker.

No need to worry if no-one is home.

 

[alan0259]

Thanks for putting my mind at rest chaps, been having "visions"

Also, previous homeowner used one of those boxes (same for joining speaker wire), I also have a spare black round junction box, is one better than the other?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

You must not use a box designed for speaker cables for mains ones.

 

[alan0259]

Lol, it looks a bit bigger than one of those, only way of describing it.

Or am I totally lost and it's actually a speaker type one? I'll just swap it over tonight.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I'm lost.

Did you say that the previous owner used a speaker cable accessory for mains wiring?

 

[JohnW2]

I'm lost. Did you say that the previous owner used a speaker cable accessory for mains wiring?

Is the OP probably not describing a connector strip in some sort of enclosure?

Kind Regards, John.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

 

[alan0259]

This is what the previous owner had used...

I think it's the same thing you use to join speaker wiring together (although mine looks a fraction bigger), i've pulled it out and have re-wired it properly in a junction box which is enclosed.

Happy days

Cheers

 

[ban-all-sheds]

This is what the previous owner had used...

That's a 450V rated connector block. Absolutely fine for your house wiring, provided it's adequately sized for the current, and is enclosed:

i've pulled it out and have re-wired it properly in a junction box which is enclosed.

1) Is it the right current rating?

2) Are you aware of the rules for accessibility of screwed cable joints?

 

[alan0259]

This is what the previous owner had used...

That's a 450V rated connector block. Absolutely fine for your house wiring, provided it's adequately sized for the current, and is enclosed:

i've pulled it out and have re-wired it properly in a junction box which is enclosed.

1) Is it the right current rating?

2) Are you aware of the rules for accessibility of screwed cable joints?

No, the old connections weren't enclosed, it just had black tape wrapped around!

To be honest, I didn't even think about any ratings, I just thought it was a method for joining two cables, I'll check tonight though, would a cooker hood be any set rating or would I need to look for that specific model?

No, what rules?