Help wiring extractor hood

[Cocovsworld]

Hi all,

Slight disaster here. Bought an extractor hood from ikea with fused plug (5amp).

The older unit it’s replacing was hard-wired from a wire coming through the wall with one of those terminal blocks. Easy I thought, I’ll just swap them over as I managed to hard wire the cooker and heater yesterday with no issues.

This wasn’t the regular style plug you could unscrew to pull the wires through so my silly self went and snipped the plug off the hood, only to find there are only two wires (brown and blue, no earth).

The wire coming through the wall has the usual 3 wires (N,L&E). I’ve also already attached the hood to the wall and screwed it into the cupboard above, so I’m fairly sure I’ve voided the warranty ...I know I know schoolgirl error!

Needless to say I need help connecting this up please. I just can’t afford to get an electrician out hence trying to do things myself. Any help greatly appreciated.

P.S There a couple of FCUs nearby but all 13amp

 

[EFLImpudence]

Picture of plug showing any writing on it.
Just copy and paste picture.

 

[Cocovsworld]

Picture of plug showing any writing on it.
Just copy and paste picture.

 

[Cocovsworld]

Here it is

 

[EFLImpudence]

That's just an ordinary plug.

Just connect brown to supply L brown or red and
the the blue to supply N blue or black.

Connector block is not ideal but not the end of the world if on top of the units.
One of these or similar would be better -
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/ASJ501.html

Warranty will not be affected.

The hood must be 'double insulated' and not require an earth.

You can replace the fuse in the relevant FCU with the 5A.

 

[SFK]

So you have
"Wire coming through the wall with 3 wires (L,N&E) with one of those terminal blocks".
and
"Hood cable with only two wires: brown(L), blue(N), and no earth."

WITH POWER OFF AT FUSE BOX...
Connect the two cables together by stripping back the Hood cable to expose about 5mm of bare wire and join to the wire coming though wall using the existing terminal block.

Wire connection is as follows:
Hood cable >>>>> Wall Wire
Brown(Live) >>>> Red or Brown (Live)
Blue(N) >>>>>>> Black or Blue (N)
No Cable. >>>>>>> Green.Yellow (E)

Best to put terminal block in something like this to protect from shock and provide strain relief:
https://www.screwfix.com/p/debox-in-line-connector-box/8692h

As it is an IKEA product I am happy to assume it is properly double insulated and hence why it correctly has no earth wire (I would be less happy to make that assumption if you had bought from say eBay).
SFK

 

[SFK]

Sorry for duplicate, EFL beat me to it. SFK

 

[EFLImpudence]

Not a problem. Verification.

 

[danechip]

I replaced one of these a few years back. It had no earth connection either. Being metal and with 2 mains voltage lamps a gnats knacker away from the casing, I drilled a hole and attached a lug to earth it anyway. I guess it is now 'triple insulated'

 

[EFLImpudence]

I replaced one of these a few years back. It had no earth connection either. Being metal and with 2 mains voltage lamps a gnats knacker away from the casing, I drilled a hole and attached a lug to earth it anyway.

It depends which you think is the greater risk.
If you thought that necessary, then it was up to you.

I guess it is now 'triple insulated'

No. It will now become live in the event of a fault to earth elsewhere - and/or provide a negligible impedance path to earth when you might not want one.

 

[SFK]

Danechip,
Best not to recommend that to a novice such as Coco.

That suggestion has already opened a world of discussion (ie Arguments):
https://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/supplementary-bonding-sounds-dangerous.187522/

In this case, for Coco, I feel best to only fit as designed by IKEA, ie no extra earth wires.

SFK

 

[danechip]

Agreed with both. My thinking was cooking with metal pans (and handles) on a cooker top with pan in the hand and switching on the light of fan at the same time, the potential difference would not be equal. I could have just bonded to the cooker but was a lot more work (and plaster). It seemed mad to me at the time that this could be classed as 'double insulated' but who am I to argue with Ikea?

 

[Cocovsworld]

Thanks for the responses all.

So I actually connected the blue and brown wires to the blue and brown cable coming out of the wall and taped off the earth. When I tested it, it didn’t work. What could I be doing wrong?
As a test, I re-wired the hood cable and it worked when I plugged it in. Unfortunately, there are no sockets near by or I wouldn’t have just plugged from the start.

The two FCUs have 13amps in them...am I right in thinking that one of these leads to the cable sticking out the wall and that I just need to change it to a 5a fuse?

 

[danechip]

You can't assume the cable is even still connected to anything.

But any chance did you switch the cooker switch on at the wall, the big one?

A multimeter is your best friend here.

 

[EFLImpudence]

So I actually connected the blue and brown wires to the blue and brown cable coming out of the wall and taped off the earth. When I tested it, it didn’t work. What could I be doing wrong?
As a test, I re-wired the hood cable and it worked when I plugged it in. Unfortunately, there are no sockets near by or I wouldn’t have just plugged from the start.

Seems like no power at the FCUs. Are fuses good?
Do you have a multimeter?

The two FCUs have 13amps in them...am I right in thinking that one of these leads to the cable sticking out the wall

Impossible to say from here. What were they used for before?

and that I just need to change it to a 5a fuse?

Yes but that will make no difference to whether it works or not.
Test fuses in another plug - something low powered - and see if they are good.