Do you not think enclosed in a plastic box is "supplementary insulation"?
Not if there are uninsulated live parts within the box - it would then surely be "basic" (and the only) insulation.Do you not think enclosed in a plastic box is "supplementary insulation"?
That's not my understanding/interpretation, and we've discussed this here before.I don't think that is the criterion. Is it not that, when assembled, ONE fault cannot result in a shock risk? After all, many things, such as lighting power supplies and hand tools which ARE Class II, only have (normal) screw terminals which are covered by screwed down plastic covers; the cable being restrained by a clamp.
@johnFbrown to return to your problem.
Suggest you remove the cable from the light (power off!)
Put the ends in a terminal block for safety. Turn power back on. If nothing blows or trips then return that cr@p to where you bought it and get something that will work for longer than half an hour.
..but you, yourself pointed out, it says double insulated OR reinforced.to qualify as Class II the material of that cover would have to qualify as "reinforced insulation", whatever that might mean.
Exactly (even though you kept telling me that the Part 2 definitions don't mention reinforced insulation!) - which is why I think we have to assume that, in the case of products such as you mentioned, which have just one layer of 'plastic cover' between live parts and the user, that plastic must somehow qualify as 'reinforced insulation' for it to be Class II...but you, yourself pointed out, it says double insulated OR reinforced.
I don't know. In any event, it doesn't have to be a connector block in the sense you mean - it could be screw terminals with screw heads that one could undoubtedly touch with a finger (even if it took a bit of effort!)Ah, I see. You don't think the connector blocks are insulated because the screws are accessible, albeit not with a finger, once one layer of insulation has been removed by the use of a tool.
That's really a variant of the question I have been asking (reg-wise, not in terms of common sense). As above, I'm not sure as to whether the screws of connector blocks would be regard as 'exposed' - although, as I said, I think there are plenty of other cases in which terminal screws (or other live parts) are definitely 'touchable', but only seem to be insulated/isolated by a thin plastic 'cover' - which may or may not qualify as reinforced insulation. If they were regarded as 'touchable' then being separated from the user by just one layer of non-reinforced plastic would presumably be no more acceptable than would be an exposed insulated-but-not-sheathed conductor?Would you, therefore, not class a disused live conductor with a connector block on the end as insulated and/ or isolated?
That's a good point.What about plastic CUs?
I don't know.That's a good point. Are they considered Class II?
... but what is that 'same'? They can't be Class I, so if they're not Class II, is there something else they are 'allowed' to be?If not, then they would seem to be the same as you think the light is.
Indeed, but look what's just beneath the (thin and brittle, hardly 'reinforced') plastic cover of these sort of things (this all marked as Class II):These things are similar and are Class II. ...
Nor do I - that's why I asked the question!Yes, that's what I meant. I don't know the answer.
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