Earth for Cooker Hood?

[Akshay]

Hi I have a new Baumatic cooker hood that has a flex attached with 3 cores - live, neutral and earth. The earth cable enters the hood interior and terminates at a screw on the inside of the stainless steel side.

The instructions say that this unit is not to be earthed though, so why the earth cable in the flex?

I have a twin and earth feeding a flex outlet high up on the wall so how do I wire this up bearing in mind the instructions?

 

[JohnD]

can you quote the full paragraph from the instructions about not earthing it, please.

 

[Akshay]

Ok here goes:

Electrical Connection:
Your cooker hood is intended for fitted and permanent installation.
The power cable must be connected to the terminals marked L and N in the hood fixed with a clamp.
NOTE: (UK only) WARNING - THIS APPLIANCE MUST NOT BE EARTHED. It should be connected using fixed wiring via a double pole switched fused spur outlet.
If you can only find 2 wires in the cable (blue and brown) neither must be conected to the Earth terminal!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Hi I have a new Baumatic cooker hood that has a flex attached with 3 cores - live, neutral and earth. The earth cable enters the hood interior and terminates at a screw on the inside of the stainless steel side.

Electrical Connection:
Your cooker hood is intended for fitted and permanent installation.
The power cable must be connected to the terminals marked L and N in the hood fixed with a clamp.
NOTE: (UK only) WARNING - THIS APPLIANCE MUST NOT BE EARTHED.

Take it back to where you bought it. They have sold you a product which has been dangerously modified in contravention of the manufacturer's published specification.

 

[JohnD]

I suspect that the instructions are wrong, but the manufacturer "ought" to know.

 

[Akshay]

So generally speaking are cooker hoods required to be earthed or not? From what I've posted the wiring contains an earth cable in the flex but the instructions say not to!

 

[JohnD]

"generally speaking" if it's an electrical appliance with a metal casing, and it isn't double-insulated and marked with the two-squares, then you would expect it to be earthed. Especially if, as in your case, the metal casing has an earthing stud and a G&Y wire on it.

That's why my suspicion is of the instructions.

Perhaps you should write to the manufacturer or UK distributor. If you care enough you could complain to your local trading Standards office on the grounds Ban mentioned.

 

[Akshay]

Thanks guys, it is alarming that the product contradicts the instuctions and I've contacted Baumatic who have asked me to phone them back with the Serial number for the product. They actually mentioned on the phone that the hood is double insulated and hence doesn't need to be earthed, but were surprised that my model had an earth cable in the flex.

Having a look on their website shows the instruction regarding no earthing apply to all of their cooker hoods!

I'll phone them again with my serial number and report back with their response. Failing that I'll take it back to the store and make an offical complaint!

 

[securespark]

Look on the rating plate or sticker. If you see the Double Insulated symbol, it is DI, if not, it must be earthed.

but double check with the manufacturer too.

 

[Akshay]

OK, checked the hood itself last night, no double insulated symbol on the information sticker, but the normal earth symbol. I rang Baumatic today who confirmed that the hood did indeed earthing contrary to what their manual said! They said they were "aware" of the error in the manual and were pretty unsympathetic when I mentioned this was far from satisfactory!!

 

[JohnD]

If you can be bothered, complain to Trading Standards, and write a letter of complaint to the manufacturer and the retailer.

They do not seem to be fulfilling their duty to provide an appliance and instructions which together will give you a safe installation.