Electric Heated Towel Rail Connection

[charliegolf]

Hi All,

Amended post.

I have a ladder-style heated towel rail, not cheap, but I suspect from China...

The problem I have, is that the three core flex has a black, green and WHITE conductor in it!

Any convention for what each might be? Green for earth is logical, but any help appreciated.

Thanks

CG

EDIT: Found this US coding...

 

[ericmark]

Yes notifiable in Wales, up to first £2000 worth of work was charged at £100 plus vat, don't know if that has changed. The last time I tried to notify the council (Flintshire) inspector wanted to have the work inspected by a third party inspector, and that cost was on top of councils fee, so if you want it all done correct then £200 to DIY and around £60 to get a scheme member electrician to do it.

As to notifying I lost the paperwork, so on selling the house applied for a replacement, was told would be charged £100 per hour for person hunting for the original, and could not be done for next 6 months, this was 2018 so not covid related. Lucky found original, but clearly the fee is no more than a tax. The completion certificate is easy enough to alter, so only way to be sure work is as notified is to view the original completion and installation certificate, which it seems from experience you can't get within a reasonable time when selling a house, and the copies I had and passed over had nothing to link the installation certificate to the completion certificate, so I could have made out a second installation certificate to cover any other work.

The same with the re-wire, there was nothing on the compliance certificate and installation certificate to say there was a previous compliance and completion certificate to cover part of the installation, the kitchen and wet room were not rewired with rest of house, so the new owners don't have a clue what covers what, so in real terms no point in having the paperwork.

So we have

Equipment likely to be exposed to weather, corrosive atmospheres or other adverse conditions shall be so constructed or protected as may be necessary to prevent danger arising from such exposure.

so the installer must decide if some thing like this is required. And without being on site so one can actually judge what is appropriate I can't answer.

 

[EFLImpudence]

I would say it is not notifiable IF it is outside the zones of the bathroom - i.e. an electrical switch is more than 600mm, from the bath/shower.

 

[EFLImpudence]

The problem I have, is that the three core flex has a black, green and WHITE conductor in it!
Any convention for what each might be? Green for earth is logical, but any help appreciated.

Are there no instructions with it?

EDIT: Found this US coding...

Well, that is quite clear.

HOWEVER, if it is for the US, it will, presumably be 120V and so unusable.

 

[charliegolf]

Are there no instructions with it?

Yes, but only fixing instructions. Nothing on connection. On voltage, the order was specifically for 230/240V

I'll get back into the ordering/spec stuff.

Reread the spec/order. Paperwork states 110 to 240V. I plugged it in for a test, seemed ok.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Ok. I don't know if anywhere that uses those colours is on 240V.

Have you a link to the product?

 

[charliegolf]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08MF25N1Z/ref=cm_sw_r_wa_api_fabc_3rzcGb2FESYBJ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

 

[EFLImpudence]

Mmmm. It says currently unavailable and there are no reviews, so...

Anyway, It does say 110 - 240V so I suspect any U.S. customers will be disappointed because IF it is 162W @ 240V (although it doesn't actually say that) it will only be 81W over there. Or vice versa.

If you have had it working without burning out or getting too hot then I suppose it must be sort of alright.


I don't know what else to say.

 

[winston1]

Mmmm. It says currently unavailable and there are no reviews, so...

Anyway, It does say 110 - 240V so I suspect any U.S. customers will be disappointed because IF it is 162W @ 240V (although it doesn't actually say that) it will only be 81W over there. Or vice versa.

If you have had it working without burning out or getting too hot then I suppose it must be sort of alright.


I don't know what else to say.

Well you could rethink your calculations. Halve the voltage, you halve the current and the power will be a quarter, namely 40.5 watts.

But it may of course have some form of switch mode supply meaning constant(ish) power over the range.

But, whatever, it is illegal for Amazon or anyone else to sell it in the UK with US wiring colours. I would be reporting it to Trading Standards.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Yes, of course, my mistake.

 

[charliegolf]

Mmm, sounds like a return trip for it then. Thanks for the replies, appreciate it.

 

[SUNRAY]

maybe it's 162W@110V or 770W@240V !

I was once given a 700W travel kettle rated 110-250V to use on site 110V, I never took it a second time but a 3KW wasn't too bad on 110V