Joining live+neutral TV cable to live+neutral+earth cable

[gtrance]

Hi there,

Can I start off by saying I know next to nothing about electrics.

Having mounted my TV on the wall, I bought a one way extension lead for the power cable. I decided that a neater job would be to join the TV lead to the extension lead via a connector.

So I bought a "13 amp 3 Terminal Line Connector". Read the instructions, sounded pretty simple. I cut the end socket off the extension lead, stripped back the 3 coloured wires (live, neutral and earth) and fixed them into their appropriate parts in the connector. So far so good.

I then cut the plug off the TV lead and aagghh!! There is only a live and neutral wire, but no earth!

So my question - Am I able to connect these into the connector matching the sections so it is live to live and neutral to neutral, but therefore end up with the earth wire from the extension lead on its own in the connector?

Or do I need to buy a different type of connector for joining these two cables together?

I hope this makes sense and I hope one of you can help me quick. The missus is going barmy that I've rendered the TV useless with no way of knowing exactly how to connect the bloody wires up!

Thanks for reading

Greg

 

[Taylortwocities]

The TV is double insulated and does not need an earth. Just connect the live and neutrals together and insulate the earth wire on the 3-core cable so it cannot touch anything.

You'll be fine.

Oh, last thing. Take the fuse out of the old TV plug and put it into the plug that is going into the wall socket. It has to be the correct rating.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

It'll be fine.

One thing you must do though is to replace the fuse in the plug that came with the extension lead with the one from the TV plug.

But wouldn't it have been a lot cheaper to buy some 2-core flex and a plug than to cut up an extension lead?

Or....

Does the power cable plug into the TV? If so what sort of plug?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Doh!

 

[gtrance]

Thanks for the fast replies,

By leaving the earth wire in the connector in its own little metal thing screwed down, does that count as having it insulated? Or should I disconnect the earth wire from the connector and wrap it up in tape or something?

ban-all-sheds, yes I should have just bought some cable and plug but initially I thought I would just use an extension lead as normal.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Leave it screwed into its terminal.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Figure-appliance-BTvision-Blu-ray-receiver/dp/B002K65HUU

 

[gtrance]

Thank you both for your help. I've wired it up and it's working fine. No loud bangs or electric shocks so that's a good sign!

Maybe I'll look into re-wiring the complete downstairs now I'm expert

 

[OwainDIYer]

But wouldn't it have been a lot cheaper to buy some 2-core flex and a plug than to cut up an extension lead?

Quite possibly not.

Especially if you get an extension lead long enough to be reassembled into a short extension lead + a separate length of cable.

 

[OwainDIYer]

I then cut the plug off the TV lead ...

If this is a moulded plug, the exposed wire ends will be dangerously live if someone (eg a child) puts the plug in a socket.

Dismantle the plug or bend the pins so it's can't be used before disposing of it.

 

[Taylortwocities]

If this is a moulded plug, the exposed wire ends will be dangerously live if someone (eg a child) puts the plug in a socket.
.

Good point. He has been told to remove the fuse though........

 

[OwainDIYer]

If this is a moulded plug, the exposed wire ends will be dangerously live if someone (eg a child) puts the plug in a socket.
.

Good point. He has been told to remove the fuse though........

He's been told to swap the TV fuse into the extension lead plug. What happens to the old extension lead fuse ... oh I'll pop it into the unused plug.

Anyway as a child I was quite capable of fitting a replacement fuse but perhaps sensible did not quite match capable!!!

 

[Taylortwocities]

You'll worry yourself to death.

 

[Wontdothatagain]

Could of just bought one of these,

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/searchBrowseAction.html?method=getProduct&R=6803798

 

[gtrance]

I did remove the fuse from the original TV plug to replace the fuse in the extension plug. So now the cut off TV plug is in the bin without a fuse. Good point to bring it up though, I can see the potential safety issue.

In regards to the power leads I could have bought, I don't think I could have. The lead is fixed to the TV internally. It is not one I can just unplug and replace with a longer lead.

The one way 5 meter extension lead only cost £5 from Amazon so I haven't spent much either way

Thanks for the replies!

 

[Monkeh]

You probably can just unplug it.. internally.