No earth wire in 2nd hand reptile heat matt

[tryme]

Hi

It looks like somebody has taken out the earth wire after re wiring a heatmat i bought on ebay.

Stupid question but is this dangerous?

Also i have another plug for a fan but the plastic prong for the earth snapped in my mains socket! Is it possible to still plug the fan in? I think this particular plug is double insulated. Im not sure exactly what that means but im sure it means it doesnt need and earth?
It looks like the earth has been cut off and dissapeared into the sheath of the cable

However the first plug i described should have one but doesnt?

 

[Taylortwocities]

IF the device is douible insulated it will not need an earth.
It will be clearly marked with the double insulated symbol

Untitled

• Taylortwocities
• 30 Sep 2009
• 4

It is the device that is double insulated, not the plug itself.

Throw away the plug with the broken pin and buy a new one.
Replace the socket if the earth pin is jammed in there, It will have left open the safety shutters that should cover the live and neutral pins.

You may be able to remove the broken pin by using long nose pliers
but
turn the power off first.

PS, why second-hand reptiles. Can't you get new ones??

 

[tryme]

Hi

I cant seem to see the symbol, willl it be on the plug? will i still be able to remove the broken pin in the same way? Will just flicking the switch on the circuit board be enough to remove the face plate safely? Im petrafied of being shocked to be honest

 

[JohnW2]

...Also i have another plug for a fan but the plastic prong for the earth snapped in my mains socket! Is it possible to still plug the fan in? I think this particular plug is double insulated. Im not sure exactly what that means but im sure it means it doesnt need and earth?

Is this one just an ordinary plug, or it is perhaps some sort of plug-in 'transformer' or power supply (like the ones used for charging mobile phones etc.)?

Kind Regards, John

 

[tryme]

Its a normal plug, its for a household fan. Im sure the earth pin is plastic or it wouldnt of snapped. However as its plastic youd assume there would be a symbol to show it is double insulated?

It has a flap that you can pop open to replace the fuse too if that helps but you cant actually open the plug as such

 

[JBR]

Its a normal plug, its for a household fan. Im sure the earth pin is plastic or it wouldnt of snapped. However as its plastic youd assume there would be a symbol to show it is double insulated?

It has a flap that you can pop open to replace the fuse too if that helps but you cant actually open the plug as such

If it were me, I'd chop off the plug, throw it away (you can keep the fuse!) and fit a proper plug.

I hate these sealed plugs. You can't see whether they are wired properly.

Edited: I meant to say 'sealed plugs' not 'sealed fuses'. Sorry. Old age.

 

[JohnW2]

Its a normal plug, its for a household fan. Im sure the earth pin is plastic or it wouldnt of snapped. However as its plastic youd assume there would be a symbol to show it is double insulated?

Fair enough. As you've been told, it would be the fan, not the plug, which would be double insulated and have that symbol on it.

It has a flap that you can pop open to replace the fuse too if that helps but you cant actually open the plug as such

That would presumably be a 'moulded-on' plug. You will have to cut the cable off that plug in order to fit a new plug. Make sure you fit the same rating/size (number of Amps) fuse to the new plug as there was in the old one. In fact, you could use the one out of the broken plug. You probably won't be able to easily find a replacement plug that has a plastic earth pin, but that doesn't matter (and metal ones don't break off!).

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I hate these sealed fuses. You can't see whether they are wired properly.

No, but you can usefully speculate that they often aren't.

 

[tryme]

Ok so if i just flick the switch on the circuit breaker i can then prise the plastic piece iut of the earth socket in the wall?

 

[lxboy]

Hi, i would be concerned as to why the earth has been removed from the mat,it maybe faulty ant that's why its been cut. As a precaution i would advise you to buy an RCD plug in adaptor and use this to supply all the equipment in your reptile set up.This will protect you and your pets from electric shock.

If you have an RCD installed on your sockets at the consumer unit (fuse box)
this will do the same job.

Regards,

LXBOY

 

[Taylortwocities]

As a precaution i would advise you to buy an RCD plug in adaptor and use this to supply all the equipment in your reptile set up.This will protect you and your pets from electric shock.

If you have an RCD installed on your sockets at the consumer unit (fuse box)
this will do the same job.

I'm not sure about the physiology of reptiles. 30mA may well be more than enough to kill small animals.


If the heat mat needs earthing, then it needs earthing.

 

[lxboy]

It's better than nothing !


Lxboy

 

[ban-all-sheds]

An RCD is not a substitute for undamaged, properly functioning equipment.

 

[lxboy]

An RCD is not a substitute for undamaged, properly functioning equipment.

Well said that man ........


LXboy

 

[JohnW2]

An RCD is not a substitute for undamaged, properly functioning equipment.

Well said that man ........

Indeed, and rather different from

It's better than nothing !

Kind Regards, John