We’d like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum.

This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are – or become – political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.

📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

How to Wire a Plug?!

I've bought an electrical appliance that had a strange plug on the end. The chap told me that I just have to cut it off and wire a regular UK plug on it as it had been used in a work environment (although he said it was single phase and not 3 phase).

However, when I have cut the flex it has 4 colours and not the expected 3.

It has Brown, Blue, Green/yellow, and black.

What would I do with the black wire?

Should I be calling a sparkie out to do this? If so what would be a good price?

The item is a pump.

Any help gratefully received...

FJ
"If you think things can't get worse it's probably only because you lack sufficient imagination."
«1

Comments

  • What sort of pump, what is on the rating plate, and what sort of plug did it have?

    Under new harmonised colour codes

    Brown, = phase 1 / live
    Blue = neutral
    Green/yellow = earth
    black = phase 2 / live

    Which does not make sense for single-phase domestic use.
    A kind word lasts a minute, a skelped erse is sair for a day.
  • waynehayes
    waynehayes Posts: 427 Forumite
    edited 14 April 2010 at 5:38AM
    It sounds like it does need a 400v 3 phase supply to run this pump. Take it back (unless you have a 3 phase supply in your home).
  • BillTrac
    BillTrac Posts: 1,869 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    There should be a small plate somewhere on the housing which will give you the required information.

    Single/three phase
    voltage
    wattage

    etc
  • ormus
    ormus Posts: 42,714 Forumite
    what color is the plug?
    as a guide,
    yellow plug is 110v
    blue plug is 240v
    red plug is 415v
    Get some gorm.
  • keith969
    keith969 Posts: 1,575 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture
    What sort of pump, what is on the rating plate, and what sort of plug did it have?

    Under new harmonised colour codes

    Brown, = phase 1 / live
    Blue = neutral
    Green/yellow = earth
    black = phase 2 / live

    Which does not make sense for single-phase domestic use.

    Except that if the motor was 3 phase the wires would be brown, black, grey, blue and green/yellow for earth.
    For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple and wrong.
  • BillTrac
    BillTrac Posts: 1,869 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Except it didn't come with a UK plug top and so god knows where it is from and the regulations/standards, if any, that it complies to.
  • zax47
    zax47 Posts: 1,263 Forumite
    Could be 220V "split-phase", dervied from 110V but -110,neutral,+110 from a centre neutral tapped 110V tranny found in industrial apps. That would account for 2 apparent "line" conductors. What make/model? There must be some rating info on it somewhere.

    If it is then it might be modified to be used on single phase by wiring "live" to one line conductor and "neutral" to the other, giving a 220V pd across the device. However if it's a pump it will have a motor - do we know how it's wound? Permanent magnet field coils or not?

    More to this than changing a plug!
  • ormus
    ormus Posts: 42,714 Forumite
    BillTrac wrote: »
    Except it didn't come with a UK plug top and so god knows where it is from and the regulations/standards, if any, that it complies to.

    how do you know that?
    are you psychic?
    Get some gorm.
  • gas4you
    gas4you Posts: 2,602 Forumite
    Outside chance it could be a 2 speed 240v pump as fitted to some boilers?
  • Owain_Moneysaver
    Owain_Moneysaver Posts: 11,393 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    keith969 wrote: »
    Except that if the motor was 3 phase the wires would be brown, black, grey, blue and green/yellow for earth.

    Yes, which is why I'm perplexed.
    A kind word lasts a minute, a skelped erse is sair for a day.
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 352.3K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253.6K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 454.3K Spending & Discounts
  • 245.3K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 601.1K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 177.5K Life & Family
  • 259.2K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.7K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.