Pat Testing - If there's no earth on the plug, is it a fail?

[Dan]

Have an old record player that has come into the local charity shop and they want to know if it's worth just throwing. There's no plug on it, but there's only L + N anyway, no earth. I said it possibly wouldn't pass anyway without an earth and said I'd ask. They can bin it if it's going fail and make a bit of space to have something else in. Their guy doesn't come in much to test so they hoard it all and then just have a day when he comes in binning or testing items, apparently.

 

[telectrix]

if it was manufactured with a 2 core flex, then it does not need an earth.what we call a classII appliance. just fit a plug L and N.

 

[Des 56]

If the record player was housed as part of a great big metal cabinet that required earthing,the chances are it would have that earth core
The 2 core cables would suggest that it doesn't require the earth and its likely room can remain in the bin for more modern trash like mobile phones

 

[telectrix]

my no.1 bin filler at the moment is peppa pig dvd's. what a load of crap. no wonder youngsters today are stupid.

 

[Pat H]

There should be a symbol on the unit with a box within a box to indicate class 2. A 2 core cable doesn't indicate its a class 2 device as it could have been replaced.

Class 2 protection is an internal method of ensuring should the primary insulation/protection fail then any metal accessible components still won't come into contact with live parts.

That can't be assessed visually easily so no signage stating class 2 then I'd bin it.

 

[telectrix]

what if it was made before the advent of the 2 squares symbol?

 

[Pat H]

Then there is no standard measure of the safety of the insulation.
Its likely to be old and even if compliant (despite being before the standard for that existed) then it maynot be now.

 

[telectrix]

so anything old consigned to scrap heap. that's me and pete999 done for then.

 

[Pat H]

so anything old consigned to scrap heap. that's me and pete999 done for then.

If you don't have a double square marking on your ar*e then yup that's it.

But seriously I do work on repairing old equipment and if the unit is of value but non compliant then we can make it safe with additional isolation transformers etc. But it has to be worth the work and cost.

 

[westward10]

It is almost certainly Class 2 even if it doesn't have the double box symbol. The problem here is selling it on if there is no clear indication it is doubled insulated, you are required by law to ensure the appliance meets legal safety requirements and part of that would be adequate labelling giving the necessary information for the appliance. The Electrical (Safety) Regulations 1994 also need to be adhered to.

 

[telectrix]

i can just see my missus lugging an isolation transformer onto the kitchen worktop to use her 47 year old electric carving knife.

 

[Andy-1960]

I recently repaired my mothers 1960's Kenwood Chef food mixer and was staggered to find that this also was wired with a 2 core flex.
As the body of the machine was die-cast aluminium, (I did not really think it could be classed as double insulated!!), I felt this was not safe, so changed the 2 core for a 3 core and bonded the body of the machine.

 

[The Ghost]

some of the older instruments like that can fetch money on ebay, check first before throwing!

 

[telectrix]

reminds me, we got an old dansette auto-change record player (c.1962) in the attic.

 

[westward10]

some of the older instruments like that can fetch money on ebay, check first before throwing!

We do a lot of charity shops and a couple are on the ball with online and eBay. Anything out of the ordinary is put to one side, assessed and if worthy put online it is highly unlikely a record player is of great value.