henryb_y_o_b Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Hi, Just ordered another PAR56 lamp but it has arrived without a plug attached. I need it to have an IEC plug connected to the cable so would someone kindly be able to take me through how to go about this?! Sorry for the newbie-ish question - I've never had to do this before and obviously it's very important that I get it right!! Thanks, Henry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LXbydesign Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Well , if you dont know how to do it, I suggest you ask someone who can - and watch them do it and take you through the method. Next time, you will be able to make it yourself - but get someone with relevent experience to check your work. This comment might not seem very helpfull , but it is not for us to be telling a novice how to wire a plug connecting to mains electric. With all good intent, if you followed the advice but made a mistake and electrocuted yourself - whos to blame ?!!! I dont want a liable notice enforced on me thanks!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henryb_y_o_b Posted November 3, 2009 Author Share Posted November 3, 2009 LXbydesign, I appreciate your concern! However I am not a complete novice, I have experience of wiring household plugs and making up cables (although only signal-carrying audio cables). I was mainly asking to find out if there was anything extra I should know about wiring IEC plugs in particular, ie. which of the pins on the left/right is live/neutral? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoLiEn Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 I agree with LXbydesign. anything you wire up will need to have a valid PAT. im assuming your competent and qualified enough to do this as well.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LXbydesign Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Im sorry , but if you dont know which pin is live or neutral then you shoudnt be doing it. End of. This dosent need a debate. Its pure and simple. Its mains electric. If you dont know, you dont do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmeh2 Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Hi Playing devil's advocate for a minute it doesn't really matter which way you wire L and N, as they are shorted together anyway. This is of course only true for generics. On another note make sure you use decent IEC connectors with proper brass terminals, as the cheap twist-on type you find on eBay are a menace as the screws can wear loose. All the bestTimmeh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrummerJonny Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 whether you get advice on how to do it on here or not, (google may be your friend here!), all I'm going to say is have fun! IECs have to be my least favourite of any kind of connector... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_b Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Now now, be gentle! everyone wired up an IEC for the first time at some point. Henry, Do you have a multimeter or similar test equipment? If so, you're in a good place to start. Find yourself a ready made, moulded and working 13A plug > IEC socket, such as you'd get with a PC computer or similar. Check out the wiring using the multimeter, and then you should know which pin is which. An internet search will give you some confidence that what you've measured is indeed correct (or otherwise - if so, find out why!) So you now know which is which. Don't just cut the wires to random lengths - have a good think about which wire you're cutting to what length. The inside of an IEC is very different to a 13A plug. How much insulation should be stripped off to expose the copper? Apply your training in wiring 13A plugs to come up with a suitable figure for this, IECs vary quite a bit in this requirement too. Hopefully, you can start looking at the job and figuring out a good way to tackle it. Get someone to check it when you're done, and ask them to comment what they'd like to see you do different - if they have no comment, chances are that they have not considered everything - no offence! Things I'd like to see: - Good contact area between copper conductor and terminals, no excess copper conductor showing and insulation not nipped by terminal.- Appropriate lengths in wires, particularly for what happens if scenarios. In a plug, if someone tugged the cable hard, I'd like to see the live wire disconnect first, and the earth last, so consider how much slack you leave Let us know how you get on, maybe post some photos! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmeh2 Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 - Appropriate lengths in wires, particularly for what happens if scenarios. In a plug, if someone tugged the cable hard, I'd like to see the live wire disconnect first, and the earth last, so consider how much slack you leave. Hi Most electricians I know would consider that wrong - you want to have both the L and N the same length so both are disconnected at the same time rather than leaving half the circuit intact. All the bestTimmeh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulDF Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 For what it is worth, the L, E and N terminals in an IEC plug/sockets should be marked to say which one is which, usually the identification it is moulded into the body of the plug.There is often not a lot of room in an IEC to leave much slack unfortunately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimWebber Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Hi Most electricians I know would consider that wrong - you want to have both the L and N the same length so both are disconnected at the same time rather than leaving half the circuit intact. All the bestTimmeh I am not sure I would agree with that, although it is 20 years ago that I started training!!!!! In the situation of the cable being tugged, the first one I would want to go is the Live. Should a core become disconnected, but not be noticed, the first thing that the end user notices is that the appliance does not work. He or she then investigates (or gets someone else to investigate as the case may be) and the problem in the plug is discovered. In the same vain as a lightswitch is ALWAYS placed on the live side of the circuit, I would much rather see a disconnected live then a disconnected nuetral.(Yes, I know all the regs say that a Neutral conductor is to be treated with the same respect as a Live, I know which one I would prefer to "Find") But above all, leave the Earth core longer, so it ALWAYS comes loose last!!!!! But in a slightly more positive note to the OP, wiring an IEC is not witchcraft, although it is a different skill set to wiring a 13 Amp plug, it should be perfectly feasible. You will have to do your first one once, The best way to do something is to have a go at it, with (And this is the killer phrase) appropriate supervision. Get them to watch you do it, show them what you are doing, and if they comment, take it on board.... The internet, as good as it is, is not a good tool to learn to DO something. I could write two pages of instruction about how to put on a plug, but five minutes of discussion and supervision by an experienced plug-putter-onner would be far more appropriate, and you would take far more away from the experience. And I promise you, the day you get to supervise an "apprentice" of your own, and teach them how to fit IEC plugs will be an amazing experience. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmeh2 Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Hi As an aside you definately SHOULD NOT be using these types of plugs, as they are neither CE or Kite Mark stamped. Any PAT Tester worth his salt would fail any equipment with these plugs attached, I certainly would (and do.) http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt309/themainsman/iec-plug-blk.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themadhippy Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Most electricians I know would consider that wrong - you want to have both the L and N the same length so both are disconnectedwell I'm a sparks and I dont think its wrong as thats how we were showen at collage,and the way I learned it from my dad a very long time ago,so long ago it wasn't unusual to have red black and green conductors in he flex. Henry get a spare bit of flex and practise on a few first,there a bit fiddle but with a bit of practice you'll get there Playing devil's advocate for a minute it doesn't really matter which way you wire L and N, as they are shorted together anywayReally? so why don't things go BANG every time we plug them in? there maybe a low resistance between live and neural,but unless somethings gone wrong it most definatley aint a short.Its important that live goes to live or you could find you've got protective devices and switches in the neutral,not very nice when it comes to fault finding a circuit that is supposedly switched off,and even more unpleasant if the wiring is one of those rare,but still out there tn-c (concentric earthing I think its called in old money) system Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_b Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 @ timmeh - I did not mention when I wished the Neutral to go - I'd accept if it could go simultaneously first, though I would not want it to go before the live does, as in that case it would cause the whole piece of equipment to go live, but showing no signs of being live, i.e. no lights on etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivemaster Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Attaching a plug is simple when you have mastered it, till then it's witchcraft! Get a real competent person to go through it with you as you do a few trial ones and then do the real one. Training physical things is worst done on the web and really NEEDS real physical input from a competent person. Do several attempts, on some spare flex before you do the job one. Yes there are lots of things to look out for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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