Cooker extractor install

[Dee]

Hi

Do I need an electrician to replace an old intergrated extractor fan?

I'm very competent DIYer but not with electrics.  My new extractor is like for like so can I just copy the wiring? Anything specific I need to be aware of...Except turning off at the fuse box!

[Timedout]

The last few I have fitted came with a moulded 3pin plug. Hence it’s just plug-in and go. There is usually a socket outlet tucked behind with the mandatory isolator somewhere easy to access.

 

if it isn’t that simple the rule should be, “if you have to ask, you should not be doing it”

[Dee]

It does have a plug but it's taking the old one out I'm not sure about as is 15 years old so might be hard wired?

If I turned the mains off I shoukd be ok to unwired it?? But you're right about having to ask!

[Dee]

Photo showing old fans wiring.

New one does have a plug with brown and blue stripped wires at the other end. There's no earth on the new fan either.

I want to completely remove the old fan anyway,  so how do i 'cap' off the white cable to make it safe so i can turn the mains power back on?

 

[markc]

Leave the ends in the connector or if you want to lose it, cut cores to different length and then wrap with insulation tape (cutting to different lengths prevents any chance of stray “hairs” shorting across

[saveasteading]

My main concern with these is the sharpness of the duct enclosure: the stainless steel box stuff. Some factory ends could easily slash a finger or a wrist. Then if the old one has been cut for any reason, it could also be nasty.

Leather gloves recommended.

 

Plus the old one will probably be filthy with fat, so dress and protect accordingly.

[Dee]

So I guess the fan is double insulated therefore not requiring an earth?

Live and Neutral and earth cable wired into old fan and disappearing into ceiling void (that I can't access) so can I simply 'splice' the new plug wires into the one that's hanging from the ceiling void and if so what do i do with the earth ? (see earlier image of white cable)

 

 

[ProDave]

Use the old terminal junction box that was on top of the old hood to join the cables.  Just leave the earth terminated going nowhere.

 

You just have to work out how to detach the old junction box from the top of the old cooker hood, it looks like it might be riveted there?

[Dee]

I can do that.  But when you say terminate the earth somewhere, what exactly do you mean???

Thanks 

 

 

[ProDave]

 

17 minutes ago, Dee said:

I can do that.  But when you say terminate the earth somewhere, what exactly do you mean???

Thanks 

 

 

The 3 core cable comes in just as it did originally with all 3 cores terminated one into each terminal.  Then only the 2 cores of the new cable to the new hood are connected so nothing coming out of the earth terminal.

[Dee]

So this is how I wired the new fan in.

Should I wrap insulation tape around it too?

Turned power on and it all works!!!

 

 

 

 

[FuerteStu]

2 hours ago, Dee said:

So this is how I wired the new fan in.

Should I wrap insulation tape around it too?

Turned power on and it all works!!!

 

 

 

 

If it were me, I would want a 'choc box' around that. 

 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/debox-24a-in-line-junction-box-50-x-102-x-28-5mm-white/8692H?kpid=8692H&cm_mmc=Google-_-Datafeed-_-Electrical and Lighting?kpid=KINASEKPID&cm_mmc=Google-_-TOKEN1-_-TOKEN2&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0vWnBhC6ARIsAJpJM6d7h7UdlLnHpLyERO9o6pgd1Jp-e6ufXM-IAlVHMIOeEhDR6ycdd_IaApBzEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

Reason being any movement on either flex could pull one of the terminations out.

 

 

[ProDave]

2 hours ago, Dee said:

So this is how I wired the new fan in.

Should I wrap insulation tape around it too?

Turned power on and it all works!!!

 

 

 

 

I was expecting you to keep it in the original black plastic enclosure used on the old cooker hood so it was enclosed.

 

I was rather making the assumption you had the lid for that box.

[Dee]

Unfortunately it wasn't really a box. It was a cover but no back to it.

 

[Dee]

Yes, i reslise in hindsight a chocbox would have been belt and braces. There is plenty of eire up there so even if the fan fell out the connection eoukd survive. I did wrap plenty of insulation tape around it. Did I do wrong?

[markc]

4 hours ago, Dee said:

Yes, i reslise in hindsight a chocbox would have been belt and braces. There is plenty of eire up there so even if the fan fell out the connection eoukd survive. I did wrap plenty of insulation tape around it. Did I do wrong?

It will be ok with or without tape, long before choc boxes they were done like you have and before connector strip were available it was done (and still is in a lot of industrial places) by twisting or tying the cores together and then wrapping with tape. We used to make even 33Kv (33,000v) splices and Tee’s by twisting and taping.

[TonyT]

A little joint box enclosing all the conductors would be good otherwise it’s a negative mark when any testing and inspection is carried out

[Dee]

I've already had the whole house tested so this is a simple replacement. It's not a biggie to drop the fan to put a chocbox in.