illuminated mirror

[user 27969]

I'm installing a bathroom cabinet  ...that needs power and more specifically earth. it has demister / LED lights and infra red switch.

The previous wiring (to the old cabinet) passed through the wall behind the cabinet and into the kitchen... spurring off a cooker socket.  The new cabinet does not work with this setup, I suspected that the earth wasn't there, but it ive tested with multimeter and the kitchen has 240v testing live / earth.

I tested the cabinet was working by wiring a standard plug to it and plugging it into a socket. It does works.... but only when I plug it into through a peripheral device (rodent deterrent from maplin) which has a pass-through socket on it. I though it may have been an RCD detection, and plugged it through an RCD but this didn't work, only the rodent deterrent device.

In summary, I'm really confused as to why I can only get the device to work when plugged into / through this rodent deterrent, but nothing else. And how i can move forward.

i understand most people will say get an electrician...but i'm looking for an answer about how to do this myself.

Any advice or help much appreciated, cheers matt.

 

[Andy™]

what exactly is this rodent thing? it should work no matter what its wired to, however if its spured off the cooker circuit then it would need a FCU to comply. it will also need RCD protection too

also, a lack of earth will not stop it working, it will work with just live & neutral, however its dangerous in that state in that if there is a fault, your in for a shock, literally

and a multimeter between live & earth doesnt really prove anything. you can easily get a reading of 230v live to earth with a very bad / almost non existant earth

unfortunately, this is one of them where is probably best to get a sparky in to look at it. depends how much you value your life or others who have access to the mirror...

 

[user 27969]

Hi Andy,

the rodent thing is this https://www.dropbox.com/s/3rdyesca20g89bt/2016-06-25 18.16.48.jpg?dl=0 it just happened to be there when i was testing the cabinet and so i agree its wierd that it works through this device.

i understand it would be dangerous without earth, and so -from your reply- it seems my 'test' of the kitchen power supply is insufficient?

Its does state that it needs earth to work, i wonder if there is some kind of detection within the cabinet mirror that stops it from working if theres no earth.

i do value my life and others too. its really wierd that just putting a plug on it and plugging it in doesn't work though.... !?

appreciate the response,

best Matt

 

[user 27969]

http://www.illuminated-mirrors.uk.com/talia-demist-cabinet.html

 

[Andy™]

it is odd that it only work when plugged in through the rodent thing. its also very unlikely to have anything to detect lack of earth. usually its just earth to frame then L&N to switch control then to lights or transformer then to lights

to test an earth properly you need an earth loop impedance tester. and knowledge of how to use it and understand what its telling you

 

[user 27969]

ok thanks andy

 

[user 27969]

problem solved.

I had an electrician come round and install the cabinet.   He noticed that the factory at 'illuminated mirrors' had labelled the wires incorrectly.... green/yellow was labelled live, and brown was labelled earth. 

I should have noticed this during my testing process that something was up, but i just followed their labelling. I think this is somewhat neglegent on their part to mislabel the wires all the same.

why this worked only when plugged into the 'rodent repellent' pass through plug... is a mystery. all i can say is i wont be using it again.

M

 

[steptoe]

Bloody hell,

That's is literally lethal,!!!

:shakehead

 

[Sidewinder]

Also a criminal offence due to the sale of goods laws that apply!

 

[Andy™]

good thing you did get a sparky in, you really did nearly end up dead. the colours should be a give away for how to wire it, but you would expect the labels to be correct too

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

Wow, that is very very bad,  lucky you got someone in before a death.

Was the mouse deterrent  checked, that must have a fault to let the light work (or could it be the led's partly lit due to inductance ?)

 

[Bruspark]

Or are the labels right and the colours wrong . .    :innocent    

On a similar vein :

Yesterday I sat bemused looking at a BLUE 4mm cable that dangled in free air as it meandered its way across about 500mm of understairs cupboard corner connecting a CU on a side wall to the MET at the back.  

Fine job,  Too stunned to even take a picture!

'Always been like that' apparently (60A TNS supply).   Also no Gas Bonding although clearly a new boiler fitted 2 -3 years ago and the gas meter was in the same cupboard as the MET FFS.  

 

[user 27969]

yeah, i think it could be very dangerous.

I phoned them to complain, and they said they would check the labelling of their stock. This item is sold by other retailers so hopefully theirs are ok and this is a one off. I personally wouldn't buy from illuminated mirrors again.

i've thrown the mouse deterrent away!!

id rather have mice than spikey hair.