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Wiring a plug - two black wires

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  • 14-11-2011 5:59pm
    #1
    fjon
    Registered Users Posts: 2,086 ✭✭✭


    I'm put a plug onto a fish pump, but the two wires coming from it are both black, not blue and brown. Is there any way to know which is neutral and live?


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    #2
    paddymick
    Registered Users Posts: 227 ✭✭paddymick


    Is there a white stripe down one of them


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    #3
    fjon
    Registered Users Posts: 2,086 ✭✭✭fjon


    paddymick wrote: »
    Is there a white stripe down one of them

    No, unfortunately both are identical.


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    #4
    paddymick
    Registered Users Posts: 227 ✭✭paddymick


    have you any more details about the pump?

    I have 3 differant pumps in my tank and they are all brown and blue.


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    #5
    fjon
    Registered Users Posts: 2,086 ✭✭✭fjon


    It's a cheap chinese one I think! No big deal if I can't put a plug on it, I probably should get a better one anyway. The brand is Sobo.
    The old one I had had blue and brown wires too, this one is just weird.


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    #6
    paddymick
    Registered Users Posts: 227 ✭✭paddymick


    Im not familiar with it but usually when the wires are the same colour and its not clearly stated which is which then polarity shouldn`t be an issue.


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    #7
    fjon
    Registered Users Posts: 2,086 ✭✭✭fjon


    paddymick wrote: »
    Im not familiar with it but usually when the wires are the same colour and its not clearly stated which is which then polarity shouldn`t be an issue.

    Ah, excellent - so hopefully I can't do any damage by wiring it wrong?


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    #8
    DublinDilbert
    Registered Users Posts: 5,379 ✭✭✭DublinDilbert


    fjon wrote: »
    I'm put a plug onto a fish pump, but the two wires coming from it are both black, not blue and brown. Is there any way to know which is neutral and live?

    Are you sure it's a 220v pump?

    Are they doubly insulated?


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    #9
    Mike2006
    Registered Users Posts: 689 ✭✭✭Mike2006


    Two black wires sounds like a DC pump to me...

    Be careful in case you fry the pump with mains voltage if it is not an AC pump..

    Mike.


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    #10
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    paddymick wrote: »
    Im not familiar with it but usually when the wires are the same colour and its not clearly stated which is which then polarity shouldn`t be an issue.

    Any 230v AC single phase item such as vacuum cleaners, washing machines, tv`s etc, will still work perfectly irrespective of polarity.


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    #11
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    fjon wrote: »
    I'm put a plug onto a fish pump, but the two wires coming from it are both black, not blue and brown. Is there any way to know which is neutral and live?

    Can you put up a photo of the pump, and expecially the cable end. A others said, check it is a 230v item.


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    #12
    fjon
    Registered Users Posts: 2,086 ✭✭✭fjon


    robbie7730 wrote: »
    Can you put up a photo of the pump, and expecially the cable end. A others said, check it is a 230v item.

    Sure, will take some photos and put them up here - just want to make sure before I end up frying something!
    Just to be clear, it's an air pump, and I'm fairly sure it's 220v, but will double-check when I get back.


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    #13
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    fjon wrote: »
    Sure, will take some photos and put them up here - just want to make sure before I end up frying something!
    Just to be clear, it's an air pump, and I'm fairly sure it's 220v, but will double-check when I get back.

    If it is a 230v pump, which way around you connect it wont matter.


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    #14
    whizbang
    Registered Users Posts: 1,935 ✭✭✭whizbang


    google "double insulated symbol"

    If it has this symbol, its allowed to connect anyway around.


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    #15
    druidhill
    Registered Users Posts: 200 ✭✭druidhill


    robbie7730 wrote: »
    Any 230v AC single phase item such as vacuum cleaners, washing machines, tv`s etc, will still work perfectly irrespective of polarity.

    It will work, but is there not a danger that you could be damaging electrical components over time?


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    #16
    KoolKid
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 24,789 Mod ✭✭✭✭KoolKid


    whizbang wrote: »
    google "double insulated symbol"

    If it has this symbol, its allowed to connect anyway around.

    This is what your looking for
    1434755_com_double_ins.jpg


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    #17
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    druidhill wrote: »
    It will work, but is there not a danger that you could be damaging electrical components over time?

    No danger of that happening.


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    #18
    fjon
    Registered Users Posts: 2,086 ✭✭✭fjon


    Ok, here are some pictures as promised. There's no writing on it whatsoever, but I'm pretty sure it's 220v.

    Will I just take the risk? It's not the best pump really so I don't really mind if it gets damaged.


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    #19
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    Id try 12v on it looking at them pics.


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    #20
    dilallio
    Registered Users Posts: 2,728 ✭✭✭dilallio


    Where did you buy it?

    Could be a counterfeit product made to look like a Sobo. Sobo pumps have CE certification, and if those are mains (AC) wires, they should be marked correctly.


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    #21
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    Looking at it, from what little can be seen, it looks like it operates by repelling the top permanent magnet from the top pole of the core, and attracting the bottom one to the bottom pole, and the movement then opens a switch to start the cycle again. That would only work with DC if thats how it works.


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    #22
    fjon
    Registered Users Posts: 2,086 ✭✭✭fjon


    It was bought on ebay and came from China. The plug was originally a US one, plugged into a european adaptor. It was advertised as compatible with 220v.
    Robbie - not sure what you mean, what would you suggest doing?


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    #23
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    fjon wrote: »
    It was bought on ebay and came from China. The plug was originally a US one, plugged into a european adaptor. It was advertised as compatible with 220v.
    Robbie - not sure what you mean, what would you suggest doing?

    It could well be 220v alright, but it looks a bit dodgy really. A proper 220v aquarium pump would usually have any connections in it sealed in resin and have a double insulated supply cable, as in the 2 inner wires would be inside another second layer of insulation.


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    #24
    fjon
    Registered Users Posts: 2,086 ✭✭✭fjon


    robbie7730 wrote: »
    It could well be 220v alright, but it looks a bit dodgy really. A proper 220v aquarium pump would usually have any connections in it sealed in resin and have a double insulated supply cable, as in the 2 inner wires would be inside another second layer of insulation.

    Yeah, I know it's probably not the best pump, I don't mind if I have to get another one.
    In case it wasn't clear though, this is an air pump, not water pump. Not sure that makes much difference?


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