Wiring a plug - two black wires

fjon · 14-11-2011 04:59PM #1

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?

paddymick · 14-11-2011 05:02PM

Is there a white stripe down one of them

fjon · 14-11-2011 05:04PM

paddymick wrote: »

Is there a white stripe down one of them

No, unfortunately both are identical.

paddymick · 14-11-2011 05:55PM

have you any more details about the pump?

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

fjon · 14-11-2011 05:58PM

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.

paddymick · 14-11-2011 06:47PM

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.

fjon · 14-11-2011 09:00PM

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?

DublinDilbert · 14-11-2011 09:34PM

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?

Mike2006 · 15-11-2011 10:08AM

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.

Bruthal · 15-11-2011 01:08PM

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.

Bruthal · 15-11-2011 01:10PM

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.

fjon · 15-11-2011 01:27PM

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.

Bruthal · 15-11-2011 01:35PM

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.

whizbang · 16-11-2011 08:58PM

google "double insulated symbol"

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

druidhill · 16-11-2011 10:13PM

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?

KoolKid · 16-11-2011 10:47PM

whizbang wrote: »

google "double insulated symbol"

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

This is what your looking for

Bruthal · 17-11-2011 04:02AM

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.

fjon · 17-11-2011 10:15AM

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.

Bruthal · 17-11-2011 01:56PM

Id try 12v on it looking at them pics.

dilallio · 17-11-2011 02:04PM

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.

Bruthal · 17-11-2011 02:09PM

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.

fjon · 17-11-2011 02:23PM

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?

Bruthal · 17-11-2011 02:27PM

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.

fjon · 18-11-2011 08:51AM

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?

Wiring a plug - two black wires

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