replacing extractor fan - only 2 wires available

cab5 · 18 Feb 2023

Hi,

I've replaced my old extractor fan but the old one only had live, neutral and earth. The new one needs a switch live which i don't have. I've read you can connect the live to the switch live but how? Could I simply cut off part of the earth and connect the two live and switch live?

Thanks!

Harry Bloomfield · 18 Feb 2023

cab5 said:
I've replaced my old extractor fan but the old one only had live, neutral and earth. The new one needs a switch live which i don't have. I've read you can connect the live to the switch live but how? Could I simply cut off part of the earth and connect the two live and switch live?

The live/brown you have, is the switched live - what you are missing is an unswitched, or permanent live, to allow the fan to run on via the timer, once you turn the light off. What you can do, is link the live and the switched live connectors, and connect the brown to that - but the timer will not work, and the fan will go off when the light goes off.

cab5 · 18 Feb 2023

OK sounds positive! How can I do that?

Harry Bloomfield · 18 Feb 2023

cab5 said:
OK sounds positive! How can I do that?

Exactly what is in you photo, but add a short piece of wire to link the terminal with nothing in it, to the one with the brown wire in it. Simply link SL to L.

cab5 · 18 Feb 2023

As I don't have any wire could I cut a piece of the earth off and use that?

Harry Bloomfield · 18 Feb 2023

cab5 said:
As I don't have any wire could I cut a piece of the earth off and use that?

You could, as the earth is not needed, you could - but it really would need to some insulation on the exposed part..

sparkwright · 18 Feb 2023

Noooooooo. Don't cut the earth off.

Have you got an old extension lead you can shorten by two inches?

(And there's far too much exposed copper on the neutral where it enters the neutral terminal - or perhaps the wire isn't even in the terminal properly.)

cab5 · 18 Feb 2023

@sparkwright The wire doesn't hold in the terminal well and just about tightens into place it seems to be a bit big for the terminal, I'll trim it back.
Only thought about taking a bit off the earth as there is so much excess anyway.

Taylortwocities · 18 Feb 2023

cab5 said:
Only thought about taking a bit off the earth as there is so much excess anyway.

Yes, but as said above, any wire that you use for the link must be insulated. The earth is a bare wire so you cannot use that unless you sleeve it.
Surely you have a short piece of insulated wire somewhere that you could use?

Risteard · 18 Feb 2023

Harry Bloomfield said:
You could, as the earth is not needed, you could - but it really would need to some insulation on the exposed part..

No, you most certainly must not.

333rocky333 · 18 Feb 2023

sparkwright · 19 Feb 2023

cab5 said:
@sparkwright The wire doesn't hold in the terminal well and just about tightens into place it seems to be a bit big for the terminal, I'll trim it back.
Only thought about taking a bit off the earth as there is so much excess anyway.

If the wire doesn't hold very well in the terminal, it needs attention.

Possibly you have inserted the wire incorrectly into the terminal, so you could remove it or try again.

If the terminal is cracked or the screwing just 'spins', you may have to fit a new terminal block.

Harry Bloomfield · 19 Feb 2023

cab5 said:
@sparkwright The wire doesn't hold in the terminal well and just about tightens into place it seems to be a bit big for the terminal, I'll trim it back.
Only thought about taking a bit off the earth as there is so much excess anyway.

Only remove a bit of the earth wire from the very end, don't cut it off completely.

You could try doubling the wire over, where it goes in the terminal - it could be the screw is missing the wire.

OK another option - I don't know if the load side, the left wires of the fan can be moved, but if they can be moved, just move the L and SL into one terminal and connect your wire to that.

Taylortwocities · 19 Feb 2023

Harry Bloomfield said:
but if they can be moved

They can't be moved. The three wires are soldered/crimped to lugs on the terminal block. That is why there is only one screw on the house wiring side.

EFLImpudence · 19 Feb 2023

How can a house in this modern world not have three inches of spare or redundant wire somewhere?

No old power supplies and leads for long-dead appliances? I have a drawer full.

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replacing extractor fan - only 2 wires available

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