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Old 12th Jul 2019, 11:50 am   #10
Lucien Nunes
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: London, UK.
Posts: 2,508
Default Re: Electrical safety and vintage equipment.

I also repair equipment as originally built, as far as available materials and common sense allow. For example, I would not replace a missing mains lead that had originally been of figure-8 construction with a similar cable today. I would use insulated and sheathed cable, not on the basis of 'upgrading' the unit's safety but because that is the modern replacement material that a competent repairer would specify. I would not generally add an earth, if none were originally fitted, as that would undeniably constitute a modification. Law aside, I believe that partial safety upgrades can lull the user into believing that it is 'up to modern standards' and cause them to drop their guard, when many of the original hazards remain.

Quote:
The problems start when someone decides to add an earth connection to the turntable. On the face of it, this would appear to be good practice but there is no guarantee that the house wiring is correct. If the earth connection inadvertently becomes live then the turntable would become live also.
There are some theoretical arguments in favour of class II equipment for certain applications, however the risk of shock from exposed metal parts of a faulty vintage class 0 device probably overshadow those of a faulty wiring system. After all, the hypothetical faulty earth connection could equally make the casing of a washing machine or kettle live. Under UK regulations and with our normal wiring system with reliable protective equipotential bonding, earthing is a recognised and recommended method of protection against shock and it would be the legality of modifying, rather than the risk of use on a faulty supply, that would seem to decide the validity of adding an earth connection.

Last edited by Lucien Nunes; 12th Jul 2019 at 11:58 am.
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