I have just purchased an electric fire and it has to be "Earthed" before i can use it. Can anyone help?
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If it has a normal 3-pin plug on it, I think it is earthed anyway.
Earthed means 'grounded' or to ground the product should have a ground wire that will connect to a earth ground ie rod cold water pipe etc
The appliance should already be 'earthed' at the plug when bought. If the plug has 3 wires it is already 'earthed. The 'earth' is a wire with an electrical connection to the ground, that provides an alternative path to the ground for heavy currents that might otherwise flow through a victim of electric shock.
Check with an electrician, if it is an electric fire with a metal casing then you may I'm need to get it properly earthed, I don't think this is anything to do with the plug, cos all electrical equipment is fitted with plugs now. I'm sure its to stop you from getting shocks from the surround. I never mess about with electrics, always get a Sparky in who knows what they are doing!!
Don't you know anything about electricity?If the fire is new it will have a 3pin fused plug attached . Just plug it in to the 13amp socket in your house. If the fire is not new and has no plug attached the cable will have three conductor wires. Live which is brown connects to the live pin of the plug,the one with the fuse. The blue is the neutral which connects to the other pin beside the live. Earth is a green and yellow wire that connects to the pin at the top of the plug. If the wires are red,black and green be careful. The fire would be very old and could be dangerous. If you are not sure of what you are doing get someone who knows a bit about electricity to check it all for you. Don't take any chances. All I have said refers to the UK .Other countries could be different.
Assuming the fire is new it is probably fitted with a moulded plug top, one you cannot get in to, if so it will be earthed and safe to use. Makers seem to stick these labels on in case you have to fit a different plug top, ie. do your own wiring.
If you are fitting a different top the colour code is :brown-live
goes into the connection with the fuse.Blue-neutral into the one beside it ,left as you look.Green/yellow into the terminal at the top, or the big pin. If you are still unsure ask someone you trust to check it out. Good luck and it wasn't silly to ask.
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