Old Urn Rewiring Help

[leecee]

Hi,

I recently bought an old urn (possibly 70s) from a fellow forum member but it is need of some slight rewiring (see photos).

I've tried to find photos/wiring diagrams but had no luck. I'm pretty confident I can get it up and running again, but can anyone help with some guidance? In particular I am not sure about the bolt/screw on the bottom left of the wiring picture - A thermostat/cut-off perhaps? It corresponds to the metal "bump" coming from the centre in the element picture. I've included the temperature control picture in case someone has a similar urn.

Thanks!
Lee

 

[YeastFace]

Edited due to potential danger

 

[leecee]

Thanks! Yeah I should have said that nobody is liable for their advice and an independent electrician needs to test it :-)

It could well be an earthing pole, that makes sense. I've got some old kettle wiring I was going to repurpose for the job.

Hopefully I can find a diagram somewhere. It's lost it's base so I expect the wiring to be hidden away in most other user's boilers/urns.

 

[Griff097]

If it hasn't got an overheat cutout, which I can't see, the power (live) would go to the common terminal on the thermostat the one the red cable is on now I would guess, then from there to one side of the element, the neutral from the supply would go to the other side of the element and earth onto the body.
If its a 3kw element you likely want a 13a fuse in the plug.

 

[Donegal john]

The wiring colours are causing me some concern as a spark lol. The bright red cable looks like it’s a neutral if it’s connected to the top terminal of the stat ? And then down onto the element as in its “common” then you have the live in to the stat from the mains and out the other side to the element. It dosnt matter which terminal on the element is live or neutral. The earth is already attached to the bolt on the element housing

 

[Donegal john]

I am not an electrician but given the age and colours of the wires , is the unattached wire the earth and the bolt an earthing pole?

The unattached wire is the live from the stat to the element not an earth. There would be quite a loud bang if it was connected to the earth terminal

 

[YeastFace]

I thought live was red pre-IEC? Ah, see you've made a point on the wire colouring.

Should have noticed the unattached wire would never reach the bolt either!

I'll amend my post in any case as don't want anyone reading it in the future to take my advice

 

[Donegal john]

I thought live was red pre-IEC? Ah, see you've made a point on the wire colouring.

Should have noticed the unattached wire would never reach the bolt either!

I'll amend my post in any case as don't want anyone reading it in the future to take my advice

Live was red yep. But there are 3 terminals I can see on the stat and 2 have red wires attached only one of them is the live so the other has to be a neutral and the top left looks to have 2 wires attached one from the mains in and the other going to the element so I have to assume it’s the neutral but it’s red not black. So looks like a bodge job.

 

[YeastFace]

Good job I never followed my Dad and brother into the trade

 

[leecee]

Thanks everyone for your replies.
Based on these, I might consider just forking out for a newer boiler that will give a safer option!
I'll also continue to search for pictures of similar set-ups to give me peace of mind.

 

[sifty]

I'm hesitant to offer wiring advice to a non-electrical person. Just in case you've got diddle-fingers and hurt yourself/burn something down.

Know any local sparkies? Prob a 10 minute job, could offer to pay in beer...

 

[leecee]

I'm hesitant to offer wiring advice to a non-electrical person. Just in case you've got diddle-fingers and hurt yourself/burn something down.

Know any local sparkies? Prob a 10 minute job, could offer to pay in beer...

Great idea!

 

[Stewart Brewing]

Sorry Leecee, you would need to start again with a new thermostat, element and over temp snap disc. Getting the new element would be the hard part. By the time you had resolved the issues you are going to run into you would be better with a Burco boiler from Gumtree, something less than 40 years old.