Second Hand Electrical Appliances
The law says that goods supplied to the public
must be reasonably safe. Good advice is to have any sort of used
electrical equipment examined and checked by a qualified NICEIC*
registered electrician and record the results. (NICEIC is the
National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting
Telephone: 020 7564 2323)
You should also check the safety of the goods
yourself -
- Appliances with a three core mains lead have wires coloured green and yellow, blue, brown and labelled as earth, neutral and live. Leads colour coded red, green and black are old and should be replaced. Leads must be secured to the appliance and the plug by a cord grip. Any mains plug fitted should be of an approved design with sheathed pins.
- Make sure appliances are safe. They should be to a British, European or International safety standard.
- Washing machines and spin driers must have a door interlock to prevent access to the drum whilst it is spinning.
- All appliances must carry a manufacturer's brand name or trade mark and be supplied with instructions for safe use.
- Make sure that electric heaters are fitted with guards to prevent the heating elements from being touched.
- The Plugs and Sockets etc (Safety) Regulations 1994 requires that most electrical appliances intended for domestic use must be supplied pre-fitted with an approved sleeved plug and that the plug is correctly fused.