Appliance Protection Classes 0, I, II, III 

Being an electrician I love all of your videos you remind me of my collage days at Kingston college electrical engineering department 87-91 Many thanks J.W for all your hard work....

“Whole lot goes up in a ball of flaming wreckage”. Another classic JW line :) keep up the good work.

Equipment classes. For when you need to learn about equipment. JW is our lecturer in class. Pure class JW 👍

The best explanation I have found on protection classes. Thanks sir!

Great video. Thank you for covering all the classes and providing examples. I didn't realise how kettle elements were configured as a Class 1 device.

Surprisingly I've come across a few examples of class 0 appliances still in use. Usually old table lamps, with either twisted or figure of 8 flex, passing through metallic parts to the lampholder (often brass). They're becoming increasingly uncommon, being at least 50 years old now, but do still turn up. Fairy lights were a rare exception, being permitted to have only basic insulation right up until '89.

Very clear explanation & advice, thanks again J.W.

I think all your videos are excellent - very informative.

Hi Sir. Thanks so much for the clarity of your explanations. I'd been banging my head against a wall until I saw this. Genuinely, thank you. Jeff

Great technical information as always. Thanks

Such a helpful channel! Thank you!

Thank you for very clear explanation.

thanks, that was very helpfull, clear and informative.

Old electric clocks, which I believe have been featured before in your videos, would, if I'm understanding correctly, be something still relatively easily accessible (antiques stores and whatnot) that are Class 0. They normally rely on the insulation in the main coil to provide protection, with the movements typically made of metal, and metal components accessible from the back, and front, often, and don't usually include an earth connection. All the ones I''ve got I added a protective earth too, just to be on the safe side.

thank you so much. I finally understand it easily

Good vid as usual JW 👌

Quality content. I love it. ⚡😺

Very good John thanks for the video had no idea class 0 even existed 👍

Great video, very interesting. Thanks

Great video john.

Brilliant video

I still have these ones. I even have one older ones which were originally designed for 120V, and come with only textile insulation. :)

Thanks John

You can get Class 2 items that do have an earth connection where it is required for correct operation - e.g. a ground plane to allow a flourescent tube to start or for EMC compliance purposes. These earth connections are not classed as protective and will have the relavant insulation (double or reinforced) to any other conductor

Sidebar: When I was a teen, playing bass in a band, our organ player would strip the foil from a nearby cigarette packet, wrap it around the blown amplifier HT fuse and turn it on again. *Shudder*

Hi John Happy New year to you hope you had a great Christmas and Newyear This must be the first video for 2021 Another great video thank as always Thank you look forward to seeing a lot more. The class 0 ie the old type Christmas tree lights the number of times I have seen people with three or four sets of them on one 13A plug then wonder why they have cort fire

Class 0 items are still being sold certainly in 2020. We purchased a string of LED Christmas lights. Inside the mystery black box was just a bridge of diodes. The wire is only single insulation. You will still get a shock to ground should you make contact with live. This was sold by Dunhelm.

Hi JW, you explain things very well. could you make a video explaining how to Calculate Ipf in a circuit?

Useful 👍

YES! First post! Anyhow, great video John, as per usual.

Very well explained. John another detailed pat testing video on a cheapo online light fitting elaborating the maintenance of class ratings would be great. And maybe showing how some installation approaches as you suggested can remove the class two rating.

thank you very much I am new in the compliance field and this video helped me a lot!!!

Great video. Now I know what all the vlogging electricians are on about "Another class 1 without protective Conductor"...

Do these classes also apply to secondary voltages? So assuming you have some kind of 12V wall adapter and inside the device it's being converted to a voltage higher than 120Vdc? (Which is also isolated from mains)

Some Class 3 devices like Laptop PCs using an external PSU can read 230 V to Earth on the DC side of the PC input plug. Switch mode power supplys are not always isolated from the mains. Try it with your meter.

I think I have a class zero power supply for old ATA HDDs and ATA DVD R-Ws , used these before I got a more up to date USB dock for more modern SATA stuff.

SELV (Safety Extra Low Voltage) is used down here in Australia and New Zealand for things like fans and some types of light fittings that are in installed in bathrooms and toilet rooms. ELV over here is defined as less than 50VAC and less than 32VDC, so a lot of these things run on either 12 or 24V. One aspect of these things I don't particularly agree with, is that you have one of them nasty "wall-wart" plugs, plugged into a socket-outlet in your ceiling void, to power this equipment, where it gets really hot during the summer, they are all made out of black plastic, they have been known to start the odd roof fire.

Class III - didn't realise the upper range of permitted voltages were quite so high. Where I work we used to have 50V DC battery supplies with open frame distribution busbars - they certainly gave you a nip, not sure I fancy 120V DC.

Check out JW in his street wear ...All down wiv da kidz

A model of clarity John. More on EV installs please.

Bet that speaker on the shelf behind you John pumps out some real high power tunes when you finish your videos?

Kettle winner :) How do you test a modern kettle?

It always amazes me that Class 0 still seems to be the standard for appliance cables in the US.

After watching this video i checked the bum hole widening price of bs en 61140. £130 for about 30 odd pages of bumf on a pdf.

Hi John, good video! Just wanted to add something, You would no doubt be aware that dimmers and the like are not considered as effective isolation! this is due to the fact that electronic components such as Triacs can fail and invariably tend to fail short circuit style, light permanently on! a similar thinking should be applied to any low voltage equipment With regards to class III, I say this because I have seen a situation where small low voltage power supply used a capacitor dropper circuit to attain the low voltage directly from the mains with no isolation and the +5 on the output registered mains when measured between earth! Therefore low voltage power supplies should have some sort of galvanic or similar separation! Most all other types can represent a real hazard It's done for cheapness with no regard for safety! Kind regards Warren

And, I wonder, how many people have single-insulated wires running through unearthed metal conduit ?

There are two probable"Class 0" products that I've recently come across in UK. First is smart-home WiFi switch beloved of the " middle tier" of geek for smart-home items. These contain a mains power PCB enclosed directly in a single skin plastic housing, no CPC. Popular brand in that regard is 'Sonoff". The other product is 230V LED rope- light for gardens. These are modern equivalent to old Xmas lights. Led's are organized such that enough in series plus the current limiting resistor makes up 230V at the user-cut lengths, typically 2 metre. AFAICT, it's in a single layer plastic clear sausage. The user chops it off, pushes in a dodgy wire pin thing to connect the mains tails to the internal conductors, and installs them in their garden etc. One outlet of this is AFAICT a " LED ropelight" from a seller called Mr Resistor. I believe they also do a genuine neon version called 'filament ropelight". ( Both may carry the "neon" moniker from some sellers, which may be incorrect in the case of the LED version).

I have an IKEA desk lamp which is class III. Also my Christmas lights (which I am leaving up as I haven't had a proper Christmas) are marked class III despite being purely battery powered.

Talking about the kitchen hood, when you connect cpc to the metal enclosure and fault happens on the other device... . Because of the continuity of cpc both hands will become 230 and no current will pass.

Where would you ordinarily find the protection class number on an appliance. I have just examined my Laptop PC and its adapter and can find nothing. Also, on the subject of the PC adapter, what about the 240v power lead that i can disconnect from it? The PC should be class 3 but not the adapter surely?

After do pat testing what do u give out to customers

what about max V we can use double instantiation equipment

A Class I kettle fails earth continuity the first time, but passes when you move the test clip, to a cleaner part of the element. Should I fail the appliance?

Class 0 Christmas lights - yep, still going strong ;)

I know you say earthing a class 2 device creates more danger, but how is this more dangerous than earthing a class 1 device in terms of providing a route to earth? Specifically I’m talking about metal light fitting. I’ve cut the DI connectors off as they were too fiddly, connecting ceiling rose wiring via wagos, and on someone else’s advice earthed the mounting bracket, to make it “class 1”. Is this unsafe? The problem I have are inaccessible ceiling voids and rigid insulation.

I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on the code of practice v5 for inspection & testing (Pat). I hear so much conflicting information from various people so it would be good to hear it from someone who knows what they’re talking about.

"No one makes these any more" > 100% of American x-mas lights exactly as described here. We switched to LED's because $$ but still using the same single insulated full-voltage lead in series with all of the asscoiated problems.

Hi John. Is there any risk In placing a class I and class II together? I tried searching the code but it doesn’t seem to mention on this.

Hi John, You say buy from reputable suppliers but I find low voltage adapters supplied with almost everything these days are a nightmare. They are often not marked with a class at all and may have an earth attached which may or may not be led through to the ground side of the dc output. If you investigate the definition of touchable conductive parts, the outer of a barrel jack can fall within the scope making this a class I device. Often the earth is intended as a "functional" earth used for esd compliance but how would you know? Also even if the device is marked class II if it has an earth connected and it is passed to the output this might mean it cannot be treated as class II and the attached appliance may also become class I even though it has no mains connection. I have seen appliances from very major manufacturers that have a metal casing connected to a separate earth pin brought through from the dc power supply specifically to earth the casing. Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Are electric showers double insulated and 2nd, how would you suggest earthing/ protecting ac appliances on on a yacht? Thank you.

I may have ruined a lovely mains table lamp! This eBay lamp, shallow round metal base, narrow chromed metal upright teeing out to ceramic led sockets was not earthed. But all through was run in its own sheath and an extra silicone sheath. I thought it had to be earthed but it looks like you are saying it could still be Class II, is that so?

2:11 "Installation" - a tip of the slung !

5:23 So what class is it where you have exposed live parts inside a metal case that's not earthed - like a Sony EVS800 for example ? 10 p in the right ventilation slot should complete the live connection to the unearthed casing. I'm not sure I rewired both of mine with 3 core cable, but I certainly did one as well as a Panasonic video mixer with exposed metal parts. Which interesting was internally fitted with a marked terminal on the PCB for earthing but fitted with a 2 core cable.

Sir what is bond test in fluk pat tester

How about Class Special.... ? CRT Monitors - no Earth due to they have a virtual Earth, but they are not a Class 2. ( for PAT testing you have to do a altered Class 1 test ). Some test and measurement equipment (non consumer). Zero Earth areas as defined in RTEEB (CRT and HV SMPSU) repair areas. Semi conductor prodution lines, ie Timex and Casio put 50Vdc throu the staff, ie virtual earth set to 50V not zero V ( E ground ) set at 50V to stop static, Class 3 at 50V was beacuse of BT Engineers didn't need a IEE licence, and a BT Telco one would do.

Why are metal table / floor lamps Class II when the mains wire goes up the metal stand with only the PVC wire insulation? I can never understand that?!

If we use ELCB in a circuit, we need equipment earthing ? Because it will trip the relay and the circuit breaker too right ? If there is any difference in incoming and out going current / voltage in the circuit. Please explain me sir !

Thank you for your video very helpful

😀👍

Aldi still sell this style

🙏🌹🙏

Hello brother can you make the ATS video with the caption........... Follow you from Iraq with a lot of thanks

I have an old all-metal sewing machine that is not earthed (class 0???) Is it possible to test this?

Another example of Class 0: media.springernature.com/m685/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1038%2Fs41557-018-0145-1/MediaObjects/41557_2018_145_Figa_HTML.png

Alot of USB plug chargers fail PAT just on inspection as they have no class 2 markings and class 1 test would fail as no metal. The rule is no Class 1 2 3 4 marking then regardless of what you think the class should be, you treat it as a class one and test as a class one, which more than likely will fail, due to you can not get the earth test probe on to any metal, or the metal is not earthed as it is a class two inside with a additional metal covering. Also metal hand tools, ie old drills, hair dryers and curlers are banned ( fail a PAT automactically ) regardless if they are class 1 and pass a class 1 test. They are lots of odd rules for class 1 2 3 4 I have also come across a class two with Earth (which can be allowed) and a HV DC with Earth which you treat as Class one. Seaward PAT testers has special settings for these in the top models. Again these old Classes are not consumer, but found in Manufactuering, Mining, EX areas, Medical, other test and measurement labs and even some EFTpos.

Would a 240 watt hair dryer fit in a shaver socket ?

I'm intrigued by the concept of not connecting the outer shell of a class II device to electrical earth. Is this not the opposite of bonding the 'gas earth', 'water earth' and electrical earth together?

Are the 240v led strip lights classified as class 0?

If cooker hoods housing may not be earthed then why do we bond the sink which isn’t even an appliance?

The power brick for my laptop has a 3 conductor mains cable connected by a sort of Kettle connector, but with a rounded body. The earth pin of the plug is connected to the "kettle plug" but there is no way of telling whether earth is connected inside the brick.

What class is an electrode boiler?

50V AC or 120V DC. I know it’s 50V AC safe but how about 120V DC?! Is it safe too?

What Class are Electric Toasters? They should be Class -1 as they have exposed conductors with no insulation. You can touch the live parts with your finger.

none of my low voltage adapters show that class III symbol.

Sorry john your not quite correct, BS EN 60598 for lighting DOES allow for earth pass through on a class II device as long as the earth does not terminate or have a connection to driver/control gear - Therefore 3 core with earth wire could run into a class II luminaire and back out ! So not totally accurate to say all class II devices have no earth connection... some will have dumb terminals that just provide a loop in-loop out terminal separate as i said from driver or control gear. Also there is definition of "Functional" earth rather than "Protective" earth allowed for class II which is allowed earth connection on class II devices for EMC or screening purposes which is marked with a different symbol or "FE" and NOT relied upon for safety. Did you know also there used to be a class OI ?

2:00 live conductor in class?? What??? Is this a music lesson??

I wonder what JW eats for his dinner scAMPi and fries Another ReVOLTing joke from me 😂

How Odd. To buy BS EN 61140 from BSI costs £260. To buy DIN

It causes problems and pain when you mix classes. Class 2 TV and Class 1 PC. Made the mistake of connecting these together with a 'leading signal' phono plug. It blew up an ic in the TV due to float voltage. The pain? The repair man took out the 16 pin ic put it on my carpet then later knelt on it putting a neat row of 16 bloody holes in his knee. Despise class 2. This is due to float voltage and ADDITIVE leakage current 'tingle'..which can actually become dangerous if you connect enough class 2 devices together. Shouldn't be allowed.

I miss the entertaining videos. Was nice while it lasted. I'm sure plenty like the educational slant now rather than the comedy and quips.

Interesting what class would you put an electric toaster in. Without grandfather rights you would never be able to buy one today. Live conductors that can be touched with no trouble at all fail all known standards today. It’s in a class of it’s own.

I'd totally ignore JW's advice about things not being earthed. If there are any exposed metal parts on a piece of equipment connected to mains power, I'd say get it earthed. You generally find exposed metal parts on connectors for microphones, video leads audio leads etc. My very plastic laptop is earthed - by the manufacturer of the power brick.

03:52 did JW just misuse the word "exponentially"? Disgraceful

So cheap chinese LED christmas lights are class 0?_

17:00 Talking outta your arse John. My laptops are earthed - I get 'mild' continuity between USB ports on 2 laptops only connected to the mains. The outer pin of the power brick plug IS earthed - so the laptop is connected to earth - so I guess it's a class I device.

17:30 Talking bullshit - it doesn't matter if the item runs at 5 Volts or not. All that states is the pd of the connectors is 5V - so they could be 235V and 240V - they will work fine and possibly kill you. I installed 3 LV bathroom lights for a friend. The colour codes I used for the LV wiring was brown and green/yellow. The green/yellow being earthed and the brown being 12V above that. So, despite being LV, they were still earthed. So, even if the transformer had a complete meltdown, it would not be possible to get an electrical shock from the earthed side of the bulbs.

13:00 TOTALLY DISAGREE WITH YOU ABOUT NOT EARTHING SAY A METAL COOKER HOOD. The reason you give is total nonsense considering most other metal surfaces in the kitchen will be connected to earth - sink and all appliances etc. So I'd recommend connecting any bare metal to electrical earth. You know, like is recommended with heating radiators - LOL

Glad you mentioned at the end about class 2 light fittings, with the small terminal block and sleeving, which should be wired with, for example, a flex into a JB in the ceiling, rather than using connectors in the base. I've declined installing them when there's no chance of getting the JB into the ceiling (because e.g. can't cut a trap because there's fitted carpet on floor above, or the base isn't large enough to cover the size of needed hole in the ceiling below). But dread to think how some have then connected them, either at customers insistence or as take the money and run - probably, as you say, just using connectors.