Another question for the electricians out there. I'm pretty confident I know the answer, but since I'm not an electrician I figure it's prudent to confirm before proceeding.
Note, I am the home owner and so am legally allowed to change switches etc.
We just repainted our kitchen and so want to update the old 1960's style switches with more modern PDL 600 series ones. Standard power points and light switches have been no problem as they are simple like-for-like replacements.
I assumed the oven isolation switch would be a like for like as well, but when I took the old switch off the wiring doesn't match the replacement. I'll describe it and provide pictures for clarification.
The oven is on a 250V 30A fuse on the switchboard. The old switch itself is far beefier and is rated for 500V at 60A. The cable entering and exiting the switch has phase sheathed in red, neutral sheathed in black, and earth is unsheathed; then the whole lot is sheathed in white. Old switch has 4 terminals - 2 phase, 1 neutral, 1 earth. Phase in and phase out are each wired to the phase terminals (1 in each), both neutrals are twisted together and connected to the neutral terminal, the earths are twisted together then sheathed in green for a short length before being connected to the earth terminal.
I tested the switch with a multimeter and the only switching that is happening is between the 2 phase terminals, so my assumption is that the neutral and phase terminals and just loop terminals.
The replacement switch is rated 250V 32A and has 2 phase terminals, but no neutral or earth terminals.
My conclusion:
Since the oven is on a 30A fuse, then the replacement 32A switch is sufficient (even though it is replacing a 60A switch).
Connect phase in and phase out to the 2 phase terminals on the new switch.
Put a screw connector over the end if the two twisted neutrals.
Cut the exposed wire of the end of the sheathed section of the earth wires, and put a screw connector over the end for good measure.
Is this all correct?
Click the below pictures for full size:
Fuse:
Old switch front:
Old switch back:
Wires:
Wire size (pencil for scale):
New switch front:
New switch back:
Thanks
Paul