Cable connector

Is it this one Edward?

http://www.screwfix.com/p/masterplug-orange-connector-2-pin/46232

It seems that the L+N can indeed be reversed - the below is taken from the reviews of the product

Good product
6 Sep 2012

" Purchased this product to renew a damaged cable without having to open up the tool and would then allow for easy future replacement of the cable.
The product is robust and easy to wire up and fit with careful attention. To open it up you just unscrew the case screw ensuring the nut doesn't get lost and extract the screw. The unit is clearly marked for where the wires go but do ensure you note which way round you push it back into the case.
Operation is obviously simple with just pushing it together.
However a big WARNING is that you can push this connector together the wrong way round (as the pins and sockets are centrally located) and therefore reverse the Live and Neutral contacts so anyone using this product is strongly advised to mark one side of each connector to enable them to be connected without reversing the Live and Neutral. For this I've maked down the otherwise good features and overall rating accordingly. "

 

''What do you do''? - dunno myself as all my connectors cannot reverse L + N when pushed home. The electrical technicians on the forum will elucidate further on the matter Edward..have a good day m8.

 

Doors it matter if they can be reversed?
One assumes that it's for double insulated equipment (as there's no earth) and it's AC. Lots of things have purely arbitrary connections - pendant lights, electric shavers for example and they are unaffected. I don't know obviously, which is why I'm asking.

 

The two halves of the plug and socket are fastened together with nuts and bolts. The nut part usually has a hexagonal indentation. So if you wire them the same way round and plug them together with the bolt heads uppermost then polarity will be maintained. As said above it usually does not matter. The main thing obviously is that the socket is fitted to the mains side and that the plug is fitted to the appliance side.

 

If this item is only used for repairing a lead on a drill or similar, then I agree with Willy. Their is a big BUT, that is how can you ensure that it will ONLY be used where polarity is unimportant, marking the polarity with paint or another form of identification does not meet the requirements of BS 7671 for polarity. The only polarity reversible outlet permitted by the regs is the bayonet cap lamp holder, remember the adaptors you once could get to plug stuff into the light? They were withdrawn as the polatity could not be determined. My personal view is that this item should be withdrawn from sale in the UK as it does not meet current regulations regarding polarity determination.

 

Just taken a look at this connector, should have don't that first. It does have protection against reverse polarity, I have used them in the past and remember that the pins are not placed exactly in the centre line of the plug, it can only be reversed with great effort and some force, so I withdraw my previous comments. Take a good look Edward, you will see a mis alignment of about 1 mm.

 

553.2.1 Except for a SELV or a Class II circuit. a cable coupler shall comply where appropriate with BS 196. BS 6991. BS 61535, BS EN 60309-2 or BS EN 60320, shall be non-reversible and shall have provision for the connection of a protective conductor.

Note except for Class II circuit, so for a lawn mower which has no earth anyway it's OK.

 

Before anyone agrees (or disagrees) with me any more, please note that I was asking if it mattered, not stating that it didn't.

 

Eddie, you have the connector in front of you and can see it in detail, this connector must be different to those I have used in the past from the same maker. Sorry to have caused any confusion.