Rice Cooker Grounding(Resolved)

[Curvature]

I bought a Tatung rice cooker from Taiwan. It has a two prong power cord and came with a separate ground wire that looks like it's meant to be connected to a lug on the bottom of the chassis, but I have no idea where the other end should be referenced.

Is it safe to use in NA? It's rated 110V, so I wouldn't think a transformer would be necessary.

 

[delta76]

Wrong subforum. But it sounds like a type B power plug and should work in the US without problem

 

[Curvature]

But it sounds like a type B power plug and should work in the US without problem

Then why the separate ground wire?

 

[notsodeadlizard]

You don't have to ground it, it won't make it sound worse.

 

[LTig]

What does the manual say?

 

[Curvature]

What does the manual say?

 

[AudiOhm]

I bought a Tatung rice cooker from Taiwan. It has a two prong power cord and came with a separate ground wire that looks like it's meant to be connected to a lug on the bottom of the chassis, but I have no idea where the other end should be referenced.

Is it safe to use in NA? It's rated 110V, so I wouldn't think a transformer would be necessary.

Is the 2 prong cord polarized?

Ohms

 

[Curvature]

Is the 2 prong cord polarized?

Ohms

No.

 

[AudiOhm]

Do you see a rating on it antwhere for use in the US such as UL?

Ohms

 

[ampguy]

We've had a half dozen rice cookers, both in Japan, and here in the US, and none that I recall ever had 3 prong plugs. Just fyi, I do not know the specifics of your rice cooker. Send an email to the support site if you think they sent the wrong cord or have questions.

Perhaps the link here is an answer, but we do have several household items of relatively high wattage (e.g. > 800) that are 2 prong, but most of our devices that are both high W and high current (portable heaters, microwave, air fryer) have 3 prongs. https://electronics.stackexchange.c...y-most-appliances-in-us-dont-have-third-prong

 

[LTig]

View attachment 286832

Ooookaaayyyyy ...

If the housing or any of the knobs or whatever one needs to touch during operation is made of metal I'd connect the ground to the mains safety ground - at least where I live.

 

[ampguy]

Ooookaaayyyyy ...

If the housing or any of the knobs or whatever one needs to touch during operation is made of metal I'd connect the ground to the mains safety ground - at least where I live.

Just curious, are the Japanese rice cookers sold in Europe grounded? Does Europe use GFCI outlets in kitchens?

 

[DVDdoug]

it "wouldn't hurt" to ground it. Except that it's inconvenient. Usually the screw that holds the cover plate on the outlet is grounded. I suspect that's a requirement with modern construction (here in the U.S.).

If you have a multimeter or continuity tester you can check for continuity between the ground and the screw. (I'm pretty sure grounded (3-terminal sockets are also a requirement, but I've seen 2-prong outlets in older houses.)

The screw should also be grounded with a 2-prong outlet. That's why "cheater plug adapters" have a ground terminal.

 

[LTig]

Just curious, are the Japanese rice cookers sold in Europe grounded?

Don't know, never bought one.

Does Europe use GFCI outlets in kitchens?

Don't know what GFCI stands for. In Germany it's allowed to omit safety ground if measures are taken which ensure that no fault of any type endangeres the user. AFAIK those devices are called Class 2.

 

[Gary_G]

Don't use the ground wire if you want crispy rice !

 

[ampguy]

I just checked our Zojirushi, all controls are plastic, and aluminum tub has multiple levels of shields. I've heard of death by mochi (choking), death by Karoshi (over working), but not by rice cooker ...

 

[AudiOhm]

Personally if there is no Country safety rating such as UL for the USA, cUL/CSA for Canada I would not use it...

Ohms

 

[AnalogSteph]

Having a separate PE connection is standard in Japan, for example, but not common most everywhere else. You will have to invest into a new 3-prong mains power cord to rewire the unit, and one end of the supplied ground wire is likely to come in handy alongside soldering equipment and heatshrink tubing.

 

[Curvature]

I really thank everyone for their suggestions. I don't know how to solder, and while I don't mind learning and spending the money for the gear, I found a simpler solution.

I attached a banana to the end of the ground wire, and plugged that into a ground adapter used by lab techs (hard to see in the image, but the two poles are made from plastic):

 

[Curvature]

By the way, ungrounded, there was 2.5V of stray voltage running through the chassis. That's gone after grounding.

The unit also does not have any of the common safety certifications found in the West, and I could not find anything mentioning double insulation design used for similar ungrounded appliances. Tatung has a virtual monopoly on the rice cooker market in Taiwan, and has an excellent reputation, so I am not concerned with manufacturing quality.