Earth wire?

[diynoob]

Hi,

I have a metal dimmer switch with holes marked L1, L2,a wavy line and a gold screw for the earth. The wires in the wall are black, red and a bare wire that is connected to the metal box.

Following advice in the other threads I connected the red wire to the wavy line, the black wire to L1 and left the bare wire connected to a screw on the metal box. It works fine.

Since it is a metal dimmer it came with a transparent gasket which I put between the swith plate and the wall as instructed. My questions are:

1. Assuming the bare wire is earth shouldn't it have a green/yellow cover and should I leave it connected to the metal box?

2. Is the gasket necessary? - it looks stupid.

3. Shouldn't the switch have come with a short green/yellow wire to connect the earth terminal on the switch plate to the screw on the metal box?

Thanks.

 

[breezer]

yes, the earth wire should have green /yellow sleaving

gaskets are there for a reason, what do the instuctions say abouit it
(it may be yo raise the back of the switch off the back of the box, depending on how deep your box is)

why should the switch come with an earth wire?, how long should it be? what size should it be?

in an ideal world yes it should come with an earth wire, but to save costs they dont

 

[ChrisRogers]

the clear gaket is for use on new paint and plastr to stop the moisture damaging the metal, i presume you don't need it as your plaster will be dry.

 

[securespark]

Some metal clad switches come with earth leads attached, some don't. In any case you should attach one from the earth term of the back box to the earth term on the switch.

 

[diynoob]

Ok, thanks for the advice.

I'll see if I can get a short earth wire to connect the switch to the back box.

When I connect this wire to the screw in the back box, do I leave the bare wires that are currently there or should I unattach them?

 

[benthebuilder]

When you buy your length of earth wire, also get a little length of earth sleeving and put that on the bare earth wires you have going in to the back box.