cpc termination

robert_morgan · 19 May 2005

I have been told by an electrician doing a periodic inspection that there is a problem in the light switch to the shower room.

\\\"Shower room light switch cpc is not correctly terminated.\\\"

The switch is on the outside of the door and controls the light and the fan which also runs on 15 mins or is humidistat controlled.

The two wires in the switch are the live and switched live and the cpc (earth wire) is redundant as the box is a pvc box in a stud wall.

Does anyone know what could be wrong with the cpc termination?

plugwash · 19 May 2005

how is the CPC terminated right now?

mapj1 · 19 May 2005

Even if unused, the CPC should be captivated to a terminal, or otherwise tied back so it cannot droop into the back of the switch and touch a live part under any circumstances. It should also not be floating i.e. the other end should be connected to all the other earth wires in the place it comes from -the thinking is that someday a metal fitting may be required. (for th sma reasion it should not be cut back so short it could never be used in future)
If it loops through fropm one wire to another on its way to somwhere else it should be positively connected, not just twisted. It should also be covered by a green and yellow sleeve except immediately where it enters a terminal.

What fault code 1,2 or 4 has he assigned? he may be being a bit enthusiastic

robert_morgan · 20 May 2005

Thank you

He's given it a code 2 on the report.

It's a plastic wall box and there's nowhere for it to terminate at the switch end. It is connected at the other end to the supply main earth.

plugwash · 20 May 2005

sure so how was it teminated?

terminal block? (i belive this is considered the best method)
extra long sleeving and bent over? (i see nothing wrong with this myself but apparently the niceic don't like it)
cut back and taped up?

or what?

robert_morgan · 20 May 2005

sleeving and bent back

fireman22 · 20 May 2005

hi, it could be that he did a reading at the switch and had no continuity and the faulty connection he is referring to is in the light itself. ask him how he is going to retify the problem, if its just putting a connector block onto the earth it doesnt seem any point bringing it to your attention, i would have just done it while the switch was open

ban-all-sheds · 20 May 2005

fireman22 said:
if its just putting a connector block onto the earth it doesnt seem any point bringing it to your attention

This is a NICEIC jobsworth, remember..

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cpc termination

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