I understand what your saying but i'm confused with the "dimmers with a metal front plate." As my dimmer has a metal touch device, is this classed as a "metal front plate" even though the rest of the front plate is plastic ? I'd rather check than get it wrong.
No, the small metal circle you have to touch does not mean you have a metal switchplate. If the rest of the switchplate is plastic it probably doesn't need earthing. I only say 'probably' because I cannot see it for myself. If there is no earth terminal then don't earth it. And DON'T connect to 'S', in case you were wondering....
Yes from B and Q. I thought that was what you did and thought that was what i had done but maybe not. Just wanted to check as there are metal contact points on the front and didn't want to get a shock
I'll have to wait until the morning to check as girlfriend in bed now and will go mad if i turn electric off. I will post tomorrow to let you know. Many, many thanks for your help
Also whilst i have some experts on hand, i have got 1 of those screwdrivers that lights up but i lost the instructions. Do you know of a post i can look at or can you tell me ?
Just put the blade end on the terminal you're testing and your thumb on the end of the handle. It'll light up if there's voltage, but won't tell you how much voltage. I hate these testers. They're potentially dangerous because they get misused. I prefer the 'Volt stick' which doesn't require contact and has no metal parts.
How can you potentially misuse it so i don't and could i use this possibly to determine the live feed for my dimmer switch or is that what you mean by misuse ? Also, how does it work so you don't get shocked ? Is there an earth in the driver itself ?
If you use it to open tins of paint etc, or making holes in the wall, you can damage it, possibly exposing the user to mains voltage. There is no earth connection; a small current goes through your body which is limited by a device in the handle. If it's in good condition, then by all means use it to test the live cable in your lightswitch. You sound pretty unsure of electrics, so be careful what you're doing. This should be a simple job though. Fit the dimmer with the power off!
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