1960's house...

[flameport]

Maybe I'm just venting, but that earth connection isn't doing anything. It's just terminating on a random piece of metal that isn't actually connected to anything that could come into contact with the conductors, or anything you will touch.

Those type of holders clamp onto the side of the metal ring which fits into the ceiling - the exact part which people are likely to touch.

As the majority of the posts you have made so far are either totally wrong or contain dubious advice, it would be a good idea to refrain from posting on subjects which you have no understanding of.
Alternatively carry on as before and be dealt with by B-A-S.

 

[riveralt]

I forgot I had an account, logged on to ask a question and got a bit hooked. whoops. come on, that earth has no purpose. Now these are nice (expensive) metal switches http://www.forbesandlomax.com/the-unlacquered-brass-range.html but they wouldn't look good in a 1960's house

Read flameports comments and you will find out.
You know the bit where you talk about downlights - here a clue what do you think the metal bit attaches to?

 

[tew1]

I resent that. Can you point out to me the majority of posts I've made that give bad advice? the majority of posts I have made have nothing to do with electrical wiring, it is a DIY site after all, for all people to learn, even those people trying to give advice. The metal ring on a recessed halogen light cannot come into contact with live conductors, and the earth is pointless. Do people just not have any common sense anymore, I give up.

 

[ldoodle]

If it was wired in the 60's, is the cable grey PVC or grey rubber?

I'm not sure. If I compare it to some 1mm T+E I have it feels/pulls/cuts the same.

I guess the fact no-one has provided a link suggests it can't be bought - the size of the sheathing is similar to 1.5mm so I guess just snip the exposed earth back?

 

[tew1]

If it was wired in the 60's, is the cable grey PVC or grey rubber?

I'm not sure. If I compare it to some 1mm T+E I have it feels/pulls/cuts the same.

I guess the fact no-one has provided a link suggests it can't be bought - the size of the sheathing is similar to 1.5mm so I guess just snip the exposed earth back?

sorry nobody's really helping you, seems people are just getting hung up on metal light fittings. you'll know if it's rubber! it's really obvious, you can't get T&E with no earth anymore, so as long as you're just using fittings that don't need an earth, you can just put the earth into a redundant connector block. Like me, you probably don't want to spend thousands rewiring the whole house just because the screws in your plastic lightswitches aren't earthed, if you're worried, get some plastic screws

 

[ldoodle]

Those type of holders clamp onto the side of the metal ring which fits into the ceiling - the exact part which people are likely to touch.

This is just for my own sanity, but the point of an earth in metal fixings is to allow for the fact that the live conductor may come loose and the exposed wire left resting on the fixing?

 

[RF Lighting]

I resent that. Can you point out to me the majority of posts I've made that give bad advice? the majority of posts I have made have nothing to do with electrical wiring, it is a DIY site after all, for all people to learn, even those people trying to give advice. The metal ring on a recessed halogen light cannot come into contact with live conductors, and the earth is pointless. Do people just not have any common sense anymore, I give up.

It might be a DIY site, but the advice given here absoloutely must be 100% accurate.

Electricity is dangerous. It kills by electrocution, and causes fires when it is done wrong, and as a result, we design installations in accordance with regulations written by some of the most knowledgeble and experienced people of the electrical world.

What we don't do is ingore manufacturers instructions, or omit critical safety components or conductors, because we think it'll probably be alright.

We have common sense, and that tells us that the regulations are there to safeguard both the installer and the end user of an installation, and to ignore them for no good reason, other than a lack of understanding of them is just utter madness.

 

[tew1]

yeah that's right, but if you think about it, that could only happen if the wires are going through part of the fitting (like a lamp holder, tube on a chandelier/sconce e.t.c.) A recessed halogen light with a metal ring that's only designed to secure the lightbulb in place and doesn't touch the conductors in any way shouldn't need an earth, if you think about it, it's no different from fixing a metal lamp shade to a plastic bulb holder and cord hanging from the ceiling-the shade only houses the bulb, and would never come into contact with any conductors.

 

[RF Lighting]

sorry nobody's really helping you, seems people are just getting hung up on metal light fittings.

I'd rather have no help than your dangerous advice.

you'll know if it's rubber! it's really obvious, you can't get T&E with no earth anymore, so as long as you're just using fittings that don't need an earth, you can just put the earth into a redundant connector block.

No you absoloutely can NOT do that.

You must provide a functioning earth to each and every point within fixed wiring, regardless of what it's supplying.

Please stop posting on a subject you clearly know nothing about.

 

[tew1]

It might be a DIY site, but the advice given here absolutely must be 100% accurate.

Okay, I'm sorry, but I'm a DIYer with quite a lot of knowledge with general renovation, wiring, plumbing e.t.c. not an electrician. If a DIY'er says something that you don't think is right, be a decent person and politely correct them so they can learn themselves, don't be patronizing

 

[tew1]

No you absoloutely can NOT do that.

You must provide a functioning earth to each and every point within fixed wiring, regardless of what it's supplying.

Please stop posting on a subject you clearly know nothing about.

what would be your solution in this case then? please tell me and the OP the correct way. If you want to extend a lighting circuit that has no earth, how do you do it?

 

[RF Lighting]

It's spelt 'patronising'

 

[tew1]

It's spelt 'patronising'

I speak American English

 

[RF Lighting]

No you absoloutely can NOT do that.

You must provide a functioning earth to each and every point within fixed wiring, regardless of what it's supplying.

Please stop posting on a subject you clearly know nothing about.

what would be your solution in this case then? please tell me and the OP the correct way. If you want to extend a lighting circuit that has no earth, how do you do it?

Either run a new circuit from the CU for the additional points, run a seperate earth to the start of the new wiring back to the MET, rewire the existing circuit, or if needs really must, find a local CPC and connect the start of the CPC for the additional points to that.

 

[ldoodle]

What's worrying me is that apart from crappy drop-down pendents, everything has a metal 'base'.

Was looking at these - http://www.homebase.co.uk/webapp/wc...ay?langId=110&storeId=10151&partNumber=141814 - using Megaman 7W LED bulbs.

Chrome base. For £20, doubt is double insulated!