Earthing a chrome light switch?

[kinkyboots]

Hi Chri5

Thanks for your reply, that seems to make some sort of sense to me - except I don't actually know where the earth point for the flat is

 

[THRIPSTER]

it's behind you...................................



It will be where the mains supply comes into the house. You should see (if you are lucky) a chromed looking main earth terminal with a number of green and yellow wires coming from it. However, if you feel that this is beyond you I would recommend calling a professional..................

 

[kinkyboots]

it's behind you...................................

LOL

It will be where the mains supply comes into the house. You should see (if you are lucky) a chromed looking main earth terminal with a number of green and yellow wires coming from it. However, if you feel that this is beyond you I would recommend calling a professional..................

I never imagined swapping plastic switches for chrome ones was going to be so involved!


I live on the top floor. Consumer unit is in my flat but the meters for all the flats are down in a cupboard by the basement flat, so I guess that is where the earthing terminal is then, right? Is there supposed to be one per house or one for each flat? If this thing is in the basement how is this gonna tell me that the earthing 4 floors up is fine?

Sorry I feel like such a dumbass for asking so many stupid questions

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I never imagined swapping plastic switches for chrome ones was going to be so involved!

Just swapping them and hoping everything is OK isn't involved. It's the doing it properly which can be....

I live on the top floor. Consumer unit is in my flat but the meters for all the flats are down in a cupboard by the basement flat, so I guess that is where the earthing terminal is then, right?

There may be one near your CU, but if not there will be an earth bar inside the CU that you can use. Take a photo of the CU and surrounding area and post it.

Is there supposed to be one per house or one for each flat? If this thing is in the basement how is this gonna tell me that the earthing 4 floors up is fine?

Again, the photo will help, as would one with the cover of the CU off. There are checks that can be done (with, guess what - another specialised tester costing £'00s....) to verify, but there will also be a few things you could do with a normal multimeter. It's very unlikely that there is anything wrong with your main earth.

Does your CU have an RCD?

Do you have access to the meter cupboard?

 

[kinkyboots]

There may be one near your CU, but if not there will be an earth bar inside the CU that you can use. Take a photo of the CU and surrounding area and post it.

The CU has been built into a bedroom cupboard. Don't know how much use this photo is gonna be to you:

View media item 828
(have no idea what the first 3 switches are for as they are always off??!!)


As for surrounding area, well there is nothing but the cupboard/wall surrounding it:

View media item 829

Do you have access to the meter cupboard?

Yes... you're gonna ask me for pics, right? The downstairs neighbours will think I'm nuts!

 

[Space cat]

If you can't find an earth terminal anywhere near your CU - and you don't feel safe taking the lid off - have a look under your sink(s) or near the main stopcock if it's somewhere else. If you're lucky you'll find a clamp around a water pipe with a green/yellow wire attached. It's not as good as using the main earth terminal but it's better than nothing.

I never imagined swapping plastic switches for chrome ones was going to be so involved!

It isn't - but fixing somebody else's bodge job is! What you have done is unearthed (excuse the pun) some dubious wiring that was always there. It may or may not be dangerous. Time to find out.

PS: I can remember at least one post on this forum from somebody who got 'tingles' off a metal light switch. Not only was the switch not properly earthed; neither were any of the other switches or light fittings. The earth wire for the circuit had snapped off at the CU!