Missing Earth on cloakroam light

[NewOwner]

Hi,

We're in the process of decorating our cloakroom toilet and want to change the light from a plastic fitting to a bathroom compliant light made from metal. Unfortunately when I removed the plastic light, there were only two wires connected. Twin cable had been used but without an earth!

The house was rewired in the 1970s and this is the only light I have come across in the house wired without an earth. All the other circuits and mains power have earths.

This room is fitted with a plastic pull-cord light switch.

Is it OK to bring in an earth wire from a circuit in the adjoining shower room to enable me to connect up the light safely? The circuit in the showroom is not on the same circuit as the cloakroom light – does this matter for earthing?

 

[oharaf]

Is their earth wire from the switch / pull cord?

Where is the supply cable supplied from?

Would it not be easier to replace the supply cable so that you can continue the warth within that circuit?

I think we need more details

 

[NewOwner]

Thanks for the reply...


Is their earth wire from the switch / pull cord?
No - There's no earth at the switch. This part of the house is an extension built in the 1980's. I wonder whether the builder had some old two core cable and use this in the cloakroom because the light and switch were plastic? The other circuits in adjoining rooms all have earths.

Where is the supply cable supplied from?
The light is wall mounted on a wall over the sink in the cloakroom. I chased out some of the wall to see where the cable came from. The cable came down the wall from the bathroom above. I lifted the carpet in the upstairs bathroom but was unable to raise the floorboards to check where the feed went to. Unfortunately we have a bath and shower cubical in the way. I would like to avoid cutting the floorboards.

Would it not be easier to replace the supply cable so that you can continue the warth within that circuit? Because of the feed coming from under the floor in our upstairs bathroom I cannot see an easy way to access the cable. I would rather avoid this route as I think it will be a considerable amount of work. I was hoping that there would be an easier option such as bringing in an earth in from the shower room downstairs. Is this safe to do? If not, why?


Many thanks,
Richard.

 

[oharaf]

I understand your feelings, I've been there myself.

You could bring in a new feed from the shower room to the light and your pull cord, this would ensure a continuous earth.

Or, (and i would ask BAS, RF Garymo) to check this you could draw in a 1mm earth in singles and connect these into the point of feed (at another ceiling rose I would have thought, but you would still have to locate this point.

As for connecting an earth into another circuit I think MAY be a no no, will do a little reading and get back, in the mean time have the more experienced boys got any ideas?

 

[NewOwner]

Thanks for getting back to me. I look forward to your findings and seeing what the others have to say.