Missing Earth

[hawkeye]

I am replacing three wall lights and note that the earth wires have previously been cut back. The lights I am fitting have metal backplates and therefore require earthing and while I can pull through sufficient cable for one of the lights (in a partition wall) no such luck with the others. Is there a way round this or will I have to fit double-insulated lights instead??

Thanks

 

[slippyr4]

The latter. Although, having some metal in/on a light fitting does not mean it needs earthing. The packaging or the product will say if it's double insulated, and if it is, you don't need an earth.

 

[Adam_151]

Are you able to get enough cable to be able to crimp an extension to the earth?

 

[plugwash]

btw if you see a cut back earth then DO not assume its actually connected check/test before using it.

crimping on an extention is certainly possible if there is sufficiant room in the back of the lights and sufficiant free cable. soldering is another possibility (if i did it by soldering i'd probablly use a bit of earth from flex, bend over the end of the T&E earth then thread the flex through the loop formed twist off and solder (like if i was attatching a flexible wire to a fixed tag).

 

[Adam_151]

btw if you see a cut back earth then DO not assume its actually connected check/test before using it.

yeah, good point plug.

@OP, temperarily move the live of the lighting circuit to the earth bar in the cu, and get your multimeter out and check for continutity between earth and live at the light fitting using a multimeter, if you have a low ohms meter you can get a R1+R2 reading, but a normal multimeter will be enough to tell whether it is or is not connected. Remember to return the live wire to the breaker in the CU afterwards or things won't work!, oh and you'll need to make sure the light switch is in the on position when doing this test.

 

[kai]

Just like it says in the brown On-Site Guide!