No earth in my lighting circuit

[fisheral1]

I have just found that my new house built in 1960's doesn't have an earth in the lighting circuit. The rest of the wiring is fine and has been tested.

The house currently has plastic ceiling roses throughout and the switches are old rocker types with the screws hidden.

If i update the switches with more modern plastic ones using nylon screws and use double insulated lights throughout the house i.e. http://www.double-insulated-lighting.co.uk/
is this acceptable.

 

[luminaire]

Yes you can replace switcthes and light fittings with plastic ones as these do not require an earth.
But as your wiring is more than 40 years old it would be a good idea to have it checked over with a view to having it rewired.

 

[fisheral1]

Thanks for the quick reply

However, the rest of house wiring is also 40 years old and we are not replacing that.

Also If the house was built with an earth wire 5 years later it would not be replaced in 5 years time just because it is 40 years old, would it?

 

[holmslaw]

Yes you can replace switcthes and light fittings with plastic ones as these do not require an earth.
But as your wiring is more than 40 years old it would be a good idea to have it checked over with a view to having it rewired.

 

[nozspark]

If i update the switches with more modern plastic ones using nylon screws and use double insulated lights throughout the house i.e. http://www.double-insulated-lighting.co.uk/
is this acceptable.

The guidance also states that the circuit should have 30mA RCD protection and a label at the CU stating that the circuit has no earth..

but this is only really a last resort....

You should really rewire the circuit or at least run a seperate earth out IAW regs.

 

[ericmark]

Read Best ESC Practice Guide No.1 preview ESC Best Practice Guide No.1 as to retro fitting earth's the protective conductor has to take the same route as power cables and if not included in the power cable has to be min 4mm so it is as much work to add as to rewire lights.

 

[fisheral1]

Having read the best practice guide, am i right in saying that if i fit class 2 light fittings and accessories then get it tested by my electrician and labeled saying that the circuit has no earth, i am ok.

 

[Chri5]

Your logic is flawed both on the wiring age and with regard to the no earth lighting cables.

40 years of service from cable is a good innings and it is likely that the aged cable will be nearing service life. Add to that is the reality that the cable sheaf of yesterday year wasn't as good as current spec and you could well find that problems are around the corner.

Get a spark in to insulation resistance test the cabling and see, if the cabling is black sheaf it is beyond service life.

With regard to the lights, you are limiting your choice of lamp fiitings since all metal light fiiting must have an earth. Even if you don't see this as a problem, what happens when you sell and the new owner wants to add metal constructed light fiitings?

Since the property will have a known defect with the lights, should you sell you will have to inform the purchaser and not doing so (and knowing about the defect) is criminal.

You post smacks of cheap, rather than safe and that scares me

 

[fisheral1]

Chri5 here are loads of light fittings that are metal and do not require an earth http://www.double-insulated-lighting.co.uk/ and this is the first website i've looked at.

Also a label on the consumer unit explaining the circuit does not have an earth is what the ESC suggests and it explains to the new owner not to change light fittings to ones that require an earth.

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[Steve]

How long do you intend living in this house?

 

[RF Lighting]

If the wiring has rubber insulation, it is recommended by BICC that it is replaced as soon as practicably possible.

Rubber insulation will have list the majority of it's insulation resistance.

If it overheats as a result, it is not self extinguising like modern cables are, so the risk of fire is high.