no earth on light switch cable??

[niftyP]

Can Anyone explain why my lights all have an earth leaving the ceiling rose but there is no earth into my switches.
Does it mean my light circuit isn't earthed or is there a simple reason that the earth isn't required down to the switch??

thanks in anticipation

 

[Chri5]

Because your ceiling to in floor junction boxes were easy to access and replace and the wire for the switch is buried in the wall, hidden behind architrave (or anyone of a number of excuses).

DIY light re-wires often have the main wiring replaced and NOT the switch wire due to the hassle with damage to the fabric.

Does the switch wire look older than the ceiling wires?

 

[niftyP]

yes, the switch wire does look older. Does that mean I'm earthed or not then?

 

[sparkydude]

Sometimes due to the age of the wiring it was wired like thias from new, they wired the circuit in earthed cable , or a single core earth run with the twin cables and wired the switches in 2 core without the earth as almost all of the switches at tha time were plastic and insulating so did not require an earth at the switch position.It was seen as an unecessary expense.

Nick

 

[sparkydude]

As long as your not planning on putting a metal switch onto the box then your fine, as soon as you add a metal switch then your in trouble and need an earth for it.

Nick

 

[niftyP]

thanks,
How do I get around it as I was planning to put metal switches in place of the old plastic?

 

[sparkydude]

The only way is to re-wire the switch cables to the ceiling roses if t is wired this way or to the junction box if thats how it has been wired. If this is the condition of your lighting circuit then you might consider getting an electrical survey done as probably there are other defects with the age of your wiring such as main bonding, cross bonding etc

Nick

 

[securespark]

Have the cpc's been snipped off?