I was replacing a light switch in an elderly relative's home at the weekend, and noticed something unfamilar.
It was rewired in the last ten years, and the existing steel conduit in the walls was used to run the PVC T&E to the light switches, which seems sensible. The old conduit was not used inside the loft or under the floor, only for the lightswitch drops. Some of the light switches have a modern plaster-depth steel box, earth wire sleeved and terminated in the box, which is attached by brass screws to the old sunken (Besa?) round steel box, which seems reasonable. However, the one I replaced has the steel conduit coming into a square opening in the wall (no steel box) and so the short length of conduit is unearthed. I have fitted a surface pattress for the moment but would prefer to sink a steel box later. I am not sure how it should be done.
The steel conduit is not the thin black-japanned stuff, but half-inch steel pipe, galvanised and threaded. It has no gland on the end, and no box, just comes down into the square hole. I think I could get a supplementary bonding strap on it, but it will be tight inside the wall. the end of the pipe is not sharp like modern thin conduit, but I would like to protect the cable in case of any future movement. Is there some kind of ferrule I can get?
It was rewired in the last ten years, and the existing steel conduit in the walls was used to run the PVC T&E to the light switches, which seems sensible. The old conduit was not used inside the loft or under the floor, only for the lightswitch drops. Some of the light switches have a modern plaster-depth steel box, earth wire sleeved and terminated in the box, which is attached by brass screws to the old sunken (Besa?) round steel box, which seems reasonable. However, the one I replaced has the steel conduit coming into a square opening in the wall (no steel box) and so the short length of conduit is unearthed. I have fitted a surface pattress for the moment but would prefer to sink a steel box later. I am not sure how it should be done.
The steel conduit is not the thin black-japanned stuff, but half-inch steel pipe, galvanised and threaded. It has no gland on the end, and no box, just comes down into the square hole. I think I could get a supplementary bonding strap on it, but it will be tight inside the wall. the end of the pipe is not sharp like modern thin conduit, but I would like to protect the cable in case of any future movement. Is there some kind of ferrule I can get?
