old wiring - light fitting

[lozzy73]

take a photo and post it so we can see what's what..
I'd also tell the sparky to get back there asap and fix the dangerous situation he's left for free or you'll call the police and report him for attempted murder ( well what do you call leaving unterminated live wires hanging out of a wall or ceiling? )

Can't find my camera right now but have just taken another look at the fitting.

The red cable and the black cable disappear up into the ceiling. The blue cable is screwed into the metal fixing recessed into the ceiling.

Given that the red and black cables are in all other rooms. Could the blue cable in fact be the earth?

Please note that this is a very old flat 1960s and before it became necessary for lights to be earthed.

 

[cumbriahandyman]

( well what do you call leaving unterminated live wires hanging out of a wall or ceiling? )

Shocking

 

[fireman22]

yes prob wired with no earth but this means no metal light fittings or switches can be fitted until you run an earth or maybe like you said the blue may be an earth you will have to get this checked first

 

[lozzy73]

yes prob wired with no earth but this means no metal light fittings or switches can be fitted until you run an earth or maybe like you said the blue may be an earth you will have to get this checked first

Have you seen any recessed light fittings where a wire is screwed into that fitting? All it seems to be doing is allowing the red and black cable to pass through a couple of holes, yet it has a wire screwed into it. I'm assuming this is old too but perhaps not as old as the red and black wiring.

If it turns out that this is an earth cable and is fitted to the earth on the metal light fitting, is this then ok?

Obviously will check it out first but it seems a bit less baffling now if all the blue cable is wired to is the socket itself. Seems to be acting as a earth cable.

 

[lozzy73]

just found my camera, took a picture and then bloomin' battery died! Am unable to upload...what a day!

 

[lozzy73]

Hmmm,

now getting somewhere I think. Have been googling and it seems that in very old houses/flats the ceiling conduit operates as the earth itself. If this has a wire screwed into it then doing nothing but hanging, then presumably this is the earth which should be wired to the light fitting Earth cable. Seems stupid that it's been done with a blue wire if this is the case though. How confusing.

Making lots of assumptions though but need to test first. Any tips on how to test these three cables/wires? I have a multimeter.

Thanks

 

[EFLImpudence]

Yes, as I read once: wires can be used for anything - they don't know what colour they are.

NEVER ASSUME.

 

[fireman22]

well if you turn off the fuseboard and put the three cables into 3 seperate connector blocks if you turn the fuseboard back on and turn on the switch you should have 230 volts between red & black (live & neutral) and also 230 volts between red & blue (live & earth) not a real loop test realy but if you wont paid £25 you takes a chance

 

[lozzy73]

Thanks all.