DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

Hi all.

My parents have 2 lighting circuits in their house (up / down) wired with double insulated single cables but with no [b]earth.[/b] The problem is they have a few metal lights fittings in various rooms. To make this safe without a rewire or running a single earth wire to all the fittings would fitting a new fuse board and protecting the lighting circuits via an RCD solve the problem.

Thanks for any help.

Kev[/list][/code]

Hi, It might help but would still not comply with regs, and fitting a new consumer unit is a 'Part P' job so an electrician would have to do it or certify it and we must not change a board without fitting a label saying:
"Circuit numbers [?]&{?] do not have earth protection & metal fittings must not be used" so a bit self-defeating!
sorry not what you wanted to hear i'm sure, but if wiring is very old which I assume from method it is then other issues may arise such as earth bonding to main services ect,
This type of wiring is unusual for normal circuits, I do have a lot in my loft in 35 year old bungalow but it is for ceiling heating mats which have no metal exposed parts to earth, rarely seen it anywhere else, regards SPARX

Cheers sparx for the reply. So would a single 1.5mm earth cable connected into the fuse board and to the metal lights in question be acceptable? The wiring is approx 35 years old as you say but in good condition and the old re-wireable fuses (wylex) have been changed to the plug in mcb type. All the other circuits (ring mains etc) are wired in T&E so no problem there.

I suppose the metal lights could be changed to double insulated type, if you can get them!.

Cheers
Kev

Hi agn Kev. yes a single 1.5 would do or, as you say, change to all non-metal fittings, only needs C2 [[]] in bathroom, regards SPARX