2006-11-20 21:39:20 · 7 answers · asked by snowy 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Michael H is correct here. Do NOT run an earth wire to a water pipe, it is not a means of earthing and you could introduce leakage currents into the pipework, which may not be bonded elsewhere.
Where the cables come through the ceiling they will either be sheathed with grey pvc, which, if there is no earth wire must be very old cable. The other possible type of installation would be that single cables are wired in steel conduit, in this case there should be a round metal box in the ceiling, this box and the conduit is the earthing for the circuit and you can attach the light fitting earth wire to the box, which may have a screw in the back for this purpose. Otherwise contact an electrician and let him sort it out properly.
Diane -- NO!! He means EARTHED. Stick with the US site and your US terms. This Yahoo UK and Ireland!!
2006-11-21 00:20:29 · answer #1 · answered by jayktee96 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If there is no earth wire in the cable within the ceiling, it's likely that your wiring is quite old, and for your own safety it would be as well to get all of it checked.
However, if you have only checked the flexible cable which hangs down from the ceiling rose, you might find that an earth is connected to a terminal inside the rose, and that you can replace your two-core flexible with a three-core one. Be sure to turn off the relevant circuit at your consumer unit (fusebox) before dismantling the rose. Just turning off the lightswitch in that room will not usually make all the connections within the rose dead, because of the way in which lighting circuits are wired up.
2006-11-20 21:58:46 · answer #2 · answered by andrew f 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You need to run a seperate earth cable back to the consumer unit.
You shoudln't run it to a ring main as you would have crossbonding between lighting and mains circuits. Not a good idea
REALLY BAD advice to just leave it disconnected. I notice that person was an electronics engineer and not an electrical engineer.
REALLY BAD advice to connect to a pipe. Cross bonding to pipes is to ensure the pipes are earthed, not to provide continuity for your lighting circuit. earth bonding clamps on pipes have to be earthed directly to the consumer unit rather than just back to another circuit. There is nothing in any regs about earthing your lighting circuit to your pipes.....
Even if you have an earth in the ceiling it would be worth doing a continuity check to ensure the earth is connected all the way back to the consumer unit. People do have a habit of not connecting them...as you can see above
2006-11-20 22:50:08 · answer #3 · answered by Michael H 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have 2 three choices.
Either run a new cable in the ceiling with an earth wire
Or leave the earth disconnected, but remember not to touch the ceiling light while the power is turned on just in case
Or, the best solution, connect the earth cable to a pipe in your central heating system using an earth clamp.
Personally, I'd just leave it disconnected......
2006-11-20 21:44:42 · answer #4 · answered by winballpizard 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
just solder the earth wire to the fan angle built in the ceiling
2006-11-20 21:45:01 · answer #5 · answered by raju 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
i` d do nothing but get an electrician , electric`s nothing to mess about with .. so call 1 and thats an order :)
2006-11-20 21:56:53 · answer #6 · answered by PAULA C 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
do you mean grounded?
2006-11-21 01:05:23 · answer #7 · answered by bluedanube69 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋