lighting with no earth

[maffa ent]

afternoon all!

yet another property with no earth in lighting circuits.

i always advise a rewire, and usually get it. however, occasionally, it has to be a case of removing any class 1 fittings, and labelling installation accordingly.

i have a job in a flat this time, customer will not go for rewire, is happy to shell out for decent class 2 light fittings - but switches?

they're all plastic, but are currently fastened using metal m3.5's? even into plastic lugs, there's a chance of them becoming live? so, is the solution surface mounted switch boxes with plastic switches, or plastic m3.5's, or either? or something else i haven'y thought of?

thanks in advance!

 

[Thefailsafe2012]

Probably go for plastic m3.5's, installing to the worst case scenario at least a live conductor can't jump out and touch one of the screws?

 

[Thefailsafe2012]

Though I'm aware lives don't usually tend to jump out of their terminals! But ya ever know!

 

[GLENNSPARK]

if the knockout boxes use plastic lugs...then not a prob....otherwise if the switchfronts are class 1s.....change em....if class 2s but the knockout boxes have metal lugs...then get some of those covers you can get for the screwheads....
as for rewiring the lighting is concerned....IR the cable...if its good then suggest pulling in a seperate CPC to all points (4.0 min)

 

[ezzzekiel]

Or ones with plastic covers

 

[Richard Burns]

If they are plastic lugs then there should be no problem, if they are metal lugs then the nylon screws is the easiest solution.
Sometimes if you have the plastic screw head covers this can work but is not so safe as the screw change.

 

[maffa ent]

obviouly though, even with plastic lugs, there's a chance the metal screw - as it comes through the plastic lug and out the back - could come into contact with a live conductor? i know it's a long shot, but if it did happen, whoever'd signed it off would be up to their neck imo?

 

[snowhead]

obviouly though, even with plastic lugs, there's a chance the metal screw - as it comes through the plastic lug and out the back - could come into contact with a live conductor? i know it's a long shot, but if it did happen, whoever'd signed it off would be up to their neck imo?

And the rocker could fall out the switch leaving bare contacts exposed.

 

[monkster]

Change them all for pull switches job jone simples lol

 

[Octopus]

FFS, if the customer accepts class II fitings and the switches are plastic then its OK.

Screw heads don't stick out usually do they???