No earth wire

J

JEMOL

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In our house we don't seem to have an earth wire coming to our light switches. We want to replace the old white plastic faceplates with chrome metal faceplates. I am nervous of doing this as there is no existing earth wire. Is there a way I can create an earth?

Thanks,
jemol
 
That was standard practice. You can buy single core insulated earth cable. You'll need to route this from all the switches back to the consumer unit or other appropriate earthing point.
Leo
 
If its upstairs then tie a light pvc cord or a piece of wire onto the wires at the switch, then go into the attic and pull out the wires from below. As you pull out the wires the cord will travel up the plastic conduit. Then add the earth wire in the attic and use the cord to pull all the wires down again. Then reconnect the switch wires . You can connect the earth wire to the nearest one you find in the attic.

Disconect all power first of course.

if its on the ground floor you probably cant do this as the switch wires go to the light and there is no way to get at the top of the vertical pipe and the wires probably wont pull across the bend at the ceiling.

Dont dream of fitting metal switches without an earth wire as the lighting circuits are not connected to the safety trip switch at the fuseboard so the power wont cut off if you get a shock due to a loose wire touching the metal.
 
Is there no way at all to do this on a downstairs switch? I bought a bunch of them only to discover afterwards that there was no earth...
 
Sorry to say I am also the owner of a box of nearly three dozen chrome switches carefully sourced in the UK. Encountered the same problem and checked with two electricians- both said they wouldn't touch the job because of the lack of earth. Would require a major rewiring (and thus replastering) job. Aggravatingly, the house was described in the estate agent's blurb as 'recently rewired'. Actually just a new fusebox. Commiserations.
 
oh dear... luckily i only got a handful in argos to try them out so it hasn't cost me much, they were pretty cheap there. did you manage to sell them on or return them?
 
Its a pretty simple job for a qualified sparks,however its not quite as simple as connecting to any earth,it has to be a lighting circuit earth so as not to cause problems with the earth protection device at the fuseboard/consumer unit.
 
your wrong, earths are all common in your fuseboard, but your right as far as it is considered good practice
 
Youwill only have a problem with the earth protection device if you mix neutrals. THe earth is common and it dosent matter one bit where you connect to it as it never carries a current except in a fault.
 
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