A friend as recently moved into a new house and has a gift i brought her 3 ceiling fans - for the living room and the 2 bedrooms, this afternoon i came to install them for her and noticed when i removed the old light fittings there was no earth cable, on the ceiling fans it states under no circumstances must these fans be installed without a earth.
Now as i am unable to return the fans (lost reciept) is there anything i can do to solve this problem apart from getting a electrician out.
Thanks
Not a lot - property should be rewired !
Thanks for the reply m8 much appreciated i`ll let her know and i`ll hold back on installing these until the work has been done.
Are you absolutely sure that there is no earth? My light fittings had an earth wire folded back out of the way, and it just wasn't easily visible.
Steve
You should make absolutely sure that the fitting isn't already earthed to the rose or the conduit box that it is fitted to. Find out how the ceiling rose is fixed to the ceiling. If it is just screwed up to the plaster with standard screw nails, then you should look behind the rose for an earth wire which hasn't been pulled through in to the rose.
If the rose is fitted to a conduit box, then the box may already be earthed, and this should easily be extended through in to the rose for the new fan suite to be installed.
Check it all fully first, before going off for a sparks to make money on it. Of course, if you definitely can't find any earth connecting wiring, then it really should be rewired to bring it up to scratch for modern fittings.
Cheers guys for the replies....
I will check a bit later maybe go in the loft to see what is really going on.
Would'nt an earth wire from the incoming cold pipe at the tank in the loft do ? just run a wire from the cold pipe to the ceiling rose ? Could be wrong (Probalby am) but its the safe option although prob not by the book.
Or what about the earth wiring from the shower? or is that lethal?>
Definately not.
You might well end up with live bits of plumbing all over the house if the fan develops a fault. Not a smart move at all.
If the lighting circuit has no earth conductor, all the lights and other appliances on it must be double insulated, no metal switches either, and a rewire should be scheduled. If the insulation on the cables is rubber, this should be done with some urgency.
Re: Rubber insulated cables:
I remember rewiring houses when I was an apprentice.
They were wired using vulcanised rubber.
As your unscrewed the switches/sockets the insulating literally just fell off the conductors !!!.
CG
I hated the lead covered stuff with the waxed paper and fabric insulation. Although it was great to make natural bends around corners. Looked quite professional really. :-)
Cheers for the replies, the wiring it`s self doesn`t look old just doesn`t have a earth, anyway i have passed the info on to her.
various options
1=2E rewire the house 2=2E take an earth connection from an earth wire on another circuit 3=2E Add an earth wire from the fusebox, run it to the light fitting(s) 4=2E not recommended, but works: fit an rcd on the lighting circuit and fit fan unearthed. This is not now regs compliant, so i dont recommend it.2 is the best option, 3 next best.
NT
PS is the shower earth lethal? Youd be in trouble if it was eh?
various options
2 is the best option, 3 next best.
NT
PS is the shower earth lethal? Youd be in trouble if it was eh?
Lol i told her and i dont know what she is going to do , i think i`ll have to hold onto them until she decides.
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