2 Core to 3 Core Lighting circuit

[The Question Asker]

Right time for a bodgit mention... As some of you know and have been helping im currently renovating a property (Headache after headache...) Came to the lighting circuit which stupid me I only checked the sockets which all seemed fine 3 core earthed, and the consumer unit was new with fairly recent wiring. Ok now time for the bodgit mention, the guy before me was doing most of the work on the property himself and when he rewired the lighting circuit he seems to have used 2 core grey sheathed wiring!!! I have checked and it is new (Something I should have done a while back. Ok so the issue is I am due to have stainless steel faceplates and was reading on the net that they have to be Earthed, ok far enough don't want to kill anyone when they turn the lights on/off. What are my options,

1)Obviously one is to run a 1.0mm/1.5mm earth cable from each switch (To each light ??) then back to the consumer box via obviously each switch under each circuit, so ground floor and 1st floor. If I was to do this would I need to run the earth back to the CU or not?

2)The other is to run new 3 core cable around the whole property lighting circuit.

Ok, obviously running a new 3 core cable is best and not so bodgit but is it ok to just run a earth cable. I competent with electrics setting up a ring main and lighting circuit in another property, but was just wondering how I would go about feeding the cable to each switch. If I was to get someone in how much would we be looking, the house is a 60's

3 bed fairly small with CU under the stairs going up under the floorboards upstairs.

Thanks for any comments/advice Olly

[BigWallop]

Don't bodge it any more!!! If you're going to hassle of trying to run green/yellow covered wire everywhere, then get new T&E cable and do the whole lot a new.

Yes, you would have to take each separate part of the earth bonding back to the consumer unit, eventually.

[Lurch]

On Wed, 24 Nov 2004 15:42:45 -0000, "The Question Asker" strung together this:

I would run a new twin and earth in. It used to be acceptable to add an earth wire to the system but I got told by the NICEIC that I shouldn't do that as there isn't a great deal of mechanical protection on a 1.5mm earth wire and it could quite easily be damaged by e.g. a plumber shoving a length of pipe under a floor. You've got to get the floors up anyway so it's not going to take much more effort to do it all properly. I am surprised that it is new, twin cable is hard to come by. Are you sure he's not just cut all of the earths off?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I dunno where he got it from - none of my catalogues even list the stuff. Nor have I ever seen it in metric. Perhaps imported?

I'd simply replace it all - running in a separate earth wire won't impress at sale time, or if a check is ever needed.

[The Question Asker]

[The Question Asker]

At present the list of work I'm doing is extending longer and longer! If I were to get a pro in to do it, what kinda cost would I be looking at... Three bed with wooden floors upstairs, Lounge, Kitchen, Hall and Stairway. I have all faceplates and lights so all it would be is to run cable from the CU to switches then to Light.

Alternatively if anyones in the Billericay area that fancys doing it let us know.

[Lurch]

On Wed, 24 Nov 2004 17:50:20 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Plowman (News)" strung together this:

I seem to think I've seen it in the CEF catalogue, but the price and hassle of of obtaining it doesn't make any sense. I can't lay my hands on the CEF cat at the mo so I can't give you an exact reference unfortunately.

[Lurch]

On Wed, 24 Nov 2004 18:17:44 -0000, "The Question Asker" strung together this:

I would say a days labour plus materials or thereabouts, probably £3-400 ballpark.

[PeteZahut]

Sale time? Is that part of the things they check when people sell houses? Do they open a few sockets and switches etc to check?

[mike ring]

"The Question Asker" wrote in news:co2j89$vnk$ [e-mail]:

You could ask Allied Electrical Group, (633322) 177, Western Road, (just off London Road).

I've found them good workers and straight dealers; at least you know what you'd be looking at.

I was pleasantly surprised by the price and speed for a new consumer unit, plus tidiness I doubt if I could have achieved; made d-i-y ing in that case a bit fatuous.

No, I'm not losing the faith, well, not all of it.

mike

[Owain]

"The Question Asker" wrote | Ok, obviously running a new 3 core cable is best and not so | bodgit but is it ok to just run a earth cable.

Not really. What we're talking about here is not just 'earth bonding' but also circuit protective conductor (cpc) which *MUST* be run be run alongside or as part of all the circuit cables and to all the accessory positions.

If you put in your earth cable you might meet the need for the bonding of the metal faceplates to earth, but it completely ignores the requirements in the Regs for cpc. Your circuit would remain non-compliant and, ultimately, require rewiring.

Feeding cables down the switch drops - if conduit has been used then feed the new in as you pull out the old. If conduit has not been used then it's a redecorating job. You can sometimes use surface cable to switches, or ceiling mounted pull-cord switches, as temporary measures to avoid immediate redecoration.

You might as well take the opportunity to improve the provision of lighting points, eg split onto upstairs/downstairs circuit, put in wall lights or 5A sockets for table lamps switched from the door in the lounge, two-way switching at the bedhead for bedhead and room lights in the bedrooms, interconnecting smoke alarms, etc.

Owain

[Andy Wade]

Ditto - I haven't seen twin-and-no-earth cable since about 1966 (the year when the 14th Edition was published).

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Plenty will have the wiring checked, yes. And I'd certainly test the earth on a lighting circuit if I was doing the checking. Many people will have sockets re-wired (to install more etc) - and even change the CU, but leave the lighting wiring as it's usually the most difficult to replace.

[PeteZahut]

Ooh thats interesting. So when these tests are made, how are they done? Would Mr Spark come along, open say one light switch and just look at the wires, check there is a red/black(sleeved red) and an earth all coming out the same cable or would he do something else? Sockets? Is that the same? Look inside one and see if theres two cables? Surely he wouldnt open the consumer unit, disconnect some wires and do a proper final test would he? Im almost certain that when we bought our house (few years ago) they didnt physically check the wires. Just looked at them. The people we bought off had had the house rewired but no longer had the electricians name.