I have old Crabtree light switches , 250 volts, brown, bakelite? I'm rewiring with new cable but they have no earth.
OK to leave the earth wire unconnected at the back?
The screw which holds the backplate is hidden behind the switches, the screws which hold the switches to the wood backplate are hidden by the front of the switches so the bolts which hold the front plates on are not connected to anything else metal so they're safe?
Or must I get new switches with an earth terminal?
george
Even modern switches do not generally have an earth terminal unless they are also metallic and not class II. The "parking" earth terminal is normally fixed to the back box/pattres. So generally have an earth available but not required is fine. Its the other way round you have a problem. So just make the earth off to a suitable terminal.
You mention a wooden backplate, which makes me suspect these might be round bakelite switches. If so, they are surely not compliant, so whatever you do isn't going to make them safe & legal. There are ways to make such switches safe.
If they're square... A plastic switch does not need to be earthed. Earth wires can be joined with choc blocks.
NT
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