Rewire Lighting Circuits

[mark harrison]

I have been informed that both the upstairs and downstairs lightin

circuits are not earthed, the property was built in 1961.

The property has the following lighting fitting

Downstairs -

3 wall lights frontroom Ceiling rose fitting light dining room,hall,downstairs wc, 3xceilin lights in kitchen.

Upstairs

landing,Bathroom, 4x bedrooms.

The consumer unit was replaced in 2001 and on the paperwork it show there recommendations then to rewire lighting, we moved in propert last year. Could people answer on what would the estimated cost would be t replace these circuits and what would entail please. I see this as a issue were outside parties are neededto be sourced. I live in the northwest if this helps and if anyone can recommend a electrician please.

Thanks in advance

Mar

-- mark harrison

[Christian McArdle]

Don't bother if it is PVC and you have no non-double insulated metallic fittings. If you are ever redecorating a room, you could then run earthed cables for that room then, but the disruption of rewiring lighting circuits to add earths is all out of proportion to any safety benefit you will obtain, which is pretty well a fat zero if you have plastic or double insulated metallic fittings.

Christian.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

This is a DIY group where you'll get advice on DIY. You might do better on a local group for advice on decent tradesmen.

The biggest cost in re-wiring is labour. Getting at the wiring and making good afterwards. Both of which impossible to assess without a site survey.

[mark harrison]

Thankyou for the replies Gents. I understand what you say Dave, but t be told that your wiring circuit is unsafe as it was put to us was cause of concern. Thats why the wife and I went into panic mode an made the presumption that it was something that we could not d ourselves. The wiring is PVC coated 2 core, so running an external earth wir could do the trick as Christian inferred ? Getting to the upstairs lighting would be fine from the loft space ground floor ceiling lighs would be accessed by lifting floor boards i the bedrooms , but what would we do about wall lights (would they nee chasing out ??) Thats something that we can do ourselves and would undertake.

Thanks for the replies

Regards

Mar

-- mark harrison

[Richard Conway]

I don't think Christian was intending you to run separate earths, but to replace the runs of cable with new twin and earth. AIUI it isn't permissible under the current regs to run the CPC separately unless you are using single cables in conduit.

I think the best approach would maybe be to do bits as and when appropriate. As you say, the loft should be fairly easy to do for a start, and maybe you could do the downstairs rooms as and when you need to take up carpets/floorboards upstairs for other reasons. If any of the wall lights are not double insulated and require earths then I would probably do them as a priority as they are probably within easy reach of most people so are more likely to be touched than ceiling lights.

Worth pointing out also that you should obviously not have any metal light switches such as the chrome ones you can get as these require earthing.

[Mungo]

Though it may complicate matters beyond what is contemplated, if you plan on re-running cables then perhaps now is the time to think about any extra switches or lights that would enhance your house? The extra cost of three-core-and-earth cable beyond two-core-and-earth is minimal, hence when running lighting cable to switches and such I usually install the former cable as a contingency for the future.

HTH

Mungo

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Ah - right. So it's unlikely to be unsafe as such but simply doesn't conform to modern regs.

But to be perfectly honest running just an earth wire is likely to be nearly as much work and only save maybe 30 quids worth of cable - and at the end of the day isn't going to impress a survey etc if you sell.

If you don't feel capable of doing the wiring, giving the electrician a clear run by doing the donkey work will save a great deal of money.

[meow2222]

Do you believe everything you're told?

so theres no reason to think its disintegrating.

Youre not listening Mark. Do you have metal light switches? Do you have metal light fittings that are not double insulated, ie with no [[]] symbol? If the answer is no to both those, then adding an earth will achieve absolutely nothing.

I'm presuming this isnt bell wire... its been known.

NT

[Lobster]

Yes, as well as all the light switches (unless you're *very* lucky and whoever did the original wiring made it possible to pull out the old wiring and pull the new stuff through).

In other words, you'll need to trash the decor in every room, for what is likely to be a minimal enhancement of safety (providing the stipulations someone else made hold good) which is why you're probably best doing the job on a per-room basis, as they come up for routine redecorating.

David

[chris_doran]

...

It sounds as if the previous owners fell for one of those scams, er I mean free wiring inspections whose standard ploy is to create FUD over grey PVC, unearthed lighting circuits, and rewirable fuses ("may cause sparks and fire" is the standard phrase). Subject to the conditions others have already given you about metal fittings and provided you don't intend to knock nails into the cabling at the precise point where an earth might protect you -- forget about it.

Chris

[Tim S]

I've seen it written that it is OK, provided that the CPC follows the route of the cable/circuit it's protecting - but there has been much debate about this.

Agreed that replacing with T+E would be better and neater with less cause for confusion.

But I'm not qualified so you should take this with a pinch of salt ;->

Tim