Adding an Earth to a pre 1966 lighting circuit

[AJB333]

Hi,

Would appreciate help with this one:

I've just bought a metal bodied outside light which requires an earth.
However, our house was built in 1964 and does not appear to have an earth in the lighting circuits, I believe this wasn't a requirement until after 1966.

The feed to the old outside light is 1 red and 1 black wire, (the old fitting was also metal! - I didn't fit it!), from a standard internal switch . I can get an earth from the power ring main faily easily although from reading other posts this would not be viewed as good practice. Alternatively I can run a seperate earth from the consumer unit in our garage. Is one of these options preferable, or should I rewire this circuit from a fused spur off the ring?

(I know this could be solved with a plastic/double insulated fitting, but can't find one we like)

 

[RF Lighting]

If you are going to all the trouble of running an earth wire to this point, then you'd be better off, and for no extra effort actually rewiring the light, and preferablly the rest of the circuit (I know that entails more effort, but would be best)

 

[AJB333]

When you say 'rewiring the light' where do you mean it should be rewired to or from.

 

[plugwash]

The earth should closely follow the live conductors of the circuit it is protecting to reduce the risk of it getting accidently removed. In reality this means it is usually just as easy to rewire as it is to add an extra earth.

Moving the outside light to either a spur off the ring or it's own circuit is the way to go if you do not want to rewire the lights immediately.