Earthing ceiling lights: will it prevent other upgrades?

[KeenToLearnMore]

Hi and thanks in advance for advice.

I live in an old house in Watford and am doing it up. I've lived here for years and no (known) electrical issues.
I'm using an electrician as, although ok with common-sense, I don't know electrics.
I'm just desperately trying to get two rooms complete before impending holiday.
I've had kitchen lights and a couple of sockets/switches installed by a spark.
He's said my ceiling lights elsewhere aren't earthed and I'd need to do (all) these before I do other electrical work elsewhere in the house (which I'm planning for summer).
The two key rooms are all ready to decorate so I don't want to disrupt things to add earths later.
Must ALL existing light circuits be earthed in order for a pro to do other ceiling lights on the same circuit?
If it must, then it must and I'd rather the disruption to my new plaster now than after I've painted?
I'm finding it hard to get a crystal clear yes/no on this one.

Cheers.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Are fittings and switches metal or plastic?
This would help give a clear answer, if metal yes an earth (aka CPC) must be installed regardless! or fittings changed to plastic/double insulated ones.

The problem as far adding new or altering/extending parts of the existing circuit with a CPC, would be that the electrician will require continuity of this conductor back to the CU and the earth arrangement back to supply, to comply with standards.
That does not mean the existing lighting must be earthed, just what the electrician fits. But to be honest whilst you have access to do this earth the whole system.

 

[KeenToLearnMore]

All the switches and all the fittings are plastic.
Does this mean I'm ok? (Well, as far as you can say from info provided that is.)
I'd get any newly installed stuff earthed - just trying to avoid unnecessary work on existing lights.

Many thanks.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Read my edit.
I would not sat it was okay, but providing plastic accessories it would be expectable, but should be recorded and documented and warning notices placed on the board with regards to no earthed lighting circuit. Any new part of circuit must have a cpc and this must be connected to the main earth terminal back at the board.

 

[ericmark]

The Electrical Safety Council does a guide to lights with no earth and in the guide they put forward the idea that putting warning notices and using class II lighting is OK. However reading the IET/Bsi regulations there are no provisions for lighting with no earth.

What it means is in real terms it's down to the electrician doing the work to do a risk assessment and make a personal decision as to if he will or will not allow any areas to remain where the lights are not earthed.

The rules changed in the 1960's and really that is enough time where a installation condition report should have highlighted the problem every 10 years for the wiring to have been upgraded. However my mothers house still has no earths on the lights.

This does mean no metal fittings and even with class II fitting the problem is you need stickers to say they are class II fittings and I paid £60 for a fitting advertised else where at £30 just so it had the sticker saying it was class II.

Florescent fittings are nearly all class I with some odd 2D units being class II and although I am sure most compact florescent units are class II again most don't seem to have the required sticker.

I would fit them myself but I also understand those who refuse. The comment I have heard many times is 50 years is enough time to upgrade and there must be a time to say enough is enough.

The 16th Edition was the first book to become a British Standard so although the regulations say one does not need to upgrade to latest standard the regulation only became a British Standard in 1992 so again up to the electrician on how he reads the regulations.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

But however he reads them this is a bit OTT:

He's said my ceiling lights elsewhere aren't earthed and I'd need to do (all) these before I do other electrical work elsewhere in the house.

Lack of an earth on a lighting circuit affects work on that circuit, nothing else.

 

[sparkwright]

It would be very sensible to rewire the lighting now while you have the chance. Once it's done it shouldn't be a worry anymore.

Wiring of that age will almost certainly have the switch drop wiring in conduit (or in brick cavities!) so it may be very easy to rewire without much damage.

 

[KeenToLearnMore]

All,

Thanks very much - a real help to get some objective perspectives.

At least I'm not nuts for being unclear as appears this specific area is a little grey and open to individual interpretation.

First-time member and suitably impressed.

Cheers.

 

[bernardgreen]

If there is no effective earth to metal back boxes behind switches then the fixing screws holding the switch in place should be plastic to prevent the risk of shock from the screws if there is a fault behind the switch. The box can become live but without an earth no safety device will operate.

Up-grading by re-wiring to include CPC ( earth ) is highly reccommended.