French light fitting wired to uk ceiling rose

[Kevycb]

I have a French manufactured ceiling spot bar. New build flat with normal ceiling rose. The French fitting has no clearly marked live or neutral, so does it matter which way round I connect them? There is also no earth, but the fitting is metal, so should I take feed and earth the metal housing anyway?
Takes GU10 spots, will they work with the dimmer switch?
Many thanks..

 

[EFLImpudence]

It does not matter which way round the wires go.

Does the bulb fit into a ceramic socket which has two wires to be connected as most GU10s do?

Like this -

If so, it may not require an earth.
Do you not have any instructions with it?
Can you post a picture?

 

[17thman]

I have experienced a situation where the line conductor terminated into the back of the the ceramic lampholder had detached and hence the lamp was not working. The fitting had become live as the loose conductor had contacted the metal casing and the householder received an electric shock while trying to replace the lamp.

 

[bernardgreen]

I found one in which the heat from the lamp had melted the insulation for about an inch leaving bare wires and a live case. Replaced it with high temperature wire and glass fibre sleeving. It was marked as double insulated.

 

[Adam_151]

I have many times come across fittings marked as double insulated that I don't agree with the manufacturers assessment, especially when you consider how its got to be installed with UK wiring practice.

A lot of them fall into the category of SELV fittings with the transformer in the base, the double insulated leads from this tx pass into a cheapo plastic block that basically resembers a connector block with a very mini chox box bulit over it, with the intention that the incomming cable is brought right into it and the cores are carfully dressed to the right (tiny) length and all the unsheathed is enclosed. Of course what actually happens is you get 3 of 4 twin and earths in the back of the fitting, loop wiring done in connector blocks and short bits of brown and blue used to connect to the propietry block.

I have in the past decided to consider the fitting as class one and attach an eath to it

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I have experienced a situation where the line conductor terminated into the back of the the ceramic lampholder had detached and hence the lamp was not working. The fitting had become live as the loose conductor had contacted the metal casing and the householder received an electric shock while trying to replace the lamp.

Why was the fitting not earthed?