Hi i have lowered my ceiling 12inches,i have put joists up then i have nailed tongue@groove over them,The main cable is atached to ceiling underneath,the white cable comes through a hole through the t@g with ceilng rose attached.My problem is the track of spotlights i am putting up are chrome,it has an earthwire in it,but the cable i am attaching it to only has live and neutral,i cannot get accesss to original ceiling,i have paid alot of money for the lights,can someone advise me please,many thanks jean.
help earthwire problem
- Thread starter jeanleyland
- Start date
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Did the circuit have an earth (CPC) cable installed some older house don't.
The upshot is you need an earth to connect your lights as manufacturers Instructions.
Or forget the chrome fittings and use plastic or double insulated ones.
The upshot is you need an earth to connect your lights as manufacturers Instructions.
Or forget the chrome fittings and use plastic or double insulated ones.
Have you access to the ceiling via the floor above ?
if so then run an earth via that route. Unfortunately regs state that any metal fitting must be earthed for safety.
So although the light fitting would work, if the unit became faulty and there wasn't an earth you could cause harm.
So the choice is change the fitting to one not requiring an earth or add an earth or replace the ceiling cabling with a cable that has an earth in it.
As a last gasp- have you stripped any of the existing cabling back- sometimes in the 'old' age fitters not requiring an earth would simply cut it back- so it might be there !
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but why did you not think about replacing the cabling before fitting the new ceiling ?
if so then run an earth via that route. Unfortunately regs state that any metal fitting must be earthed for safety.
So although the light fitting would work, if the unit became faulty and there wasn't an earth you could cause harm.
So the choice is change the fitting to one not requiring an earth or add an earth or replace the ceiling cabling with a cable that has an earth in it.
As a last gasp- have you stripped any of the existing cabling back- sometimes in the 'old' age fitters not requiring an earth would simply cut it back- so it might be there !
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but why did you not think about replacing the cabling before fitting the new ceiling ?
PrenticeBoyofDerry";p="1533492 said:
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Chri5";p="1533495 said:
The instruction would say something similar to double insulated must not be earthed and/or might have this symbol on the fitting.
That's the problem with builders unfortunately - they're not electricians. He may have though that it was the correct cable for your fitting...
When using quotes, please use the [/quote] end tag when the person has finished what they were saying, or your post will make no sense. As those two dont.
Does the wire coming through your new ceiling have a white disc at the top of it, and a simple bulb holder on the bottom?
Like this:
If so, you need to loose that assembley and take an earthed flex or cable from the ceiling rose (the white disc at the top)
EDIT: I might have misread.
Does the wire coming through your new ceiling have a white disc at the top of it, and a simple bulb holder on the bottom?
Like this:
If so, you need to loose that assembley and take an earthed flex or cable from the ceiling rose (the white disc at the top)
EDIT: I might have misread.
Am i right in thinkning that you probably had a standard rose and pendant (pictured above) on the original ceiling and have simply extended the white hanging flex down through the new lowered ceiling?
If so, this could leave you with a bigger problem in the future.
How far done is the ceiling?
Is it possible to remove some of the T&G and get at the old fitting?
Is it possible to access the old fitting from the floor above?
If so, this could leave you with a bigger problem in the future.
How far done is the ceiling?
Is it possible to remove some of the T&G and get at the old fitting?
Is it possible to access the old fitting from the floor above?
sorry steve,first day on site never done this before,dont even know if this message will get to you.What do you mean quotes and tags,how do you set out a post,thank you for your imput,also other guy asked is the original cable in the main ceiling just a white ceiling rose,no its the main grey cable with earth wire in.do you know what difference it would make,again trying to learn how to post. JEAN
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