light off ceiling rose needs earth

[mikell]

Hello again gents,
I have a light fitting i want to put up using the existing ceiling rose cable ( keeping the rose in place) but new light fitting has an earth conection on it. The cable off the rose only has the two pos/neg no earth.
can I just wire it up using these two and ignore the earth conection ,or do I fit another cable to the rose with the earth inc and wire that to the new light light fitting?
Hope this comes across clear gents,thanks for any thoughts

 

[ColJack]

if it needs an eart then it needs an earth.. so change the flex..

 

[ban-all-sheds]

can I just wire it up using these two and ignore the earth conection

Absolutely not.

or do I fit another cable to the rose with the earth inc and wire that to the new light light fitting?

Yes, but the problem is:

The cable off the rose only has the two pos/neg no earth.

- the sort of person who would do that cannot really be trusted not to have done it elsewhere, so where would you get an earth from that you knew was OK?

Or it could be that your wiring is old, and dates from the time when lighting circuits didn't have earths. A photo of your consumer unit and incoming supply/meter area would be useful.

Also, is there an earth wire present at other lights, and at switches?

If you look at the cable to that rose, does it have an earth core which has been cut back, or just not have one at all?

Your best course of action is to have an electrician inspect & test your lighting circuit(s), and in the meantime hold off fitting that light, and any others which need an earth, and don't have metal switches.

 

[sparkwright]

I read it that the white flex from the rose to the lampholder is 2 core - no earth - but does the wiring within the ceiling rose have an earth connection?

If so you need to confirm that it is actually connected to earth.

If so you can replace the flex to a 3 core flex as Coljack suggests.

Some light fittings are actually designed to be fitted over the existing ceiling rose. They have a large round hole cut into them, and are usually semi-flush fittings.

Is your fitting designed to be fitted over the ceiling rose?

If not it will be a bodge and look terrible.

If you need to remove the ceiling rose study where the wires go first.

They will be arranged like that for a reason.
If there is no earth present you will not be able to fit the new fitting.

 

[mikell]

Firstly Thanks for all the replies guys,
it wont fit where the rose is as there are so many wires coming in to and out of the rose fitting and the light itself is pretty flush. the wires inc two earths ,there are reds and blacks and green earths in the rose and same colours around the house fittings. I have also put in a few metal sockets and they all have earth connections in the wiring.
I had a loft conversion last year and two sparks done the electrics fitted a new consumer board for me then had someone check their work and sign it off for the building regs to pass the conversion,so Im presumming my system is ok .
I know it may look a bit bodgy if I run the cable to it from the rose ( if that is ok if I change it to a three core and wire up the earth). but it is only my lads bedroom light and im sure it will be changed again in a year or two anyway .
how do i make sure the earth in the rose is ok ? When a bulb blows it trips the consumer but that isnt the earth is it ,how will i know without getting a belt of it!!??
Again I hope i make sense!

 

[electronicsuk]

You wont really be able to properly test the earth without an EFLI meter, but I think you have been misinterpreted because many people often post in this forum, in a similar predicament to you, except that NONE of their lighting circuit is earthed. In your case, if there are a number of CPCs entering the rose, it's very likely the circuit IS properly earthed.

 

[mikell]

Sorry for the delay,thanks for that I have wired it up to the rose now all three wires!
There is also an earth on the new fitting that earths it to itself ( well on to the little bracket it screws on to that holds it up? is this standard?
thanks again.

 

[electronicsuk]

Sorry for the delay,thanks for that I have wired it up to the rose now all three wires!
There is also an earth on the new fitting that earths it to itself ( well on to the little bracket it screws on to that holds it up? is this standard?
thanks again.

I don't think it's that common for the detachable bracket to have an earth connection, but it makes sense, in the same way that it's good practice to earth metal backboxes with a flylead.