metal light fittings

[mintymorton]

Hi
I am wanting to install metal light fittings in a bedroom in a house where there is no earth connection at the ceiling rose. There is no earthing point in the loft apart from a copper cold water pipe which I have checked to be connected to mains earth. Can I use this as a earth connection for this light fitting as I think it would be better than no earth at all?
Your advice would be appreciated.

 

[breezer]

no, you cant do as you suggest,

is the light double insulated?

how old is the house wiring

you may need a rewire

 

[mintymorton]

Fittings are not double insulated.
Wiring is about 30 years old.
Do I just leave the fitting unearthed then?

 

[breezer]

if the wiring is 30 years old, I should say it needs a rewire

 

[JohnD]

And you mustn't use metal light fittings.

 

[andy]

Do I just leave the fitting unearthed then?

yes. and then you die if you touch it.

it has to be earthed for a reason, if you cant earth it, DONT use it.

 

[Big_Spark]

Breezer is correct, you should look into having the house rewired, if the lighting contains no Earth then there is a reasonable chance the power circuits don't either, probably being reliant on metal conduit for earth continuity.

You may be able to get away with having an Earth pulled into the circuits, but to be honest if the woring is 30 odd years old, which it likely is in that condition, a rewire will be the best solution.

In the meantime do not use the metal light fittings...

 

[dingbat]

I'd also suggest a rewire may be in order. Even if the cable is PVC/PVC and in good condition if it's that old the original installation would only have included up to a dozen sockets for the entire house. Which means you either have way too few outlets for a modern house, or else they have been added by who-knows-who to who-knows-what standards. In my experience the floor/ceiling voids in installations of this age are choc-full of junction boxes.

Lift a few boards and have a look - if you see a spaghetti of cables of different vintages, some wrapped around heating pipes, some running through notches then do you and yours a favour and start again!

 

[Steve]

probably being reliant on metal conduit for earth continuity...

twice today, you have mentioned metal conduit, when the OP's both times didn't mention conduit!