To earth a rental or not.

[Billyessex]

Hello all

I have just rented a very old flat ( with high ceilings ) it has a victorian feel about it.

unfortunately it seems to have victorian eleterics , with (some) of the old fashioned 3 prong eletrical sockets.

The delima is = I have spent around 100£ getting various lighting for the flat BUT none of the lights are earthed.

So I was thinking if I wire the lights up , and the fitting becomes live , will the shock be enough to kill or just hurt?

Or should I spend money on buying new unearthed light fittings.

Thanks for any help or advice you can provide

 

[dingbat]

Take the lights back.

Inform your landlord that your electrics are at least 45 years old.

Do not put those lights up.

They have the potential (quite literally) to kill you.

I hope that's clear.

 

[ColJack]

you shouldn't be messing with the electrics in a rental in the first place, that includes the lights..

if you want them put up then ASK your landlord if you can and then explain the problem of no earthing..
you'll have to settle for naff lampshades and white plastic switches unless the landlord agrees to have the lighting wiring sorted out.. ( highly unlikely.. )

 

[bernardgreen]

If you are renting then

[1] you will need permission from the land lord ( or letting agency ) to change any light fittings.

[2] the electrical wiring should be safe, if not the landlord needs to make it safe at his expense

[3] the danger from the shock depend on what fault occurs and whether the some other part of you is well earthed. Birds can sit on 11,000 volt overhead cables as they have no contact with any other voltage or earth. But if one is on the wire and another on the earthed frame or another wire and they touch then they die.....

but even a minor tingle can kill you if it makes you fall of a ladder and you break your neck in the fall.

 

[Billyessex]

Ok all thanks for your replys , I didnt know it could be so dangerious.

The landlord lives in spain with his millions and he wont do anything , it passed its energy effechincy tests , I guess thats all they care about.

Ill try to barter with the shop to see if I can replace the lights for plastics.

peace all

 

[wingcoax]

Tell your landlord he needs to sort it out quickly.He is skating on very thin ice, if anything happens he would soon lose all his millions.

 

[RF Lighting]

Why?

If the landlord left the property with all insulated fittings and accessories throughout the lighting circuits without a CPC, then the installation is perfectly safe.

It is not his fault that his tennant wants to install class 1 fittings.

 

[Billyessex]

I would like to think you are both.

We have already payed out 450£ on doing-it-up.

at the moment the lights are just handing with a energy saveing bulb in it.

but the wall lights are made of bass. and I opened one up and they arnt earthed either.

Im not sure if that makes them safe or not.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

but the wall lights are made of bass.

That sounds a bit fishy.

 

[electronicsuk]

With regard to changing the lights, you may need to be careful if the wiring is as old as you suggest, as the cables could have become brittle over time and be easily damaged if they are of a certain construction such as rubber/VIR.

 

[Billyessex]

but the wall lights are made of bass.

That sounds a bit fishy.

haha brass

 

[dingbat]

Your landlord has a legal duty to provide you with a safe installation.

The majority of property owners are clueless with regard to services and wiring is almost always seen as a no-return expense. So there are very many properties throughout the land, tenanted or owner-occupied, where considerable sums have been spent on cosmetics with safety aspects ignored.

It's a familiar story, but it sounds like you are renting a polished and potentially dangerous turd.

 

[bernardgreen]

The landlord lives in spain with his millions and he wont do anything , it passed its energy effechincy tests , I guess thats all they care about.

He needs to care about the safety of his tenants and the safety of his property. I rent out my late mother's house and the insurance company require that the electrics are inspected and conform to a safe standard. The letting agency also insist on this happening.

Ill try to barter with the shop to see if I can replace the lights for plastics.

Good idea given the state of the wiring.

The brass lamps could be a safety hazard if they are not double insulated. ( and even then I would never really trust double insulation that depends on plastic close to a hot lamp ).

Do you pay your rent to a letting agency ? If so then tell them of your concerns. If they are deducting property management fees from your rent before passing the remainder on to the landlord then they almost certainly have a legal obligation to act to ensure your safety. Most things they will need permission from the land lord but ( depending on the agreement with the land lord in emergency or imminent danger to life or the property they should ba able to act with prior permission.

They should be able to help you if the landlord becomes difficult.

 

[JohnD]

old fashioned 3 prong eletrical sockets.

what do you mean?

 

[ColJack]

rond pin 15A plugs.. at a guess