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Is this switch's earth wiring ok?

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  • 28-11-2019 11:50am
    #1
    s7ryf3925pivug
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,007 ✭✭✭


    The earth cables appear to just terminate in a plastic cover. Should I be concerned that they might not in fact be earthed?


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    #2
    2011
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,596 Mod ✭✭✭✭2011


    The switch is plastic and therefore non-conductive. As such the switch itself does not require an earth.


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    #3
    s7ryf3925pivug
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,007 ✭✭✭s7ryf3925pivug


    2011 wrote: »
    The switch is plastic and therefore non-conductive. As such the switch itself does not require an earth.
    Thanks for the reply. I need to clarify what I'm trying to find out. I get that the switch itself doesn't require an earth. I was trying to tell if the light it's connected to is earthed. To me looking at the wiring, it looks like there is an earth cable from the light, but I expected it to be connected to the ground, not just covered with a bit of plastic. So I wanted to check if I should be concerned about this..?


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    #4
    2011
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,596 Mod ✭✭✭✭2011


    If you want to see if the light is earthed then you need to test the earth at the light. If you had a voltmeter you could test between live and earth at the light. It should read around 230V. Better still would be to measure the resistance between the earth at the light switch and the main earth terminal. However working on a distribution board is not advisable without the necessary training and experience.

    Why are you concerned?


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    #5
    s7ryf3925pivug
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,007 ✭✭✭s7ryf3925pivug


    2011 wrote: »
    If you want to see if the light is earthed then you need to test the earth at the light. If you had a voltmeter you could test between live and earth at the light. It should read around 230V. Better still would be to measure the resistance between the earth at the light switch and the main earth terminal. However working on a distribution board is not advisable without the necessary training and experience.

    Why are you concerned?
    Just because it's different to anything I've found online. Most images show the earth wire screwed into something metal. Is this cause for concern?

    There were a lot of dodgy DIY jobs done in my house, so it's not unthinkable that the wiring wasn't done correctly.


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    #6
    2011
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,596 Mod ✭✭✭✭2011


    Perhaps the light fitting doesn’t require an earth just like your light switch. Is the light metal?

    Regardless of whether it is metal or not to comply with the regulations it should have an earth. However this is more important when an earth is actually required.


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    #7
    s7ryf3925pivug
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,007 ✭✭✭s7ryf3925pivug


    2011 wrote: »
    Perhaps the light fitting doesn’t require an earth just like your light switch. Is the light metal?

    Regardless of whether it is metal or not to comply with the regulations it should have an earth. However this is more important when an earth is actually required.
    Yeah it looks metal. It's a standard halogen security floodlight. I need a longer ladder than I have to inspect it closely though. There are two cables from the back of it, if that means anything. [Don't know if one of the cables could contain more than one wire.]

    I've ordered a replacement that requires earth because the current one doesn't work and it is on special offer today. Wondering if I should cancel the order.

    An electrician is to call out soon to do some other stuff. Would it be a big job for them to see if it is earthed and earth it if necessary?, or is that like asking how long a piece of string is?


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    #8
    2011
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,596 Mod ✭✭✭✭2011


    To be honest halogens have gone out with the Indians. LED is the way to go now. They will cost a fraction of the price to run plus you can get fully plastic LED floodlights that won’t rust and don’t require an earth for relatively small money. It is easy for an electrician to test the earth but installing one may be more difficult.


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    #9
    s7ryf3925pivug
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,007 ✭✭✭s7ryf3925pivug


    2011 wrote: »
    To be honest halogens have gone out with the Indians. LED is the way to go now. They will cost a fraction of the price to run plus you can get fully plastic LED floodlights that won’t rust and don’t require an earth for relatively small money. It is easy for an electrician to test the earth but installing one may be more difficult.
    Cool. I'm replacing everything with LEDs alright. I thought floodlights all need earthling though, just because the ones I looked at do. I'll cancel the order for the hue floodlight which needs an earth and just get an enclosure that doesnt need earth but can take the same bulbs.


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    #10
    2011
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,596 Mod ✭✭✭✭2011


    Sorry I might have misinformed you. It seems that plastic LED floodlights are a bit harder to find than I thought.


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    #11
    s7ryf3925pivug
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,007 ✭✭✭s7ryf3925pivug


    They do exist though alright. This one is double insulated, though not as bright as I'd want

    https://www.thelightingsuperstore.co.uk/products/dedicated-led-flood-sensor-light-xled-home-2


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    #12
    2011
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,596 Mod ✭✭✭✭2011


    Nathan Square Scenery wrote: »
    They do exist though alright. This one is double insulated, though not as bright as I'd want

    https://www.thelightingsuperstore.co.uk/products/dedicated-led-flood-sensor-light-xled-home-2

    That one is excellent quality.


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    #13
    s7ryf3925pivug
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,007 ✭✭✭s7ryf3925pivug


    Cool, good to hear. looking at the bigger version of it, which is brighter


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    #14
    celticbhoy27
    Registered Users Posts: 885 ✭✭✭celticbhoy27


    Non electrical reply but what leaves those **** marks around the socket??? Find them every so often around the house. Is it flies??


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    #15
    s7ryf3925pivug
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,007 ✭✭✭s7ryf3925pivug


    celticbhoy27 wrote: »
    Non electrical reply but what leaves those **** marks around the socket??? Find them every so often around the house. Is it flies??
    Don't know. It looks like something splashed around there. It's a garage. Doesn't look like anything from flies. Don't think it is something that will come off easily.


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    #16
    disposableFish
    Closed Accounts Posts: 128 ✭✭disposableFish


    celticbhoy27 wrote: »
    Non electrical reply but what leaves those **** marks around the socket??? Find them every so often around the house. Is it flies??

    Yeah, those little dark brown spots you sometimes find clustered on certain surfaces in houses are fly crap.

    Hard to tell with in the photo, they look more grey but it could be the lighting.


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    #17
    s7ryf3925pivug
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,007 ✭✭✭s7ryf3925pivug


    disposableFish wrote: »
    Yeah, those little dark brown spots you sometimes find clustered on certain surfaces in houses are fly crap.

    Hard to tell with in the photo, they look more grey but it could be the lighting.
    Wow that's vile.
    Double checked. Yes they're grey. They are splashes of oil or something. Switch is beside a garage door that has more and bigger ones.


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