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Electrical Check Failures.


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I read a piece the other day about someone with a 1960's bungalow that had failed the electrical safety certification because the light switches didn't have an earth. Something along the lines of.......if a live or neutral lead popped out and touched the switch plate mounting screw it might result in a shock.

The normal work to fix i.e. rewire, channel out the walls, replaster, redecorate etc sounds expensive, messy, disruptive especially with a tenant in situ.

One of the fixes suggested was ingeneous.........take a look at these Quinetec wireless switches, they might dig someone out of a hole:-

 

 

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Quinetec/index.html

 

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Aside from the fact we still aren't legislated to have earth on lighting cct's if the end devices are double insulated.

To ensure this on one flat I've replaced the screws with plastic, good enough.

Light fittings can be replaced with double insulated easy enough if needed.

Small point is that the majority of light switch back boxes don't have neutral in there, it touching a screw, or us wouldn't result in a shock  anyway unless there are other issues. Neutral has as close to the same potential as earth to have no effect on us.

Unless the cables are buried 50mm below the surface we now need earth fault protection. 50mm 'aint realistic so in other words we do.

 

 

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1 hour ago, Carryon Regardless said:

Aside from the fact we still aren't legislated to have earth on lighting cct's if the end devices are double insulated.

To ensure this on one flat I've replaced the screws with plastic, good enough.

Light fittings can be replaced with double insulated easy enough if needed.

Small point is that the majority of light switch back boxes don't have neutral in there, it touching a screw, or us wouldn't result in a shock  anyway unless there are other issues. Neutral has as close to the same potential as earth to have no effect on us.

Unless the cables are buried 50mm below the surface we now need earth fault protection. 50mm 'aint realistic so in other words we do.

 

 

Yes you could replace the screws with plastic ones or the switch plates with those that incorporate a small plastic cover over the screw heads.

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