Help with wiring - new fitting needs earth!

spuntotheratboy

Hello,

My old bathroom ceiling light fitting wasn't earthed, the new one needs an earth. The wiring is a little odd-looking to me, I think because there's an extractor fan which only comes on when the light's on, but which has its own switch.

Here's the wiring as it is - two cables coming out of the ceiling; one with black, red and bare wire; the other with blue, yellow, red and bare wire. Red goes straight to red, bare to bare (in an earth sleeve) black and yellow combine on one side of the fitting, blue goes straight to the other side. You can see a diagram at benpaley.com-slash-domains-slash-benpaley.com-slash-local-slash-images-slash-wiring.gif

So - my theory is I can wire it up just as it is, except connect the bare wire to the earth on the new fitting. Does that sound good?

Thanks a lot,
Ben

cyclonebri1

If you have any doubt that a bathroom light fitting is correctly earthed stay well away and ask someone to take a lookfor you. Yes what you say is ok, but needs prooving, can you do that???;)

Keep it safe.

Imp

An electrician may correct me, but I think the bathroom is one of the areas where you need to be Part P qualified to do pretty much any electrical work. It will be best if you get somebody in to do this.

Owain_Moneysaver

You do not need to be Part P registered to do a like for like replacement of a fitting, even in a bathroom.

gas4you

But this isn't a like for like replacement.

cyclonebri1

gas4you wrote: »

But this isn't a like for like replacement.

But it is, because all the neccessary cabling is already there, no alterations or new circuitry, just connecting the earth which is present but not used for the old fitting. Just needs testing to ensure it is earthed at the "other"end

spuntotheratboy

Thanks all,

In the end, my electrician friend from down the road had a look - he did the original wiring but I thought he was away, hence my posting here!

I was right, I basically wired it up exactly as it was with the addition of an earth from the bare copper in both cables.

He was also nice enough to give me chocky-block and earth sleeving, and lend me wire strippers and cutters

Thanks again to you all.

keith969

Wiring is a bit odd in that they haven't used 2 seperate cables, one for the live/earth of the lighting circuit and one for the switch, but have merged these into a single cable. But this makes sense if the switch is on the path of the lighting circuit, rather than elsewhere as is more common.

GreenSheep

You don't need to be anything to do anything in your own home.

And Part P isn't an electrician.
Part P was designed for kitchen fitters and similar.
Electricians need to be 'competent' and NIC.
'Compentent' basicly means 17th Ed and Inspection and Testing.
Part P is not needed.

zax47

As an electrician I don't know where to start with how wrong you are in some aspects of your post;

"You don't need anything to do anything in your own home" - true BUT for Part P notifable works, if you are claiming competency then you will need to supply Local Authority Building Control (LABC) with your test results and confirmation of how you have complied with BS7671:2008 (by supplying an EIC) . How do you propose to do IR, Zs, R1+R2 tests without a) the skill and knowledge and b) the correct equipment. What about filling out the EIC?

"Part P isn't an electrician". Correct - it is section of the Building Regulations which is specifically concerned with electrical work and notifying certain works to LABC.

"Part P was designed for kitchen fitters and similar", no - however these trades may become cogniscent with the requirements of Part P and how it affects their work by undertaking a "Part P course". This is called "defined scope" and does not make them electricians.

"Electricians need to be 'competent' and NIC", not quite. They need to be competent (qualified, having undertaking training) but NOT NICEIC. As I have stated previously, NICEIC DO NOT ACT AS THE SOLE REGISTRATION BODY FOR PART P REGISTRATION OF COMPETENT ELECTRICIANS. There are four other bodies;

http://www.competentperson.co.uk

Any qualified/competent electrician can carry out Part P notifiable works in your property. He (or she) can be a member of a competent persons Part P registration scheme and self-certify the works, notifying via their scheme provider or notify LABC directly of the works (just as you would as a competent householder doing the work yourself) and pay their fee.

For more about Part P, what you as a DIYer can do (quite a lot) and just what is notifiable work then look here.

GreenSheep

A little summarised.... but not 'very very wrong' anymore...

Cheers.