Earth connection for outdoor

TheCyclingProgrammer

If you are as worried about safety as you say you are then I think you should get an electrician in.

Ectophile

Is that no earth at all, or just no earth on the lighting circuits (which was common up to the 1960's)?

There's nothing to stop you connecting a light to a power circuit, if you fuse it down through an FCU or SFCU.

face-t

if u r as worried about my electrics you can chip in

PS I was prepared for this kind of help :rotfl:so for a comparison I asked same Q on a foreigners forum that work in UK in electrics, well I got most things sorted as they understand no one is able to decide about other people lives, money, time and so on.
And if you are not internet troll but afraid about consequences or loss of money you can just simply keep quiet and move to the topics about food as this is forum for general public not electricians.
Or you could simply adhere to net etiquette.

On a positive side I did't expect such a positive response from 'others' - thanks

face-t

I was looking for an earth rod - but it's nowhere to be seen; wiring is practically without earth otherwise whole thing wouldn't bring so much 'misery' on me


earth is only on new boiler installation and in the kitchen - but it is all well concealed and would involve to much damage

thescouselander

nickcc wrote: »

Cottage I owned some 10 years ago had the earth cable connected to an exterior earthing rod hammered into the ground. Our power supply was and still is supplied by overhead cable. Not sure if this would be acceptable for your purpose but may be worth finding out.

^ This. If its really a PITA to run an earth from your existing system you could bury an earth spike near the wall in question. Might not be that easy though as they're 4 foot long. Sounds like it might be easier to get someone in.

nickcc

face-t wrote: »

I was looking for an earth rod - but it's nowhere to be seen; wiring is practically without earth otherwise whole thing wouldn't bring so much 'misery' on me


earth is only on new boiler installation and in the kitchen - but it is all well concealed and would involve to much damage

As I understand it the earth, when supply is underground, is connected to the outer wired supply cable which ends up at the substation.

EachPenny

nickcc wrote: »

As I understand it the earth, when supply is underground, is connected to the outer wired supply cable which ends up at the substation.

It depends on the supply arrangements for each property, it is a bit more complicated than that. The same applies even if you have overhead supplies, the supply and earthing arrangements vary and it isn't something to make alterations to unless you know exactly what you are doing as it is easy to create an unsafe situation without being aware of it.

I don't want to get into advising the OP what to do, because it sounds like it is a case where professional advice is required. Earthing and outdoor lighting is high risk.

However, I would say that unless you know exactly what you are doing, adding an earth spike is not a DIY job and is unlikely to be the correct solution in the OP's case.

Grenage

It's threads like these that make me rethink the value of an electrics inspection when buying a house.

Ectophile

nickcc wrote: »

As I understand it the earth, when supply is underground, is connected to the outer wired supply cable which ends up at the substation.

There's three different ways in which electricity can be supplied in this country:

TT - The supplier gives you a live and neutral only. The earth is your problem. Usually it's a metal rod banged into the ground. This is common in rural areas with overhead wires.

TN-S - the supplier gives you a live, neutral and earth. The earth is via the lead sheath of the supply cable. This used to be standard in urban areas, but nobody makes lead sheathed cable any more.

TN-C-S, also known as PME - the supplier gives you a live, neutral and earth, but the main earth terminal is really just connected straight to the incoming neutral wire. This easier for the suppliers using plastic insulated cable. Just hope that the neutral doesn't break, because if it does all sorts of nasty things happen.

Neither TN-S nor TN-C-S require an earth rod at the moment, but that may change next year. There's a new version of the "wiring regulations" due, and the draft version had a new bit in it about customers' earths.