MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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I've just bought a cheapy fluorescent batten for the garage but there's no earth in the wiring. It's a garage 'en-bloc' (as estate agents love to say) with a plastic conduit coming through the wall from the garage next door. There's no earth wire in the switch either so would imagine there's none in the whole block. A quick search suggests cheap, cheerful and double-insulated are not commonly found together, if at all, not to mention the £15 I've just spent. Any suggestions?
Presumeably no meter either?
Invest heavily in hydroponics and set up a hash factory?
No other useful suggestions available.
How are you planning to turn the electricity off when you put a new light in?
Replace is with either a normal hanging pendant or a batten lamp holder, depending on ceiling height.
Fire in the brightest BC lamp you can get, 22watt low energy would be perfect.
Shouldn't be more than £7 all in and will not require an earth.
Happy days 🙂
Murf, that is what's already there and it's not bright enough for fettling, plus it's low down and keeps getting battered.
[i]How are you planning to turn the electricity off when you put a new light in?[/i]
Switch off, rubber gloves and wellies 😉 I was actually planning to find out from the maintenance guys where the breakers are, I just know they're not in my stairwell.
Why does it need an earth? Are you planning on spending a lot of time on the ceiling?
[i] Are you planning on spending a lot of time on the ceiling? [/i]
marvinpines = Lionel Ritchie?
Why does it need an earth? Are you planning on spending a lot of time on the ceiling?
In my garage some of the chain fixing points are quite close to the lights so I think it's always best to be safe. And I prefer to work on my guests with DC.
marvinpines = Lionel Ritchie?
Oh, I so wish I'd thought of that.
Depends if Lionel Richie's layin' it down.
The fitting has a steel chassis and says "This appliance must be earthed". I'm not 100% convinced it's necessary so thought I'd open a can of worms on here...
Damn my slow typing!
Hmm.. wire falls out, touches casing, light goes out.
Marvinpines: Oh look the light's gone, let me just replace it
Ohm's law: The casing of this appliance is now live, have some current. Boom!
Can you not just run a seperate earth into it..
And wire the thing through an inline RCD...
Lights quite often don't have an earth connection if they are double insulated and have no surface / exposed metal parts.....
EDIT: and yes, you will die; but unlikely this light will have anything to do with it.