In the image below are the connections that are fed from an indoor light
switch. On the mounting plate there are 3 wires Red/live, black/neutral
and another thinner wire that is black and unconnected.
Would this be an earth?

On the connections to the lamp there are 3 wires brown/live, blue
neutral and an earth, the earth connects to the metal fram of the lamp
and in to the connector block but then does not feed in to the system.
Is this correct as in my mind the earth is useless if it doesnt earth
anywhere.

Secondly I am trying to feed an led flood in to this which will require
an earth, where would this earth wire go assuming that the wall plate
wiring doesnt have an earth unless the thin unconnected black wire is
the earth.

Image:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...psunzilai6.jpg

ss wrote:
In the image below are the connections that are fed from an indoor light
switch. On the mounting plate there are 3 wires Red/live, black/neutral
and another thinner wire that is black and unconnected.
Would this be an earth?

On the connections to the lamp there are 3 wires brown/live, blue
neutral and an earth, the earth connects to the metal fram of the lamp
and in to the connector block but then does not feed in to the system.
Is this correct as in my mind the earth is useless if it doesnt earth
anywhere.

Secondly I am trying to feed an led flood in to this which will require
an earth, where would this earth wire go assuming that the wall plate
wiring doesnt have an earth unless the thin unconnected black wire is
the earth.

Image:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...psunzilai6.jpg

That third wire does not look black to me but instead seems to be bare
oxidised copper and so is quite possibly an earth. Look at the wiring of
the inside switch and you should be able to check if it is connected to
earth or left floating.
Yes you do need an earth so if the thinner wire is not connected to
earth, then make a connection to earth at the indoor end.

On 04/04/2015 14:05, Bob Minchin wrote:
ss wrote:
In the image below are the connections that are fed from an indoor light
switch. On the mounting plate there are 3 wires Red/live, black/neutral
and another thinner wire that is black and unconnected.
Would this be an earth?

On the connections to the lamp there are 3 wires brown/live, blue
neutral and an earth, the earth connects to the metal fram of the lamp
and in to the connector block but then does not feed in to the system.
Is this correct as in my mind the earth is useless if it doesnt earth
anywhere.

Secondly I am trying to feed an led flood in to this which will require
an earth, where would this earth wire go assuming that the wall plate
wiring doesnt have an earth unless the thin unconnected black wire is
the earth.

Image:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...psunzilai6.jpg

That third wire does not look black to me but instead seems to be bare
oxidised copper and so is quite possibly an earth. Look at the wiring of
the inside switch and you should be able to check if it is connected to
earth or left floating.
Yes you do need an earth so if the thinner wire is not connected to
earth, then make a connection to earth at the indoor end.

Thanks Bob you are indeed correct, on closer inspection it is oxodised
copper, so I will check the earth connection indoors at the switch.
Looks like that earth was never connected or came loose at some point.

On 04/04/2015 14:13, ss wrote:
on closer inspection it is oxodised copper, so I will check the earth
connection indoors at the switch.
Looks like that earth was never connected or came loose at some point.

But bear in mind that, depending on the date your house was wired, there
is no guarantee that an earth conductor in any lighting circuit is
actually connected to earth. You will need to check continuity between
the apparent earth conductor and a known earth point.

--
Mike Clarke

Mike Clarke wrote in
o.uk:

On 04/04/2015 14:13, ss wrote:
on closer inspection it is oxodised copper, so I will check the earth
connection indoors at the switch.
Looks like that earth was never connected or came loose at some point.

But bear in mind that, depending on the date your house was wired, there
is no guarantee that an earth conductor in any lighting circuit is
actually connected to earth. You will need to check continuity between
the apparent earth conductor and a known earth point.


Put some green/yellow sleeving over it. costs pence or cadge some.

On 04/04/2015 15:59, DerbyBorn wrote:
Put some green/yellow sleeving over it. costs pence or cadge some.

Sorted. I just stripped a piece off another piece of cable I had.

Its almost certainly quite an old installation, and many did use bare wire
earths, the ones in my house are like this. I find it hard to believe that
this wire or a connection from it is not present on the light its wired to.
Maybe its been clipped off and is still available further down. I think it
is indeed prudent to attempt to connect this to the lights that are
switched, as otherwise there could be anasty surprise if a short to live
occurs from case parts due to weather damage or somesuch.

Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
"Bob Minchin" wrote in message
...
ss wrote:
In the image below are the connections that are fed from an indoor light
switch. On the mounting plate there are 3 wires Red/live, black/neutral
and another thinner wire that is black and unconnected.
Would this be an earth?

On the connections to the lamp there are 3 wires brown/live, blue
neutral and an earth, the earth connects to the metal fram of the lamp
and in to the connector block but then does not feed in to the system.
Is this correct as in my mind the earth is useless if it doesnt earth
anywhere.

Secondly I am trying to feed an led flood in to this which will require
an earth, where would this earth wire go assuming that the wall plate
wiring doesnt have an earth unless the thin unconnected black wire is
the earth.

Image:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...psunzilai6.jpg

That third wire does not look black to me but instead seems to be bare
oxidised copper and so is quite possibly an earth. Look at the wiring of
the inside switch and you should be able to check if it is connected to
earth or left floating.
Yes you do need an earth so if the thinner wire is not connected to earth,
then make a connection to earth at the indoor end.

On 05/04/2015 08:45, Brian Gaff wrote:

Its almost certainly quite an old installation, and many did use bare wire
earths,

Such an installation would likely pre-date the requirement for earthed
lighting circuits. It's possible that a convenient length of T&E was
used to extend the circuit to the outside light, in which case the other
end of the "earth" wire probably isn't connected to anything.

It's also possible that T&E was used for the original installation
(because that's what was conveniently to hand) but the CPC was never
connected to anything. Our previous early 1960's house was wired like
this, the CPC was just cut back flush with the end of the cable outer
sheath at most fittings :-(

If T&E has been used when making additions to a non earthed lighting
installation then connecting the CPC to the casing of light fittings
etc. could create a safety hazard. In the event of an earth fault in one
fitting all the other fittings connected to the same floating length of
CPC would become live.

Hence the reason for suggesting the OP should check the continuity
between the exposed "earth" conductor and a known earth point in my
earlier post.

--
Mike Clarke

On 05/04/2015 16:06, Mike Clarke wrote:
Our previous early 1960's house was wired like this

The house was built approx 1980 the extension which is where the wiring
is was built 1989.

On Sunday, April 5, 2015 at 4:06:17 PM UTC+1, Mike Clarke wrote:
On 05/04/2015 08:45, Brian Gaff wrote:

Its almost certainly quite an old installation, and many did use bare wire
earths,

Such an installation would likely pre-date the requirement for earthed
lighting circuits.

unsleeved earth wires are modern.


NT