Different Part P certification schemes also interprete things differently.

I have dealt with 3 different Part P schemes and not been happy with any of them.

Thanks everyone for your input. I am a DIYer, but I don't bodge and work to high standards - that's why I try to get pro opinions where I can.

I do have the option of spuring off the ring main, but it's a slightly trickier cable run. Sounds like that's the best option then so I can include a rather pointless earth.

In reality, the length of the cable, from the ceiling rose would be about a metre within a loft area. There will be no doubt that there's no earth. I've got no plans to move from the property for many years so I would be comfortable with installing without an earth, either snipped or singles. It's would have been a safe installation but, I understand, probably wouldn't meet the regs.

Thanks for your help and I think it's about time to close this long post

that is incorrect, it would not be a safe installation. you don't seem to understand why we say it. it's not because the regs say so, it's because the bare earth wire snipped off at both ends can become live on fault. connected to earth at source then that can never happen.

don't spur it off the ring, that is not the way to do it.

you have already told us how old your wiring is, don't add anything in a bathroom without RCD protection, you must wire a new supply to it.

you said you had it tested and it passed, i don't see how it can pass earth readings without an earth? i bet they also didn't tell you that you must not fit anything metal on a lighting circuit. ignoring this doesn't mean it won't kill you.

without even getting a tester out, i would hazard a guess that 99% of sparkies would tell you your way over due to rewire when we know you have no earth in your lighting. that instantly tells us that your main earth, if even present, will be insufficient. your bonding will either be none existent or more than likely inadequate. your fuses are the old rewireable type and possibly the metal clad units with the old white porcelain MEM fuses. your sockets will be spurs off spurs off spurs and subject to you over loading them with today's appliances.

the list goes on and i havn't even seen your house but i can pretty much guess that is what i will find.

it's all too common that people fit new windows or decorate to make everything look nice before they consider rewiring. new windows and decoration looks pretty cr4p in a melted black mess.

OK - I'll use singles so there's no earth to become live. The fan is in-line and will be in the loft space above the bathroom and the switch is a pull cord.

You make a lot of assumptions about my house - for info, the CU was replaced and ring rewired about 4 years ago. There are no unknown spurs. The sparkie wanted to replace the lighting circuit (off the record said it will outlast him) but followed the ESC advice for replacing a CU without earth in lighting circuit. All fittings are non-metal, apart from 2 which are class 2. The yellow warning label is attached to the CU. There's an RCD on the circuit, but I recognise that an earth is needed also to bring it up to current standards which will be done at some point. The bonding is adequate and was improved at rewire.

The planned installation would be as safe as the current lighting circuit (which while is not up to standard, is still safe and legal). And when lighting circuit is replaced, I'll get sparkie to rewire fan also.

all of those assumptions fit perfectly with 28 years experience in this situation being 99/100 what i said. an earth isn't needed to bring the RCD up to current standards, it is required to make the RCD work.

why won't you do the sensible thing and install a new circuit form the CU as we are advising you to do? is your CU totally inaccessible?

Because running an earth to an appliance that doesn't require an earth is pointless. The cable run is extremely short (about 1 metre) and in a loft space, not chased into a wall.

It will be improved when the lighting circuit is replaced. But, for various reasons, that will be done in a few years time.

it's not pointless at all, it's the correct way to do it.

you asked for advice, we have all given you it but because it doesn't match what you want to do does not make it pointless. either do the job correctly or not at all but nobody on here will give you advice that is wrong.

you are installing a new circuit that totally contravenes the current regs and more to the point, good practice.

i'm sorry we could not be of any help to you.

Thanks Rich-Ando. Your responses are appreciated and have changed my longer term plans for the lighting circuit.

My original post was not about the lack of earth, it was about the live. It wasn't me that brought this up...

Don't be too harsh on yourself - you've been a great help

Apologies to anyone looking in as they have received a reply notification.

Sir_Hamster has a new thread.

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