Morning...
have had problems with my upstairs lighting circuit tripping
...have traced fault to snapped earth wire near to bathroom cord switch...have bought a new pull cord switch but the earth i have from the loft is not long enough to connect(and there is no give at all).can i use connector block?
TIA
Carol

If you've got room to get one in, then yes that would be fine.
You'll need to sleeve your new piece of earth wire to make sure it doesn't touch anywhere it isn't supposed to.

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I am not a pro.

That could be the problem!!..i will only need 2 so hopefully will manage...have still got the snapped wire with sleeve on.

me again...went to buy the block today and there was 5A and 15A..which one do i need for the wires....and do both ends of the earth wire have to be touching each other when i tighten the screws.
TIA

Whoa there, a broken earth wire will not cause any problems at all at a pullcord, so i think you might have more than that to worry about. What were the symptoms of the problem and how did you come to the conclusion that a broken earth was causing it???


Nick

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If it isnt broke dont bloody touch it until it bloody well is and if it is broke then make drawing of the connections before you remove the broken one and replace with a new one LoL

The screw to tighten the live wire had come loose in the fitting which was probably the original problem...(the last switch and light fitting i checked on the upstairs circuit...typical!)..this was when i noticed the snapped earth .

how do i repair the the earth wire please

Normally the earth wire serves no purpose in a pullcord as theyt are 9 times out of ten plastic. If you can still get the end fo the earth wire to put a connector block on it then just do that . If the earth is connected to the pull switc h then you have bigger problems than the snapped earth.


Nick

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If it isnt broke dont bloody touch it until it bloody well is and if it is broke then make drawing of the connections before you remove the broken one and replace with a new one LoL

As it was connected on the last swith i was going to do the same on the new switch..(it is all plastic)..it snapped about 2 inches up from the pullcord but not enough slack to reach..the other wires are ok......so im ok to put the snapped end in a block and taped and not have it connected to the switch?or join the 2 snapped ends in a block and keep it connected to the switch..
TIA

Any chance of a picture as something is just not sounding right here. How many individual wires are at the pullcord , what colours are the cores you have ? how many terminals are in the pullcord where you connect the wires to ? I am assuming this is the pullcord for the lighting .

Please provide more information as somethings just not ringing true here.

Nick

_________________
If it isnt broke dont bloody touch it until it bloody well is and if it is broke then make drawing of the connections before you remove the broken one and replace with a new one LoL

Morning...
will have a go with photo later..(never done it before!)
It is a whie plactic bog standard pull cord for bathroom from B&Q
It has L,L1 and L2 and an earth connector.
wires from ceiling are 1 black, 1 red and earth.
Thanks

Not having luck fathoming how to get photo from phone onto here!

Oh dear. The pullcord should just have the red and the black in it , red to C and black to either L1 or L2.

The earth should just go to a terminal in the back box of the pullcord, i have never seen a pullcord with the earth terminal on it before. Personally i would just put a piece of earth sleeve over it and a 5a connector block on the end of it.


Nick

_________________
If it isnt broke dont bloody touch it until it bloody well is and if it is broke then make drawing of the connections before you remove the broken one and replace with a new one LoL

Thanks..i thought so but just wanted to be doubly sure..why is there an earth terminal on the plastic pullcord then

That i cannot answer, maybe its becaue its an el cheapo pullcord, the manafacturers thought it would be easier to have it on the pullcord mechanism rather than the back box , who knows, your guess is as good as mine.

Nick

_________________
If it isnt broke dont bloody touch it until it bloody well is and if it is broke then make drawing of the connections before you remove the broken one and replace with a new one LoL