Metal 230v spike spot lamps in the graden.

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

So here's a thought to ponder....

Amongst doing "other work" on a job today..

asked to look as some garden lights that no longer work...

There are Five of these sort of metal 230V GU10 lamps that stick in the ground on a spike..

Bit like these:  https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/GLGU10SPIKE.html

Found one external box where SWA connects to lamp flex..



But as for where the other 4 lamps connect onto the supply is anybody's guess.!?

Bottom line is that if 'power is turned on' customer said it trips the fuse box...

IR test gives 0.0Meg ohms @ 230V..  Live->Earth  (and Neutral->Earth)

Couldn't find any of the other boxes..

So for the time being..  both Live & Neutral disconnected at the fuse box awaiting further investigations...

Some of the lamps did have damp and cr4p inside....



But my other thoughts were to issues of "Exporting Earth"....

I assume these metal fittings are also earthed via the spike that sticks in the ground.....

Didn't have time (or couldn't be arsed to actually check earth continuity to the spike,  as the lights didn't work anyway!)..

BUT....

supply is TN-C-S



So in effect we have...

TN-C-S to all the internal house electrics..

Plus 1.5mm SWA supplying 5x mini-earth rods part of GU10 spot lamps stuffed in the garden....

SO....

in the event of fault conditions the garden lights supply could be taking a proportion of the full fault current divided between other bonding..

(taking in to account that the incoming water is plastic!) and the garden lights.are all metal.....  !

Bit concerning re: designed & installed by garden landscapers several years ago!!

:C

 

[Murdoch]

interesting ......... I fault "found" a number of these very lights a couple of years back . My conclusion was that the flex coming from the lamps to the junction boxes had "broken" down.

The lights were just over 1 year old

The cable was marked as HN05 (off shore source) - but HN05 should have lasted longer IMHO

I contacted the manufacturer - who said as they had lasted over 1 year, there was nothing they could do (and didn't seem to care).

Customer ask for them to be be removed correctly and the RCD hasn't tripped since

As for the earth, the ones I looked at had 3c from the light to the JB's so no exporting!

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Four of these lamps had the flex buried direct into the ground, no protection and no idea how or where the other end of the flex gets its power!

So with maybe 2m or 3m flex... tried to locate where they terminate..

But hardly any movement if try pulling them up out of the earth..!

There is a fair bit of paving slabs and artificial turf around the lights..

I am guessing builder/gardener has burred a load of connections somewhere..?

It was all pre-installed when customer moved in..

So I've just disconnected it, and left it with the customer to try and dig and trace the hidden boxes..

If or when I go back, if they manage to find anything I shall update...

And actually measure to see if the metal spikes are also connected to earth.

:coffee

 

[Geoff1946]

What a horrible thought!  Mains live flex buried in the flower beds!