Unearthed Downlighters

[TC101]

I am carrying out some work in a house. It involves reconnecting 2 downlighters fitted in a recently renovated shower room. The connections can be accessed from the attic. The downlighters have metal casings but no earth connection. It appears as if the connections (live and neutral) are totally sealed in a plasic unit. These fiitings were purchsed recently (a few weeks ago) from B&Q and as far as I am told are sold as fittings for bathrooms and showers. I find it difficult to believe that any fitting which has a metal casing should not have an earth connection. Even if the connections are totally sealed (by sealed I mean clamped in a plastic unit with a cover you have to remove to gain access) There is always the possiblity that a live cable could break or become loose and make contact with the casing. It just does not feel right and I am reluctant to reconnect them. I have inspected the fittings thoroughly and there is no earth connection

Any comments please.

 

[Apache]

Do you have a make/model number by any chance?

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

It is not uncommon for Double insulated 'Class II' fittings to have decorative metal parts that do not need earth connections,

Sounds like the plastic bits you refer to ARE part of the double insulation...

Do they have the double insulated "square in a square symbol" on them anywhere?

 

[TC101]

Those are very good comments. I will check tomorrow to see if the fittings have the "Class 2 Mark".

Thanks. !!!!!!!!!

 

[green-hornet]

It is not uncommon for Double insulated 'Class II' fittings to have decorative metal parts that do not need earth connections,Sounds like the plastic bits you refer to ARE part of the double insulation...

Do they have the double insulated "square in a square symbol" on them anywhere?

Very good advise, many an electrician including me have assumed because they are of mettalic design they are not class II.

You must always check for the symbol, and never assume.

 

[Blue Fox]

Just done a c/u change that involved rewiring lighting to include earth and customer had 2 weeks previous fitted 6 downlights in the living room himslef which had no earth. These were metal casings from B&Q and sound exactly the same as the ones you have, I couldn't find an earth connection on them either so took them to be double insulated although couldn't find the symbol on them.

 

[M107]

Had the same on Saturday customer purchased DL's (from Edmundson) to go in kitchen the fittings had a terminal block for cpc connection but no link to DL metal casing, nothing on the casing indicating ClassII but on boxing stated fittings are classsII.

 

[Adrian]

dont forget to connect the earths into a connector to continue the earthing in the cable just incase someone changes the fitting to class 1 later on

 

[Evans Electric]

I think most D/ Lts are Class 11 now , well JCC certainly are .