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annap · Joined: 08 Jan 2007 Posts: 8 Location: Oxfordshire

Hi
I have just moved house, and have a wall light to wire up to bare wires currently sticking out of the wall. The cable coming from the wall contains a red wire and a black wire but also a bare copper wire which I assume is the earth. Should this wire be bare or should it be sheathed in the more normal green/yellow coating? Do I just wire it up in the normal way or do I need to tape it up to stop it touching anything else?
Sorry if this is a basic question but I've never seen a bare wire like this one.
Thanks

vince knight · Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 8:59 pm Post subject:

The bare wire IS the earth and should be sleeved in green and yellow sleeving. If your new lights have an earth point then connect it, if not just tape it up.

Vince

sparkygerbo · Joined: 31 Jan 2008 Posts: 10 Location: Aotearoa

Sorry but i don't agree with this advice.

NEAVER EVER asume ANYTHING with electrical. Vice , saying the bare wire IS earth , is COMPLETLY WRONG. How do you know how it is wired? Or connected, or who wired it?????? just because the wire is sticking out of the wall , doesn't mean it is connected , or effective at all.

ok Generally speaking , the bare wire SHOULD be earth , but i have seen earth wires used as phase , and neutral conductors before today and ive made that mistake before , thinking the fitting was connected to earth as it suposed to be........but then with a multimeter between phase and exposed metal , only to find Ov , indicating no earth pressent.

always be certain before connecting anything and if you what to .........get yourself a cheep multimeter , and test to make sure the wires you asume to be phase neutral and earth ARE in fact that.

A 20 dolloar multimeter is all you need , but then if you are looking at the wires not knowing what they are you shouldn't be doing any work with them anyhow!!