No earth on light circuit

Members often contact our Technical Team to ask what they should do if they determine that an existing lighting circuit, particularly in older installations, does not have an earth.

Technical generally advise members to determine if the existing fittings are class 2 double insulated. If they are, they are not required to be earthed.

Double insulated fittings can be identified via the following symbol:

While batten holders are not classified as double insulated as they are a non-metallic fitting, they can be installed on an existing circuit without an earth.

Alternatively, if the client wants to keep their existing fittings, members can offer to earth them by running an earth wire from the fittings back to the main switch board.