UK Is this method of earthing backboxes standard ???

[mainline]

yes... to space the screw so the threads are still holding.... but might be too much to get the plate back on the wall.

Not ideal when there is a better alternative of drilling and tapping.

Did a lot of rewiring of old farm houses as an apprentice, back in the 90's... drilling and tapping the boxes... and metal toggle plates had earth pigtails soldered onto the back of them, and brasso'ed up to look shiny

The nut would be on the back of the lug plenty of space.

 

[westward10]

You're making this more complicated than it is.

 

[littlespark]

You're making this more complicated than it is.

Just getting the thread count up a bit.....

 

[littlespark]

The nut would be on the back of the lug plenty of space.

Noted... i thought you just meant as a spacer.... but you're meaning a 3.5 to tighten onto the screw from behind.

 

[EddieB]

Definitely not, get it fixed down on the back box as described in the earlier posts

 

[brianmoooore]

Wonder if the box is threaded 2BA instead if metric. They look pretty old.
No problem securing the earth wire ring terminal, if properly crimped, to one of the spare fixed lugs as long as a suitable setscrew is used.

 

[James]

They could do with buying some crimp tools, a pair of side cutters look to have been used to attach the lug to the cable.
And by that, I use the word attach in the loosest of possible ways.

 

[Alanc123]

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I'm guessing it used to be earthed through the conduit and since it's been rewired with an additional cpc there's probably no earth terminal in the back box and rather than take the time to drill and tap a secure earth fixing the lazy cowboy has cut corners and lugged it onto the face plate screw. It's just poor shoddy workmanship #lazy cowboy

 

[Brunel]

My housing association are rewiring the high-rise flat, and I've noticed they are earthing the lightswitch backboxes by using a small ring on the earth wire connecting the old backboxes using the faceplate screw to the backbox lug. Is this industry standard or bad practice, and is it safe

 

[Brunel]

PHOTO ADJUSTED FOR CLARITY.

 

[James]

PHOTO ADJUSTED FOR CLARITY.

Thank you for clarifying how poor it is.
Can’t use any of the more colourful descriptive terms that I had in mind because of the profanity filters!

 

[7029 dave]

Nobody has asked but I will, why are you stripping down and inspecting whats being done. lol

 

[littlespark]

Nobody has asked but I will, why are you stripping down and inspecting whats being done. lol

Possibly because it'll be a "lived in" rewire for the HA. You cant help but notice what's going on around you.

 

[Simon47]

I've an idea ...
Instead of listing what's wrong, lets see if we can list something that's right

 

[brianmoooore]

I've an idea ...
Instead of listing what's wrong, lets see if we can list something that's right

Two of the wires are the right colour. Two out of three ain't bad.
As well as the 'crimping' of the ring terminal, it probably should be a 'red', not a 'blue'. I doubt that the wire's 2.5mm2.