Earthing our house? Shocks!

[mrsharrison]

We have jus brought a house and are getting shocks of the metal appliances. We have called out an electrician who has said that the house has no earth and that we are on a TT system?

There is a green wire on the back of the house but it is not covered with plastic. He has said that it would cost �250 to put in a new earth, is this realistic cost or should he just connect to the old.

House is about 60 years old, we where told had been rewired about 8 years ago, electrician says it has been done by DIYer, including box!

Also he wants �250 to take off every box and socket as has found bear earth wire in some sockets, does this sound right? We have paid him �75 for 3 hours so far to try and find the fault and are now stuck with only lighting, oven and sockets for a week and a bit as he is to busy to come back before then. He said he cant leave on as dangerous!? Advice Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please !!!!!!!

[Hymie]

A TT electrical system has no incoming earth wire with the mains supply to the house. The earth is normally provided via a long metal spike in the ground; it sounds like your problem is associated with this.
I have known similar problems occur due to long dry spells � soaking the ground at the earth spike normally cures things.

Given the importance of having a reliable earth connection, I would advise that you get is sorted ASAP. Get 3 quotes for the job, that way you can be reasonably sure that you are not being ripped off.

In older wiring (very old), it was common not to insulate the earth conductor (bare wire), this suggest the person who rewired the house 8 years ago, may have cut corners.

Having a bare earth wire is not necessarily a major issue. What I suspect the electrician is proposing to do, is to place a short length of insulation over the bare earth wire at each socket termination, where it could come into contact with the Live or Neutral connections (of the socket). If you take the view that nothing will cause the bare earth wire to contact Live or Neutral, then there will be no problem.

(�75 for 3 hours sounds very reasonable)

[Disco Fever]

Have a look at the "new" fuseboard as it should be a Circuit Breaker board and should have fitted an RCD as the main incomer if it hasn't then it doesn't comply to the latest regs as the earth stake in the ground will not have a decent earth to trip the circuit breakers thus the RCD will trip if any fault occurs and by the sound of it you haven't got one otherwise it would of tripped even tho you don't have a good earth....