Earth Bonding

[jameslaurieuk]

Looking at a bungalow today to determine safety of the electrics and first thing I see is where the kitchen has been taken out and the earth bonding to the hot and cold water pipes is loose on one and disconnected on the other. Then I notice the water pipes have plastic push fit T pieces in them isolating the cold from the incoming main.

Would you replace the t-pieces with copper or run additional bonding to the other side of the t-pieces?

 

[poni]

it should before any tee and within 600mm of where the water pipe enters the property, if its a metallic pipe

 

[jameslaurieuk]

it should before any tee and within 600mm of where the water pipe enters the property, if its a metallic pipe

thanks, that makes more sense.

 

[kerching]

it should before any tee and within 600mm WHERE PRACTICABLE of where the water pipe enters the property, if its a metallic pipe

 

[mort2376]

More and more of these plastic joints being used. At one point plumber's were always told to install a flylead across them but you very rarely see it.

I have started on old installation adding a additional 10mm bond to the water and gas at the boiler then cross bonding all the pipes.

Belt and braces approach, but still doesn't guarantee every piece of copper is at earth potential as you can't see joints hidden under the floor.

 

[apprentice87]

Ok, i am certainly no electrician, and the bit of pipework with the valve wants bonding, but as for the rest, [and in the same situation in other buildings] why would you not just test if the pipework was an extraneous part, and if not, forget about it??

john..

 

[Andy™]

why would you not just test if the pipework was an extraneous part, and if not, forget about it??

john..

because too many are simply told to bond at the point of entry, they have no idea what the actual regs are or why its even bonded in the first place. they just keep going, repeating the same mistake without any thought

probably don't even know what extranous means, and even less likely to know what 22k means

 

[binky]

Ok, i am certainly no electrician, and the bit of pipework with the valve wants bonding, but as for the rest, [and in the same situation in other buildings] why would you not just test if the pipework was an extraneous part, and if not, forget about it??

john..

trouble is, it takes up to about a meter of plastic pipe to fully insulate against leccy travelling through the water depending on the impurities in the water itself. The only way to really find out if a fly lead is needed is by testing exposed pipwork for an earth path, although I cn't think what the acceptable resistance is off the top of my head.

I had a call ot many years ago to investigate 'noises' from under a bath. To cut along story short, whoever had fitted the bath had put a screw for the bath frame (plastic bath) through an old immersion cable that had not been disconnected at the board. This in turn was making a length of copper pipe live, and occassionally leccy was arcing through the water past a plastic elbow. Bastard nearly killed me, I discovered the pipe was live when I brushed my arm past it, and it was on old rewirable fuses, no RCDs to be seen!

 

[kerching]

Not really connected with this but I have some plastic earth/bonding clips! Seriously, no really I have! REALLY!

 

[Andy™]

why are we not surprised at that?

 

[poni]

Not really connected with this but I have some plastic earth/bonding clips! Seriously, no really I have! REALLY!

post a photo please

 

[Andy™]

probably these. never used or seen them on an actual job though

https://hcl-clamping.co.uk/products/ezybond-earth-clamp-15mm-pipe-2-5-6-mm-cable

 

[kerching]

probably these. never used or seen them on an actual job though

https://hcl-clamping.co.uk/products/ezybond-earth-clamp-15mm-pipe-2-5-6-mm-cable

Thems the ones! Really good. That good that I was given a bag and never opened it!
But I'm willing to open it for the good of the forum

 

[poni]

Not really connected with this but I have some plastic earth/bonding clips! Seriously, no really I have! REALLY!

for some reason I read in" plastic pipe earth clips" ??

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Looking at a bungalow today to determine safety of the electrics and first thing I see is where the kitchen has been taken out and the earth bonding to the hot and cold water pipes is loose on one and disconnected on the other. Then I notice the water pipes have plastic push fit T pieces in them isolating the cold from the incoming main.

Would you replace the t-pieces with copper or run additional bonding to the other side of the t-pieces?

Not 100% convinced that "earth bonding" actually exists?

A "Bonding Conductor" is used to provide "Equipotential Bonding"
and an "Earth conductor" is used to connect a MET to an earth electrode, or other means of earthing.

So I don't think an earth bonding conductor is actually part of BS7671?

Bottom line for your question is...
Have you proved the that the suspect metal work is actually extraneous?
as this has a major effect of what does or doesn't need to be bonded.

 

[binky]

Thems the ones! Really good. That good that I was given a bag and never opened it!
But I'm willing to open it for the good of the forum

Those were taken off sale due to failing to meet standards ie they didn't make a good bond to a pipe

 

[kerching]

Those were taken off sale due to failing to meet standards ie they didn't make a good bond to a pipe

I can see why!!!!!!

 

[UNG]

I remember getting a sample of those clamps in the post when they came to market and didn't rate them due the minimal metal on metal contact which could reduce how effective they were in the long term once a bit of condensation or damp is thrown into the mix