Earth bonding queries

[plumbinguser]

Hi

I have had a condensing boiler fitted and have been reasonably happy with it after the electrics were sorted out after advice on this forum.

Someone from another company has been in and said that the metal work on the pipes should be bonded together and to earth. This has not been done so the question is should it be? Is it a legal requirement.

There is also a radiator in the bathroom and an electric towel rail. Neither of these appear to be bonded to earth and there appears to be some conflicting advice on searching. So the question is should they out of good practice or legal requirement.

Please set me straight as I would like the job to be correct.

Thank You

 

[WHPES]

Yes. I think it's in the Building Regs and its probably in the IEE regs too.

Should be linked with 6mm earth cable and bonding tags and tied to earth. Are the rads linked by copper or plastic pipe? The pipework is to be bonded as close as possible to where it enters the property.

 

[Blackcatgas]

No, not always needed anymore, it was explained to me why the other day but it went in one ear and out of the other, ask on a sparkys forum!.It was even sugested that it could be more dangerous as if there was an electrical short onto a pipe it could electrify everything.

 

[jpm]

As long as gas meter is bonded with 10mm and incoming main it's now not in regs(17th edition)Bath/shower room installs still require it though.Thats what my GSR and spark mate tells me

 

[john.bell55]

From my son who is a sparky. All the metal pipes are cross bonded. with 6mm cable. The reason for bonding is to equalise the potential difference (voltage) thus reducing risk of shock should a fault occur ( You get a shock when there is a difference in voltage).As the gas pipe maybe the only fully metallic pipe system, any earthing problems would go to earth via this pipe. The consumer unit is earthed to the gas, water and central heating pipes via 10mm cable.

Cheers
Jack

 

[kirkgas]

cross bonding along all the boiler pipes (and at kitchen sink) is no longer required, its justthe old fashioned way we used to do it, and therefore "must" be right, check with the sparks on bathroom regs as they are specific and have changed under the 17th edition, again some sparks are like us and think in old money all the time

 

[plumbinguser]

Thanks for the replies

jpm, I will check the gas meter bonding but is it the meter and all the pipes in/out of the meter?

whpes, the pipes are all metal to the radiators so I presume that the continuity to earth goes through that amd so does not need its own erath at the bathroom radiator?

 

[jpm]

Thanks for the replies

jpm, I will check the gas meter bonding but is it the meter and all the pipes in/out of the meter?

whpes, the pipes are all metal to the radiators so I presume that the continuity to earth goes through that amd so does not need its own erath at the bathroom radiator?

Within 600mm of meter outlet before the first branch

 

[WHPES]

You can always test continuity with a multimeter.

 

[quality]

Regulation 701.415.2 states that if all circuits (lighting, shower, extractor shaver points etc) in the bathroom are protected by 30mA RCDs then supplementary bonding may be omitted