DIY Earth Bonding?

[jmhill]

Hi,

I have just moved into a new home which requires some extensive renovation including a re-wire.

As the current earthing arrangements appear outdated I have contacted my local distribution company who have informed me that my property can provided with PME but before they will carry out the work I need a certificate to show that earth bonding has been installed in my house.

I realise that I will need a qualified electrician to provide the certificate but can I carry out the bonding myself or will I need to rewire the house first? I am intending to carry out the renovation a room at a time to minimise disruption and was hoping to re-wire each room at a time for the same reason. I would like to avoid rewiring the whole house in one go if I can but am also keen to ensure the electricity supply in the house is safe while I carry out the work.

Thanks in advance,

Jon

 

[ericmark]

There is no qualification to be an electrician. If one has the skill one can do the job and complete the forms. The forms are free down load from IET web site. As to what others will accept that is up to them. I had to convince the LABC that I was knowable enough, but never had a problem with the supply authority.

There is the chicken and egg problem, in that the easiest way to test an earth bond is to measure the loop impedance and one can't measure loop impedance until you have a supply. So it would mean using a low ohm meter which should use at least 200 mA to do the tests. Where a new supply has been required in the past it has been common for a consumer unit with say just 4 sockets to be supplied and as the work progresses then circuits are added. This clearly means extension leads and normally a 110 volt supply transformer until each room is completed.

Without scheme membership this would require the LABC to agree to your plans. It is the LABC who need satisfying as to your skills. To allow Polish Greek or Germans to work in this country as EEC membership requires we can't have a fixed qualification.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

As the current earthing arrangements appear outdated

What do you mean by "outdated"? Do you have a safe earth or not? Fashion doesn't really come into it.

I have contacted my local distribution company who have informed me that my property can provided with PME but before they will carry out the work I need a certificate to show that earth bonding has been installed in my house.

So have an electrician check, and if necessary fix, the bonding.

I realise that I will need a qualified electrician to provide the certificate but can I carry out the bonding myself or will I need to rewire the house first?

No, there shouldn't be any need to rewire first - in fact the regulations say that no work may be done until it's been ascertained that the earthing and bonding is OK.

But you'll have a problem with this certificate. This is what the electrician will be certifying on it:

I being the person responsible for the design, construction, inspection & testing of the electrical installation (as indicated by my signature below), particulars of which are described above, having exercised reasonable skill and care when carrying out the design, construction, inspection & testing hereby CERTIFY that the said work for which I have been responsible is to the best of my knowledge and belief in accordance with BS 7671:2008, amended to 2015 except for the departures, if any, detailed as follows:

How can she sign that if she didn't do the work? And if you, being the person who did actually do the work, sign it, will the DNO accept it?

I am intending to carry out the renovation a room at a time to minimise disruption and was hoping to re-wire each room at a time for the same reason.

And that's also fraught with problems, for the same reason. The work is notifiable, so you either need to apply for (and pay for) approval in advance, or you need to have the work done by a registered electrician. Actually done - you can't ask her to lie and say that she did it when she didn't.

If you do get approval before starting, Building Control are still going to want proof that the work complies, so, again, will they accept EICs from you, or will they want ones from a qualified electrician? If the latter, how many visits will you have to pay her to make?

If you go for the option of using a registered third-party certifier (if you can find one - they are few and far between), how many separate engagements will there need to be? Sounds like one per room.

I think you need to re-think your plan.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

To allow Polish Greek or Germans to work in this country as EEC membership requires we can't have a fixed qualification.

• It hasn't been called the EEC for 22 years.
• We have never had mandatory qualifications.
• Do you have an ulterior motive?

 

[jmhill]

Hi,

Thanks for the responses.

So can I carry out the work test it and sign off the certificate myself, that sounds odd?

An electrician has tested the current installation there is an earth but its not obvious so he is fitting a ground spike as a temporary measure.

So are you saying there is no way I can do the bonding myself and get it certificated afterwards? If I can't do it myself I'll have to pay someone but if I do can I just get the bonding done without a rewire? I. Just trying to save money where I can.

Regards,

Jon

 

[ban-all-sheds]

So can I carry out the work test it and sign off the certificate myself, that sounds odd?

Nobody here knows if you can.

But you may, as long as you are competent. Are you? And can you prove it so that other people, like the DNO and Building Control, will accept that you are and will accept your EICs?

An electrician has tested the current installation there is an earth but its not obvious

What does that mean?

so he is fitting a ground spike as a temporary measure.

Why?

So are you saying there is no way I can do the bonding myself and get it certificated afterwards?

You've read the declaration.

If I can't do it myself I'll have to pay someone but if I do can I just get the bonding done without a rewire?

No, there shouldn't be any need to rewire first - in fact the regulations say that no work may be done until it's been ascertained that the earthing and bonding is OK.

Just trying to save money where I can.

Your drawn-out, one-room-at-a-time, rewire will not save you money.

 

[jmhill]

Hi,

Thanks again.

There is no apparent earth connection on the consumer unit and the disconnection time is slow (so I'm told).

He is adding one with a ground spike until I can get the bonding completed and PME installed.

I'm on about saving money by doing the bonding myself. The room at a time re-wire is necessary as I am living in the house and think the rewire will cause too much disruption. Also I want to fit a new kitchen etc if I rewire now how will I know where I want the sockets, I wanted to avoid doing work twice, if there is another way I'm all-ears .

I know I will have to pay for some work to be done its just working out how much, and what I can get away with doing myself to save money for the things I can't do.

Regards

Jon

 

[jmhill]

Also

If my house was already bonded and the electricity company wanted proof how would anyone test an existing installation if the certificate states they have to have installed it themselves?

Thanks

Jon

 

[jmhill]

Hi,

Just an update the power company sent an engineer round, he didn't even look at the bonding (which I have put in place). He said the pole and supply wires were out of date and dangerous so they will be removing both and providing a new underground supply with PME and will also move my meter to the outside wall (where I wanted it). Best of all this work will all be done FOC!

Jon

 

[bubachuba]

result Jon!