Earth bonding on boiler pipes?

[David937]

Hello there,

Just a thought, is earth bonding a requirement on the pipes going into the boiler?

Seen my Grandads Isar and all pipes have earth bonding on them

 

[John506]

It's good practice.

 

[David937]

Well the Isar installers had better practice than my 937 installers, the gas pipe has an earth bond at the meter though, I can't be sure the Isar installers put the earth bonding though as there was also rewiring taking place when it was installed.

 

[John506]

It's not a must if you have an RCD but its good to be on the safe side and it is recommended to connect earth bonding.

Installer's preference I guess.

 

[David937]

The house was rewired so we do have a RCD etc.

There was an earth bonding on the bathroom radiator but now there is a towel rail there.

 

[stevies62]

If there was earth bonding to the rad before, there should be earth bonding to the towel rail.
You can get earth straps from most DIY places to connect the earth to a pipe (or the rail). The wire is probably under the floorboards

 

[gas4you]

I always earth all the pipes under the boiler. If a heat only I bond H & C etc in airing cupboard (at cylinder) as well.

Probably don't need to by regs but i like to see everything covered.

 

[David937]

Thanks for the information Dave and stevies62; it is appreciated

 

[plumbnuts]

No need for suplimentry earth bonding since the 17th edition has been in place. You must install a RCD to either the boiler or at the board (With exceptions)
Steve

 

[Agile]

If there was earth bonding to the rad before, there should be earth bonding to the towel rail.

Are you sure thats correct?

The old supplementary bonding to the original rad probably went back to the earth at the meter or to some other earthed things in the house.

My understanding is that ANY earthing in a bathroom must now be connected to a single point and normally at an earthing point where the lighting circuit enters the area. Effectively making a Faraday cage.

Of course I could be wrong and there seems to be more disagreement amongst electricians than plumbers!

Tony

 

[David937]

Just FYI the house was rewired five years ago, the electrics are very sensitive now; any electrical thing get's wet and the fuse will trip on the consumer unit.

 

[gas4you]

Just FYI the house was rewired five years ago, the electrics are very sensitive now; any electrical thing get's wet and the fuse will trip on the consumer unit.

I would think you mean the RCD will trip

 

[David937]

Yeah the switch that says: "RCD circuits" along with the switch for the affected area for e.g "Kitchen sockets"

 

[Spark123]

Hello there,

Just a thought, is earth bonding a requirement on the pipes going into the boiler?

Seen my Grandads Isar and all pipes have earth bonding on them

Don't think there has ever been an electrical reg calling for eq. bonding of pipes entering a boiler as long as I have been sparkying (1993 onwards ). Manufacturers instructions will over-rule the IEE regs tho, so if they say they do then you must.

 

[Spark123]

If there was earth bonding to the rad before, there should be earth bonding to the towel rail.

Are you sure thats correct?

If the pipework feeding the towel rail is already covered by supplementary bonding then there is no need to have a bond on the actual towel rail unless for some other reason i.e. it is electric or it is in contact with something like a metallic building structure.

The old supplementary bonding to the original rad probably went back to the earth at the meter or to some other earthed things in the house.

The idea of supplementary bonding is that it is local, it doesn't connect back the the MET.

My understanding is that ANY earthing in a bathroom must now be connected to a single point and normally at an earthing point where the lighting circuit enters the area. Effectively making a Faraday cage.

Earthing is the wrong term to use, it indicates there is an intentional connection with earth. The aim of supplementary equipotential bonding is that it makes all extraneous or exposed conductive parts of the location at or about the same potential, limiting the risk of shock by simultaneously touching two parts.