Earth bonding to consumer unit

[Diynshed]

Many years ago I installed an electric shower for a friend and thought good practice would be to connect an earth cable from the new bit of cold water pipe I had put in back to the consumer unit. I have read recently that this must not be done direct to the consumer unit. I am worried now, should l take this connection of the pipe ?
Thankyou for any help

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

The connection of appliance/equipment being supplementary bonding, should be between the earth terminal of appliance and the metallic pipework it is connected to within the bathroom.

 

[Diynshed]

Thanks prenticeboyofderry, the shower is not electrically connected to any pipe work at the moment, it is only connected to the consumer unit. Should the additional earth cable I mention be disconnected from the Consumer unit ? and then an earth cable installed between the cold water pipe and the showers earth? If so I've never seen that on any shower before? Is this a newish reg?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Should the additional earth cable I mention be disconnected from the Consumer unit ?

It wasn't needed, but it is doing no harm.

and then an earth cable installed between the cold water pipe and the showers earth?

Yes.

If so I've never seen that on any shower before?

Then you've never seen one properly installed. But bear in mind that the connections might have been made nearby - it doesn't have to be done in the shower itself.

Is this a newish reg?

Absolutely not. One of our reg historians will say when it came in, but I can assure you that it was a l o o o o o n g time ago, and was certainly a requirement when you installed the shower.

 

[JohnW2]

Is this a newish reg?

Absolutely not. One of our reg historians will say when it came in, but I can assure you that it was a l o o o o o n g time ago, and was certainly a requirement when you installed the shower.

It's probably worth pointing out is that was is a fairly "newish reg" is the one which allows supplementary bonding to be omitted in a fairly high, and increasing, proportion of bathrooms.

Kind Regards, John

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Thanks prenticeboyofderry, the shower is not electrically connected to any pipe work at the moment, it is only connected to the consumer unit. Should the additional earth cable I mention be disconnected from the Consumer unit ? and then an earth cable installed between the cold water pipe and the showers earth? If so I've never seen that on any shower before? Is this a newish reg?

The metallic pipe of the shower should be supplementary bonded to the earth terminal of the shower. This cable would normally be 4mm2CSA.
There is no need to terminate between shower and CU (consumer Unit) as the supply cable to the shower should have a CPC (Circuit Protective Conductors/AKA earth) that serves that purpose. The regulation is not at all new and the fact you have not seen this on electrical showers before, does not make it right not supplementary bond.
There are new regulations and instances where supplementary bonding can be excluded, but that will require a risk assessment and some provisional testing to establish that.

 

[Diynshed]

Fantastic replies thank you guys.
So I think I understand the advice to be that the earth cable between the mains water cold pipe and the consumer unit is ok and can stay. But an earth cable needs to be put in between the shower earth and its mains cold water pipe. The earth connection to the pipe I think should be visible is that right?

 

[securespark]

One of our reg historians will say when it came in, but I can assure you that it was a l o o o o o n g time ago, and was certainly a requirement when you installed the shower.

Well, I can't go back any further than my copy of the 13th Edition, 1955.

But it's in there.

 

[JohnW2]

Well, I can't go back any further than my copy of the 13th Edition, 1955. But it's in there.

I can believe that. However, as I've said, it was in the 17th edition that a change was introduced which means that supplementary bonding in bathrooms can be omitted in a substantial (and increasing) proportion of bathrooms.

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The earth connection to the pipe I think should be visible is that right?

It should be accessible for inspection.

It doesn't need to be visible if that's not wanted. It rarely is - most people prefer not to see earth clamps.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

The earth connection to the pipe I think should be visible is that right?

Somewhere accessible and maintainable but does not have to be on display.

 

[EFLImpudence]

I don't think it has been mentioned.

Is the pipe in question touchable while in the bathroom?

 

[securespark]

I can believe that. However, as I've said, it was in the 17th edition that a change was introduced which means that supplementary bonding in bathrooms can be omitted in a substantial (and increasing) proportion of bathrooms.

Kind Regards, John

I wasn't disputing that?? My point was about when the supplementary reg came in.

 

[JohnW2]

I wasn't disputing that?? My point was about when the supplementary reg came in.

I realise that, and it was obviously a correct response to the OP's question about whether the requirement for supplementary bonding was the result of a "newish reg".

However, I felt that it would be useful to point out to the OP that, although that requirement was the result of a "very old reg", it has for many people been 'cancelled out' by a fairly "newish reg" which indicates that many bathrooms (perhaps including the OP's) are no longer required to have SB.

Kind Regards, John

 

[JohnW2]

I don't think it has been mentioned. ... Is the pipe in question touchable while in the bathroom?

A very valid question.

However, IF the OP's bathroom does not satisfy the conditions which would allow for omission of supplementary bonding, even if that particular pipe is not touchable, there are quite likely to be other pipes/taps/radiators/whatever in the room that might require SB.

Kind Regards, John