Earthing a Steel Bath

[adders21]

Hi All,

I am about to install a steel bath.

The bath will have a shower over it but not an electrical one.

The only electrical power in the bathroom will be the lights in the ceiling.

Do I need to earth (bond) the bath?
Should all the pipework be bonded?

If so how?

Is it a case of linking the hot to the cold and then the bath to the cold supply?

What about radiators in a bathroom, should they be earthed too?

Thank you for reading.

 

[JohnD]

the incoming metallic services (usually copper pipes, may also include the waste and soil pipes if iron or lead) should be bonded at point of entry to the bathroom, or just outside (e.g. if they pass through an adjacent airing cupboard) to all electrical circuits that enter the bathroom (in your case, the lighting circuit, but sometimes also immersion heaters or showers)

Since you have bonded the pipes at entry, you do not have to bond the things they are connected to (bath, taps, radiator etc)

There is an alternative, but I think you will find this is the easiest DIY way.

 

[adders21]

I've had a closer look in my bathroom.
The water mains comes into the bathroom and here I can clearly see where the meter has been bonded (yellow/green wire) coming from the bonding is an additional wire that has been painted. I assume that this will be the bathroom bonding.

So, do I need to bond the steel bath to the cold water supply?

I will probably use a plastic flexible pushfit hose to connect the taps to the bath.

Untitled

• adders21
• 17 Feb 2012
• 1

 

[JohnD]

You don't bond the bath, you bond the pipes (all the pipes) to the electrical circuits.

I see no sign that the lighting circuit is bonded to the pipes.

 

[adders21]

Hi John,

I was assuming that the second wire (painted white) is bonding the pipe work to the electrical circuit.

Perhaps I should get a sparky in to check it out!