Main Equipotential Bonding

frediaz · 22 Dec 2007

Is it possible that you can have a dwelling (2 storey house) without main equipotential bonding? that is if the supply pipes for water and oil are plastic (no gas), there is no metal ducting, there are no metal central heating or air conditioning systems, there are no exposed metal structural parts of the building and there is no lighting protection system.

However, interestingly, I have not heard that a metal flue pipe that goes all the way from a stove in the ground floor through the roof above needs bonding.

Also, a plumber told me that the regs say that a service water pipe needs bonding even if it is made of plastic. Can this be true?

RF Lighting · 22 Dec 2007

I thought that oil supply pipes had to be metallic?

But in answer to your question, if there are no extranoeus conductive parts in the installation, then no bonding is required.

You do not have to bond an all plastic water installation. What would be the point of that?

You do have to bond the water service if it enters the property in plastic, and then changes to copper. Maybe that is what your plumber is thinking of?

Lectrician · 22 Dec 2007

Plastic oil pipes are becoming popular - And I don't mean plastic coated copper

A metal flue either through the roof or the wall is not really an extraneous conductive part - It doesn't come into the building from the ground. I know it comes from outside the equipotential zone, but still.

It is the same with LPG gas bottles - The copper pipe is usually on the outside wall, but the final connection is a rubber hose to the bottle which is sat on the ground. Again, this is not an extraneous conductive part.

I must admit to still bonding the LPG gas anyway, but I wouldn't even consider the flue.

frediaz · 22 Dec 2007

You do have to bond the water service if it enters the property in plastic, and then changes to copper. Maybe that is what your plumber is thinking of?

The plumber needs to put a section of copper pipe near the boiler but that is away from the entry point of the water pipe so this pipe needs supplementary bonding!? He was talking about bonding the entry point of the water supply but I thought that was pointless too

daytona · 22 Dec 2007

why cant the plumber use a piece of plastic pipe instead of copper?

if the main supply comes into the property in plastic and is plastic throughout,there is nothing to be gained by bonding it up,cos,well,its plastic which is an insulator.

Biggles.. · 22 Dec 2007

due to the heat produced by a boiler into the flow/return/hot pipes, 1 meter of copper pipe is recommended before connecting to plastic

ebee · 23 Dec 2007

1M of copper pipe would not require any bondind unless it is introducing an earth potental in.
Similary plastic water incommer will not introduce an earth potential even onto copper pipe so unless that copper pipe is earthy you need not bond.

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Main Equipotential Bonding

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