I've realised that we have no earth bonding to the gas, and probably also to the water. The gas meter is only a metre or so from the incoming cable with sheath earth.
It seems to be reasonably simple to fix but I have a few q's before I go charging in...:
Electric and gas meters are NOT in a Special Location nor are they in a Kitchen. (In a large walk-in cupboard off the kitchen - 4m and a closing door away from the kitchen sink)
(1) (First hurdle) Installing main supplementary earth bonding is not notifiable - Correct?
(2) As there's no MET, the existing earthing conductor from the incoming sheath to the CU will have to be split to insert the the MET terminal. As this now affecting the main earth not just the supplementary does that invalidate (1) above (making it now notifiable) ?
There is space to locate a metal earth terminal block alongside the meter, so then I would need to wire in the existing conductor from the sheath then the conductor from the CU. Then add a conductor to the output (not input) side of the gas before any junctions (using labelled earthing clamp). I need to measure the size of the existing cable, but assuming for the moment it's 16mm2 then I'd use 10mm2 for the equip. to the gas ?
(3) Above okay / correct?
(4) Is it fairly likely I'm going to find the earthing conductor is <16mm2? [I'm not at home at the moment to be able to measure it - I also could do with measuring the phase conductors as IIRC earthing conductor shoudl be same size as phase up to 16mm2 (except for real big tails which I'm certain mine aren't)]
Water is plastic (MDPE?) to the stopcock under the front door. Then a few inches of copper then plastic again. This is clearly a recent-ish change and I think the downstairs stays in plastic but it joints to copper as it goes upstairs to the bathrooms/DHW etc,. Fortunately this is right near the electric & gas meters described above.
Whilst there is no point bonding the plastic pipe:
(5) Should the copper cold be bonded soon after the plastic/copper join? That would make sense as most of the pipework on the upper floors is copper so bonding here would help bond throughout.
(6) Should the few inches of copper after the stopcock be bonded (it is beneath a relatively easily removable floorboard, so accessible but not without deliberate access, if you see what I mean)
Bonding of (5) and (6) if required would be done the same as the bonding to the gas.
Thanks folks....
Before people ask the obvious question ("why not get someone in"). I intend to have the CU upgraded later this year, so full PIR will presuambly be done at the start. Also, with a new boiler deperately needed, any electrical work including remedial found by a PIR needs to be delayed a bit. Meanwhile where there are things that need to be done and that I can do safely and better still it's not notifiable then any money I save I can spend later on the CU.
It seems to be reasonably simple to fix but I have a few q's before I go charging in...:
Electric and gas meters are NOT in a Special Location nor are they in a Kitchen. (In a large walk-in cupboard off the kitchen - 4m and a closing door away from the kitchen sink)
(1) (First hurdle) Installing main supplementary earth bonding is not notifiable - Correct?
(2) As there's no MET, the existing earthing conductor from the incoming sheath to the CU will have to be split to insert the the MET terminal. As this now affecting the main earth not just the supplementary does that invalidate (1) above (making it now notifiable) ?
There is space to locate a metal earth terminal block alongside the meter, so then I would need to wire in the existing conductor from the sheath then the conductor from the CU. Then add a conductor to the output (not input) side of the gas before any junctions (using labelled earthing clamp). I need to measure the size of the existing cable, but assuming for the moment it's 16mm2 then I'd use 10mm2 for the equip. to the gas ?
(3) Above okay / correct?
(4) Is it fairly likely I'm going to find the earthing conductor is <16mm2? [I'm not at home at the moment to be able to measure it - I also could do with measuring the phase conductors as IIRC earthing conductor shoudl be same size as phase up to 16mm2 (except for real big tails which I'm certain mine aren't)]
Water is plastic (MDPE?) to the stopcock under the front door. Then a few inches of copper then plastic again. This is clearly a recent-ish change and I think the downstairs stays in plastic but it joints to copper as it goes upstairs to the bathrooms/DHW etc,. Fortunately this is right near the electric & gas meters described above.
Whilst there is no point bonding the plastic pipe:
(5) Should the copper cold be bonded soon after the plastic/copper join? That would make sense as most of the pipework on the upper floors is copper so bonding here would help bond throughout.
(6) Should the few inches of copper after the stopcock be bonded (it is beneath a relatively easily removable floorboard, so accessible but not without deliberate access, if you see what I mean)
Bonding of (5) and (6) if required would be done the same as the bonding to the gas.
Thanks folks....
Before people ask the obvious question ("why not get someone in"). I intend to have the CU upgraded later this year, so full PIR will presuambly be done at the start. Also, with a new boiler deperately needed, any electrical work including remedial found by a PIR needs to be delayed a bit. Meanwhile where there are things that need to be done and that I can do safely and better still it's not notifiable then any money I save I can spend later on the CU.
