Gas Safety Certificate and Main Bonding

[chapeau]

Just had a GasSafe chap around to do the safety certificate on a property we are preparing to rent out. Boiler passed with flying colours apparently, certificate was issued, but he wasn't happy about a few other things.

1) He gave me a bright red postcard with 'the electrical installation.. may not meet current standards' on it. This is because there was no main bonding, and he is correct, it is something that I will be correcting prior to the house being rented out, but pressure of time means he got to do his certificate first.

But on the back of the certificate it said, amongst others...

'In particular, those installations with PME (Protective Multiple Earth) must, by law, be earth bonded'.

I am unfamiliar with the 'gas laws' and was wondering where does it say this, as I am unaware of any such law.

2) He was unhappy that the pipe coming through the solid wall to the boiler was unsleeved, and put a note on the certificate to this effect. Now, as I already said, I am not familiar with the 'gas laws' but I can read and so I checked the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 and there is no such requirement. There was such a requirement in the 1994 SI (Enclosed Pipes, Sec 19 (2) (b) ) but this was removed for the 1998 edition. Now it just says that "adequate means are provided to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, any escape of gas from the pipework passing through the wall,"

So what is the basis of him specifically stating there is a need for a sleeve and putting this on the gas safety certificate? This specific requirement was removed, and so the reasonable assumption is that the requirement for a sleeve is considered unneccessary.

The reason I ask these questions is that the tenant gets to see the certificate, and it appears to me that this is alarmist.

Cheers

 

[WDIK]

the GSIUR regs refer to a library of normative documentation mainly bound in british standards and IGE/-/UP
the unsleeved pipe has been reduced from AR to NCS

 

[doitall]

Are you saying there's no earth bonding on the gas pipe, within 600mm of the meter.

A gas pipe with no sleeve is Labled AR (at risk)

 

[WDIK]

Are you saying there's no earth bonding on the gas pipe, within 600mm of the meter.

A gas pipe with no sleeve is Labled AR (at risk)

6th unsafe proceedures edition lowered it John to ncs, i know i know dumbing down again

 

[doitall]

After my time

I still thought it was AR if the pipe in question is from a meter box.

 

[namsag]

It is if from meter box but only ncs elswhere

 

[chapeau]

Are you saying there's no earth bonding on the gas pipe, within 600mm of the meter

That is correct. As the meter is external I will be bonding the pipe as it enter the property and not at the meter. My bonding question was why did he say it was the law that PME supplies in particlular have to be bonded, I know of no such law though as I said am unfamiliar with gas regulations.

the unsleeved pipe has been reduced from AR to NCS

Forgive my ignorance, but what does NCS stand for?

 

[namsag]

Not to current standards

 

[doitall]

Where it enters the building is fine, provided it's immediately it enters the building, is visible. and clearly labled.

 

[ajstoneservices]

Given that this thread questions the legality of gas supply pipe bonding, isn't it best left to ban-all-sheds and Goldberg and the rest of the Village People. No gas fitters going to know jack about it.

 

[doitall]

Given that this thread questions the legality of gas supply pipe bonding, isn't it best left to ban-all-sheds and Goldberg and the rest of the Village People. No gas fitters going to know jack about it.

Get away AJ, most sparks couldn't wire a boiler if it was painting by numbers.

 

[chapeau]

Where it enters the building is fine, provided it's immediately it enters the building, is visible. and clearly labled.

Bonding at the location where the pipe enters the building is actually required (by BS 7671, not the law) if the meter is external. This house has the gas pipe running external to the building around the walls, and it enters in two locations, so has to be bonded twice. I still do not believe it is the law as the gas chap said.

Thankyou for your comments by the way. Another question, is the lack of bonding, as far as gas is concerned, an 'at risk' category or is it a 'not to current standards' category. It would be a 'Code 2' on an electrical PIR - requires improvement - not an immediate at risk category, though something to be dealt with, as I am doing

If there are multiple 'not to current standards' does this become an 'at risk'

 

[chapeau]

Given that this thread questions the legality of gas supply pipe bonding, isn't it best left to ban-all-sheds and Goldberg and the rest of the Village People. No gas fitters going to know jack about it.

Ah, but he was prepared to put the lack of bonding on a certificate which will be seen by the tenant. I have no problem with that at all, I think he is competent to do so, I am questioning his documentation which states it is the law for a PME installation to be bonded.

 

[WDIK]

Given that this thread questions the legality of gas supply pipe bonding, isn't it best left to ban-all-sheds and Goldberg and the rest of the Village People. No gas fitters going to know jack about it.

Get away AJ, most sparks couldn't wire a boiler if it was painting by numbers.

pardon?

 

[doitall]

Where it enters the building is fine, provided it's immediately it enters the building, is visible. and clearly labled.

Bonding at the location where the pipe enters the building is actually required (by BS 7671, not the law) if the meter is external. This house has the gas pipe running external to the building around the walls, and it enters in two locations, so has to be bonded twice. I still do not believe it is the law as the gas chap said.

Thankyou for your comments by the way. Another question, is the lack of bonding, as far as gas is concerned, an 'at risk' category or is it a 'not to current standards' category. It would be a 'Code 2' on an electrical PIR - requires improvement - not an immediate at risk category, though something to be dealt with, as I am doing

If there are multiple 'not to current standards' does this become an 'at risk'

Think you need to read the book some more.

The bonding can be in the meter box, provided it enters from the bottom and not compromise the chamber.

The bonding must be before any branches, and two separate bonds is not on as far as I know.