Earth to Plastic Pipe?! (Photo Attached)

[brooky_agb]

Hi Guys,

We are in the process of getting some building work done and the sparkie has earthed to the kitchen taps. However it looks like they have been earthed to plastic pipes?!?! Is this acceptible?!?

I think the earth goes to an outside plug socket but I'm not sure.

 

[adlplumbing]

no he`s earth the copper pipes its okay

 

[dumbrill]

Hi Guys,

We are in the process of getting some building work done and the sparkie has earthed to the kitchen taps. However it looks like they have been earthed to plastic pipes?!?! Is this acceptible?!?

I think the earth goes to an outside plug socket but I'm not sure.

It's not earthing, but equipotential bonding to ensure that all the metal work you can touch will always be at the same potential in the event of a live conductor making contact with something it shouldn't. That way you can't touch one tap that is live with one hand and the other tap that isn't with the other hand - and then become a conductor.

 

[electronicsuk]

Hi Guys,

We are in the process of getting some building work done and the sparkie has earthed to the kitchen taps. However it looks like they have been earthed to plastic pipes?!?! Is this acceptible?!?

I think the earth goes to an outside plug socket but I'm not sure.

It's not earthing, but equipotential bonding to ensure that all the metal work you can touch will always be at the same potential in the event of a live conductor making contact with something it shouldn't. That way you can't touch one tap that is live with one hand and the other tap that isn't with the other hand - and then become a conductor.

Except that there is no requirement to bond kitchen taps. You would normally run a PEB conductor from the main earth terminal to any incoming metallic services such as water or gas supply, but it doesn't look to be that the pipes in the picture are extraneous conductive parts.

Oh, and that plastic coupler on the r/h side vertical pipe looks a little gash - was your plumber trying to recycle odd lengths of pipe left over from elsewhere on the job?!

 

[seco services]

Oh, and that plastic coupler on the r/h side vertical pipe looks a little gash - was your plumber trying to recycle odd lengths of pipe left over from elsewhere on the job?!

Top pipe isn't much better either, can't he use a pipe bender without kinking the pipe ?

 

[Gasguru]

Typical builders lash up....don't tell me that service valve feeds an outside tap. If so where's the double check valve?

 

[electronicsuk]

Typical builders lash up....don't tell me that service valve feeds an outside tap. If so where's the double check valve?

To be fair, it could be built into the tap, although I suspect not - otherwise he probably would have had the sense to include a drain cock too, so that the system can be properly purged of water during the winter.

 

[Gasguru]

To be fair, it could be built into the tap.

To be fair you should stick to electrics ....check valves built into taps have been illegal for many many years. Regulation R15.20. Plastic valves located in the tap end freeze up in the winter and are damaged, so no longer provide protection, in addition most are only single check. Just because illegal fittings/taps are available for sale doen't mean they can be fitted.

 

[electronicsuk]

To be fair, it could be built into the tap.

To be fair you should stick to electrics ....check valves built into taps have been illegal for many many years. Regulation R15.20. Plastic valves located in the tap end freeze up in the winter and are damaged, so no longer provide protection, in addition most are only single check. Just because illegal fittings/taps are available for sale doen't mean they can be fitted.

I guess I should have figured that would be the case - different trade, but same story re sale of parts!

 

[John506]

I sometimes worry my pipework isnt neat enough, if this is what is getting put in elsewhere I'm overjoyed with my work haha

 

[bengasman]

I very much doubt your sparky is actually qualified.

A. It is not earth, but equipotential bonding.
B. You don't need it in a kitchen
C. No point in bonding a few inches of pipe that are not electrically connected to anything else.
D. It would not go to an outside socket, unless that was on the kitchen fuse.

Taking a wild guess: you have not seen his registration card.

 

[matt1e]

I very much doubt your sparky is actually qualified.

A. It is not earth, but equipotential bonding.
B. You don't need it in a kitchen
C. No point in bonding a few inches of pipe that are not electrically connected to anything else.
D. It would not go to an outside socket, unless that was on the kitchen fuse.

E. It also reduces the level of electrical safety

 

[nickso]

is anyone else loving the fact he has marked the wall to fix the pipes vertical and then completely ignored it and fixed them squint.

 

[bengasman]

E. It also reduces the level of electrical safety

How so?

 

[matt1e]

E. It also reduces the level of electrical safety

How so?

HI Ben
because connecting the bonding to the copper as in the picture introduces earth potential to it

without the bonding the copper is effectively isolated from earth by the plastic pipe (water is not a "good" conductor, contrary to popular belief)

All pipes that are "earthy" are potentially more dangerous then those that are not

Matt