Dual Fuel Towel Warmer Supplementary Bonding

[tnarg999]

In the middle of an ongoing ensuite upgrade. I am fitting a Dual Fuel towel warmer. I am aware that you need to have supplemenarty bonding to bring all metal work taps/pipes etc & incoming circuits to the same potential.

Two Questions:

1. The towel warmer has a heater element and central heating. Can I connect the CPC from the FCU (for the element) to the supplemenatry bonding loop negating the need to bond the towel warmer pipes as well? Or do I need to bond the flow and return from the towel warmer in addition? I wanted to avoid earthing clamps on my nice stainless steel warmer.

2. Same room has a shaver socket connected to the light circuit (fairly standard I think) Do I need to bond the CPC from both the light and shaver socket, and/or should I fit an RCBO to the current upstairs light circuit which isn't protected by RCD at the moment?

Thanks

 

[ban-all-sheds]

In the middle of an ongoing ensuite upgrade. I am fitting a Dual Fuel towel warmer. I am aware that you need to have supplemenarty bonding to bring all metal work taps/pipes etc & incoming circuits to the same potential.

No - not all metal, only extraneous-conductive-parts.

1. The towel warmer has a heater element and central heating. Can I connect the CPC from the FCU (for the element) to the supplemenatry bonding loop negating the need to bond the towel warmer pipes as well? Or do I need to bond the flow and return from the towel warmer in addition? I wanted to avoid earthing clamps on my nice stainless steel warmer.

If the towel warmer has a cpc then it's not an extraneous-conductive-part. The pipes may be - you haven't said, but they can be bonded in a nearby location (e.g. airing cupboard), or under the floor, as long as you either keep earthing clamps accessible or use a type of connection which does not require to be accessible. The cpc of the circuit supplying the warmer has to be bonded to the other appropriate cpcs and extraneous-conductive-parts:

Regulation 601-04-01 requires that the protective conductor terminals of each circuit supplying Class I and Class II electrical equipment in zones 1, 2 or 3, and extraneous-conductive-parts in these zones, are all connected together by local supplementary equipotential bonding conductors complying with Regulation Group 547-03.

2. Same room has a shaver socket connected to the light circuit (fairly standard I think) Do I need to bond the CPC from both the light and shaver socket, and/or should I fit an RCBO to the current upstairs light circuit which isn't protected by RCD at the moment?

See above - the circuit cpc needs bonding. You can connect the bonding at the shaver socket or the light, whichever is easier.

 

[tnarg999]

Thanks BAS - helpful as ever.

I have concluded that the copper radiator pipes that flow from the central heating through the floor to the towel warmer are extraneous, and therefore need bonding. unfortunatley I don't have an airing cupboard nearby to do the bonding, so I need permanent earth clamps if they are to be inaccessible.

Do you think this "retro screw" qualifys as permanent?

Untitled

• tnarg999
• 3 Apr 2008
• 1

I am thinking probably not, I guess the soldered version is the only acceptable one?

http://www.earthcrimpconnectors.co.uk/

Thanks again[/code]

 

[ban-all-sheds]

You're thinking right - the screw ones are not permanent..