Earth bonding - is this right?

[Ramekin]

I called an electrician in yesterday to quote to replace the cabling running to an electric shower. When he arrived he did a lot of sucking through teeth and told me that he couldn't do the work until all the earth bonding was right. This included the bonding to the stop cock and the gas meter and presumably anything else he finds.

Is it "normal" for him to insist on all the earth boding work being completed before he runs the cable or does it sound like work creation?

A supplemental and related question:

The stop cock was connected to earth via a large brass terminal block with 4 other 4mm earth cables into it (running from the sink pipes etc). Is that the bodge it sounds like?

 

[didthathurt]

No, it is not job creation. A good path to earth is essential for your safety in the house, generally, but especially in the bathroom. As he is going to replace the shower cable he will want to ensure that the job he leaves is as safe as he can get it. If there is no Main Earth Bond to the incoming Gas and Water, he will want to fit one, if there's inadequate Supplementary bonding in the bath room, he will want to remedy that. What you describe was once considered adequate (to use the water main as an earth itself, but no more). I can't see anything out of the ordinary in what he's told you.

http://www.niceic.org.uk/downloads/NL139supp.pdf

this and

http://www.niceic.org.uk/downloads/Earthing Bonding guide.pdf

this explain the issues involved.

 

[Ramekin]

Thanks. That's useful to know. Looks like a broken shower is going to be a very expensive thing.