Earthing and bonding

[tallulah]

Hi,
I moved into a privately rented house 7 weeks ago and was told by the landlord that an earth needed to be put on the roof and someone whould call the folllowing week to fit it.
There is a small metal drum in the porch of the house which I think is what needs fitting to the roof. I have no clue how important this is or what it's actually for so I phoned my father in law to see if he could enlighten me. He said it's either a conductor for lightning or maybe to connect to the gas meter but carn't be that as it should already be bonded...?
Ive searched 'gas meter bonding' on the internet and found that there should be a green & yellow wire attatched somewhere to one of the pipes on the meter...I can't find one on mine! Im worried now about how safe my house is!!!

 

[ericmark]

Some of the aircraft hangers near me use to have earth on the roof. It was so grass could be planted so harder to see from the air. That is about the only earth I have seen fitted to a roof. Think some one is pulling your leg. Is the landlord from Liverpool loads of comedians have come from there?

 

[tallulah]

Thanks for that, your answer has really put my mind at rest that my 3 children are safe living in this house!

 

[tonyelectric]

Well a lighting arrestor "air terminal" resembles a spike with a ball on it and 3 small spikes pointing diagonally up from that, made from copper or brass, bonded down to a separate earth from the electrics by flat copper tape - so your brass drum is not a lighting conductor - unless you are on top of a hill or the tallest building on high ground you don't need one

 

[Wontdothatagain]

Hi,
I moved into a privately rented house 7 weeks ago and was told by the landlord that an earth needed to be put on the roof and someone whould call the folllowing week to fit it.

If you were told it was going to be fitted next week and that was 7 weeks ago, phone the landlord and ask what is going on. As for what it is, can you post a picture????

As for the bonding, there should be a green and yellow cable from both the water pipe where it enters the property, just after the stop cock and another just after the gas meter. Both of these cables will go back to the fuse board or in a metal block outside of the fuse board.

Untitled

• Wontdothatagain
• 4 Dec 2010
• 1

 

[tallulah]

Thanks for your reply.
There's no yellow & green wire anywhere!

This is the drum I was told was to be fixed somewhere to the roof...



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

 

[ericmark]

Looks more like a flue to me?

 

[flameport]

Surely that is for the end of a flue from a gas appliance or similar?
Not electrical in any way.

If this needs to be fitted and you are already using a gas fire or whatever, this can't be good.

 

[tonyelectric]

That is indeed a flue terminal and flashings for an open flue gas appliance (as opposed to a balanced flue one), no need to earth it unless you are told to by a steeplejack specialising in lighting conductors.

Problem here is open flue gas appliances are prone to chucking out CO due to faulty flues and air intakes, check your air bricks are clear and get a Gas Safe registered engineer in to look at it ASAP

 

[tallulah]

Thank you for all your replies, I wouldn't of even know! Ive been using the gas fire in the evenings too!
This is probably a silly question but is it still safe to use the central heating and gas cooker?
...I really am clueless when it comes to gas & electrics.


Im going to contact my landlord now ive been armed with your knowledge so Thanks! x

 

[tonyelectric]

Being an electrician, not a gas engineer and not having seen your set up I can't answer than one, I wouls suggest no one else here can either - call your landlord for advice

Best

Tony