Earthing new power shower to cold water pipe?

[EFLImpudence]

I believe that all the pipes in the house are actually copper as it was built in the 1970's (obviously not as old as your nice cottage ) but I would indeed need to check the continuity before speaking too far. In on of the pics you can see I've loosely placed the earth clip around the hot pipe - this is because I think the hot pipe is already earthed elsewhere - again and either way, I'd have to test it.

It doesn't matter. You are only using the pipe AS a wire.

 

[m5kgk]

Surely the easiest way to resolve this would be some self adhesive trunking straight up from the shower and the replace with a suitable cable?
Also, is that circuit fused appropriately for the shower?

 

[EFLImpudence]

Fuses etc. are to protect the cables; not appliances.

 

[sparkwright]

I would recommend replacing the cable personally.

If the Triton engineer sees the unsheathed, extra low voltage cable, and the earth borrowed from a water pipe, he may well announce it's a breach of the manufacturers instructions, condemn it, refuse to work on it, and charge you for an unproductive visit.

Is the wall a stud wall then?

You may be able to thread a new cable in, forgetting about the old one.

You would have to drill a hole in the top of the wooden plate in the loft. Cable rods or bits of stiff wire or wire coat hangers may help you form a route through the stud wall, if that's what it is.

Make sure everything is in line with the manufacturers instructions, as the company engineer won't want to work on anything not up to scratch, and they will charge for the wasted visit.

 

[jonjj]

Thanks everyone for your help and advice. I've decided the safest thing is to get an electrician in to come and fit a new cable for me. The amount of my own personal time I've wasted trying to get this cable out and a new one fitted I could have paid for 2 engineers to come out(!).

Thanks again and hope you all have a good Christmas.