Equipotential Bonding Query..

[GizzaKet]

Hello everyone, I have a detailed question here.
As I understand it so far, I don't have any of this in my house.
I.E No bond to the water, gas supply or central heating.
I am planning to do this myself, but not a qualified electrician.
I have read the official jargon on the subject, and also the posts here but still a bit unclear to me.

Can anyone tell me if i'd transgress any regulations if I do the following;?

1. fitting 10mm2 earth to the water supply within 600mm and before a T connection.

2. Fitting 10mm2 earth to the within 600mm of the gas meter and before a T connection.

3. replacing the earth from the fusebox to the MET as it looks both a bit thin (4mm2 I think) and frayed at the end. it's also currently attached to the met by a connector block and looks a bodge job.

4. fitting an earth block. (daft question: a "4 way block" has 8 terminals on it does that mean 2 screws per 1 earth connection?)


5. there is no earth on the wiring loop for the lighting. The brass chandeliers are earthed to the cold water supply in the loft, so was going to attach them to the earth block.


Also, the wiring and the fusebox is about 50 years old. the wiring is in good condition, but if I get an electrician to replace the fusebox, would they be obliged to replace all of the wiring?

 

[wingcoax]

At that age the wiring could well be rubber. With no earth on your lighting circuit either, an electrician would recommend a re-wire when fitting a new CU as few if any circuits would pass test.

 

[bongos]

1. fitting 10mm2 earth to the water supply within 600mm and before a T connection.

2. Fitting 10mm2 earth to the within 600mm of the gas meter and before a T connection.

3. replacing the earth from the fusebox to the MET as it looks both a bit thin (4mm2 I think) and frayed at the end. it's also currently attached to the met by a connector block and looks a bodge job.

4. fitting an earth block. (daft question: a "4 way block" has 8 terminals on it does that mean 2 screws per 1 earth connection?)

5. there is no earth on the wiring loop for the lighting. The brass chandeliers are earthed to the cold water supply in the loft, so was going to attach them to the earth block.

Also, the wiring and the fusebox is about 50 years old. the wiring is in good condition, but if I get an electrician to replace the fusebox, would they be obliged to replace all of the wiring?

1 & 2 sound fine.

3. Depending on the size of your main fuse (100A) and your supply type (PME) you may require a 16mm² earth. If it's 60/80A then I believe 10mm² earth will suffice.

4. Two screws per connection. Don't want them coming loose...

5. If you have no earth to the lighting then you should remove your brass chandeliers and replace with a double insulated fitting. You will have to do the same with metal light switches/other metal fittings on the circuit. A lighting rewire would be advisable.

As for the age of the installtion, 50 years is getting on a bit. The spark should test the installation and replace the CU. Assuming the old wiring is up to sratch then it needn't be replaced. However you might find that with this age of installation you have a few problems.

They would not be obliged to replace the faulty wiring but I would expect they would be reluctant to reconnect it.

I recently helped out on a CU change for an older installation where the house had been gutted for building work. The lighting was in rubber cables and I was suprised to find that insulation resitance was still >1000MΩ between L/N. There was no earth (lots of metal light fittings in use) but despite easy access to the cables (no ceilings) the householder was not wanting to replace the cables.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

the householder was not wanting to replace the cables.

You should have said that he was employing you for your professional expertise, and in your professional opinion leaving cpc-less VIR cables in place did not count as making reasonable provision to protect persons operating, maintaining or altering the installations from fire or injury, and that unless he allowed you to replace them there would be no further work done and no Building Regulations certification.

Basically the householder was not allowed to tell you to break the law.

 

[bongos]

You should have said that he was employing you for your professional expertise, and in your professional opinion leaving cpc-less VIR cables in place did not count as making reasonable provision to protect persons operating, maintaining or altering the installations from fire or injury

This point was made by the spark I was working for, although i'm not sure she would have worded it as strongly as you do Ban.

Not yet heard whether they changed their minds though.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Strong?

I'd have followed up a 2nd refusal on the householder's part with a promise to write to Building Control informing them of illegal building work being done.