Extending the main earth

[robbie77]

Hi All,

I need to re route the main earth cable that is attached to a spike in the garden. It currently goes in a diagnal right through the loft so it is dangerous to move or stand up. I want to clip it to a purlin and tidy it up.

Can I break it with a junction box and extend it? What options do I have.

Thanks

 

[HullMarc]

AFAIK (though I may be wrong), you shouldn't join any main/supplementary earthing conductors. Ideally you'd run a new cable and and test the Ze, which unless you have some pretty expensive equipment you're not able to do.

With it being a TT, if I were you I'd run a new cable out myself & call an electrician in to verify that it's within limits.

 

[robbie77]

Thanks,

That is what I thought. There is another earth supplied by the electricity board that comes in with the tails but I guess it was replaced for a reason.

I will do as you say.

 

[Gees]

Hi All,

I need to re route the main earth cable that is attached to a spike in the garden. It currently goes in a diagnal right through the loft so it is dangerous to move or stand up. I want to clip it to a purlin and tidy it up.

Can I break it with a junction box and extend it? What options do I have.

Thanks

Is there not a better place to have a rod?
I had a similar problem with a very long earth run from my overhead mains input upstairs. I now have a new earth rod installed under the house ( accessable of course ) and installed 10mm cables. Ze is now 13.4 ohms.. It used to be 40 odd ohms with the original rod..
At least this is one job you CAN do it youself...

 

[flameport]

There is another earth supplied by the electricity board that comes in with the tails

How old is the incoming cable? It may be that the supply was upgraded, but the new earth was not connected at the time, in which case you don't need the earth rod any more.
This would need to be confirmed by the electricity company and tested before using it.

 

[GaryMo]

Hi All,

I need to re route the main earth cable that is attached to a spike in the garden. It currently goes in a diagnal right through the loft so it is dangerous to move or stand up. I want to clip it to a purlin and tidy it up.

Can I break it with a junction box and extend it? What options do I have.

Thanks

At least this is one job you CAN do it youself...

If he has access to an Earth Loop Impedance meter and understands how to perform the test and interpret the results.

Also, a brief look at Part P tells me that it's notifiable work as it involves replacing the existing main earthing conductor with a longer cable taking an alternative route.

 

[robbie77]

Thanks for the input.

The incoming electrical supply looks absolutely ancient It runs through the loft in a big thick material type cover on it, it isn't even notched into joists just lying next to the loft hatch next to pots of rodent poison

The

In terms of re routing, it's minimal really, just needs extending or in my case probably replacing and checking.

 

[bongos]

The incoming electrical supply looks absolutely ancient It runs through the loft in a big thick material type cover on it, it isn't even notched into joists just lying next to the loft hatch next to pots of rodent poison.

Can you post a pic of your incoming service head. If the earth to your stake is really really old then it's possible you might have PME now. But this must be confirmed before you start disconnecting your main earth.

In terms of re routing, it's minimal really, just needs extending or in my case probably replacing and checking.

It can't be extended but could be replaced - there should be no joins between the MET/CU and the earth stake.

 

[Gees]

Hi All,

I need to re route the main earth cable that is attached to a spike in the garden. It currently goes in a diagnal right through the loft so it is dangerous to move or stand up. I want to clip it to a purlin and tidy it up.

Can I break it with a junction box and extend it? What options do I have.

Thanks

At least this is one job you CAN do it youself...

If he has access to an Earth Loop Impedance meter and understands how to perform the test and interpret the results.

Also, a brief look at Part P tells me that it's notifiable work as it involves replacing the existing main earthing conductor with a longer cable taking an alternative route.

Page 8 , table 1 , last line .. makes no mention of cable lengths etc.. or am i missing something?

 

[Gees]

The incoming electrical supply looks absolutely ancient It runs through the loft in a big thick material type cover on it, it isn't even notched into joists just lying next to the loft hatch next to pots of rodent poison.

Can you post a pic of your incoming service head. If the earth to your stake is really really old then it's possible you might have PME now. But this must be confirmed before you start disconnecting your main earth.

In terms of re routing, it's minimal really, just needs extending or in my case probably replacing and checking.

It can't be extended but could be replaced - there should be no joins between the MET/CU and the earth stake.

If its the same as my place the concentric comes from a pole outside and ,as the op says ,its just lying on the loft joists. It looks like it was thrown in and forgotton!!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

am i missing something?

Yes - the fact that Approved Document P does not define the law.

Read through Schedule 2B - I can't see how it would qualify as exempt from notification.

 

[chapeau]

Page 8 , table 1 , last line .. makes no mention of cable lengths etc.. or am i missing something?

Good Morning Gees.

That sentence applies to 'bonding' which is not the same as 'earthing'. So permission is granted to do bonding work without notification, permission is not granted to work on your main earth without notification.

I would advise the OP to be very interested in what his earthing arrangements are. Might be perfectly OK but needs checking with a test meter, I would say.