Gas bonding regulations

[AndyPRK]

Could someone remind me if the 16th regulations please.

House built 2001 I assume 16th edition then.

Wire for gas bonding leaves the CU but I can't see it anyway near the gas meter.

I guess if I was to isolate the earth from the boiler, immersion, water bonding
I would be able to check with a basic meter if the gas bonding is actually connected somewhere.

In fact, its much simpler isn't it. Just disconnect the bonding wires at the cu and see if I can get any continuity back to earth. That will tell me if one is cut off.

 

[RF Lighting]

Clamp should be attached to the pipe within 600mm of the point of entry to the building.

You can test from the end of the bonding wire at the cu to the pipework. If you get a reading of 0.05Ω or less then it's bonded, but you should still think about locating the clamp and moving it to a position where it can be properly inspected and maintained.

 

[JohnW2]

Could someone remind me if the 16th regulations please. ... House built 2001 I assume 16th edition then. ... Wire for gas bonding leaves the CU but I can't see it anyway near the gas meter.

Quite frankly, if it were me (and certainly if it were my house) I would not be interested in whether the bonding was compliant with whatever regs were in force when the house was built - I would want the incoming gas pipe to be bonded as near as practicable to its point of entry into the house (or, given the silly regs, as close as possible to the consumer's side of the meter), as per current regs.

Kind Regards, John

 

[AndyPRK]

I don't have a milli ohm meter.

Yeap first thing i will find out if its actually connect to the gas pipe or if some ****** has cut the wire.

I can't see it within 60cm

 

[EFLImpudence]

The 600mm. does not actually apply to the point of entry.

Because of the "as near as practicable to the point of entry" wording, it could really be anywhere.

 

[JohnW2]

The 600mm. does not actually apply to the point of entry. Because of the "as near as practicable to the point of entry" wording, it could really be anywhere.

Indeed - but then there is the wretched "... when there is an insulating section at that point, or there is a meter ... bit in the regs which 'spoils everything', and I can but presume was written by someone who had no understanding of what Main Protective Bonding of extraneous-conductive parts was all about!

Kind Regards, John

 

[EFLImpudence]

Yup.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Then we could always check if gas and water services are supplied via insulated pipework! Which would mean it could be excluded!

 

[JohnW2]

Then we could always check if gas and water services are supplied via insulated pipework! Which would mean it could be excluded!

As I'm sure you understand, the point is that, with the regs as currently written, 'compliance' can cause one to apply MPB to pipes that simply don't require it (electrically speaking).

Kind Regards, John

 

[AndyPRK]

Then we could always check if gas and water services are supplied via insulated pipework! Which would mean it could be excluded!

Is it required then?

Water comes in via plastic pipe, however that's bonded.

Gas pipe is metal, from the meter.

 

[securespark]

When I was working, we were told we had to bond water even where it came in via a poly pipe.

 

[JohnW2]

Then we could always check if gas and water services are supplied via insulated pipework! Which would mean it could be excluded!

Is it required then? Water comes in via plastic pipe, however that's bonded. Gas pipe is metal, from the meter.

If water enters the house in plastic pipe, then none of the water piping need Main Bonding, even if it's metal inside the house.

Plastic gas pipe within domestic (maybe also non-domestic?) premises is not allowed, so it is bound to enter the premises as metal. If the gas main is plastic and the transition from plastic to metal pipe (outside of the premises) is well away from 'the ground', then it's possible that it would not count as an extraneous-conductive-part, in which case, as with the plastic-supplied water, none of the gas pipes within the premises would need Main Bonding, even if metal. More commonly, the entering (metal) gas pipe will have to be assumed to be an extraneous-c-p, therefore requiring Main Bonding.

The daft thing about the regs is that, in some circumstances, they appear to require Main Bonding to be applied on the consumer's side of an 'insulating section or a meter (which may also be 'insulating')',where it cannot possibly fulfil the requirements for (or need for) Main Bonding.

Kind Regards, John
Edit: Typo corrected! ['Metal' -> 'Plastic']

 

[JohnW2]

When I was working, we were told we had to bond water even where it came in via a poly pipe.

... and I'm sure that you're not the only person who has been told that. However. people who say (or, heaven forbid, teach) that clearly haven't got the slightest understanding of what Main Protective Bonding is all about!

Kind Regards, John

 

[EFLImpudence]

...

 

[DaftPunk]

I've seen the daft situation of a blue plastic supply pipe and the entire house plumbed in plastic pipe with main bonding attached to the stop cock.

Here's a scenario to debate. Gas supply in PE pipe right up to an external meter cabinet then copper pipe into the house straight through the wall from the back of the meter cabinet. Does it require bonding?