main earthing

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Hi
Due to bereavement I am preparing my sisters house foe sale.
The main earthing is connected to the incoming water supply pipe.

A water meter was fitted some time ago and I have noticed that the earth bonding remains unchanged. This is probably due to the incoming supply cable being run in a steel conduit leaving no access to the lead sheathing to fit a bonding clamp to. I guess I will have to contact the supply company to rectify this. My question is, will they charge for this and how will they carry out the bonding.
 
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The main earthing is connected to the incoming water supply pipe.
Are you sure that's the main earth, and not main bonding?

(BTW, at this stage, if a chap called david911cockburn turns up in this topic, put him on ignore).


A water meter was fitted some time ago and I have noticed that the earth bonding remains unchanged.
Main earth...
Bonding...

These are different things, and it's not clear what you're talking about.

Photos of your supply head, cables from there to the CU, earth blocks, incoming services like water and gas etc would be jolly useful.


This is probably due to the incoming supply cable being run in a steel conduit leaving no access to the lead sheathing to fit a bonding clamp to.
Should there be one? Do you know for sure that you should have a TN-S supply?


I guess I will have to contact the supply company to rectify this. My question is, will they charge for this and how will they carry out the bonding.
They won't carry out any bonding, that's not their responsibility.

Nor, if your supply is TT, will they do anything about the earth - that's your responsibility.

We really do need photos....
 
Yes it is a TN-S system.
Yes the main earthing conductor from th CU is connected to the incoming water pipe.
 
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Yes it is a TN-S system.

In that case you should find a connection from the incoming cable and the CU.
If that doesn't exist it's certainly not what you think
 
Per the request above, post a picture of the incoming supply cable and head. We know what to look for.

If you are selling the house, Most people would just leave it as it is and let the buyer's surveyor comment on it. In my experience they don't know enough to pick it up.
 
I think you are all missing the point.

This house was wired when it was common practise to use the incoming water pipe as the main earthing point for the building.
Due to the use of plastic pipes/ water meters this practise is now not allowed and a suitable alternative earthing point must be used. The lead sheath of the incoming SWA cable commonly being used.
As explained this method is not available to be used and I was enquiring what other alternative could be used.
 
If you don't have a TN system then your options are:
1: Contact the DNO and ask them if it is possible to give you a TN connection. They will usually charge for this.
2: Contact an electrician to install an earth electrode (giving you a TT system), upgrade the CUs etc etc etc. The price depends on the amount of work and apparatus reqd.
 
It will be a toss up between paying the DNO to provide PME earthing (if available) or providing your own earth (TT system).

Both have certain criteria which must be met to ensure safety.
 
The point is not missed by anyone. You said you have a TN-S system yet you say there is no provision to connect the main earth which means that you do not have a TN-S system. You have a TT system. You need to contact a registered electrician www.competentperson.co.uk and have them look at the earthing arrangements with a view to installing an earth rod. Or you need to contact your DNO and have them look at the main supply/confirm it is TN-S and have them provide an earth. Or you simply let the new buyers deal with the issue if it comes up.
 
It will be a toss up between paying the DNO to provide PME earthing (if available) or providing your own earth (TT system).

If the earthing was from the cable sheath (TN-S) that is what we would provide. Unless the network is suitable we don't provide PME earths will-nilly
 
This house was wired when it was common practise to use the incoming water pipe as the main earthing point for the building.
If that is true, and nothing has been done since, then the whole lot needs to be rewired, as the existing wiring will be at least 45 years old.
If electrical work has been done since then, it wasn't done properly.
 
If that is true, and nothing has been done since, then the whole lot needs to be rewired, as the existing wiring will be at least 45 years old.
If electrical work has been done since then, it wasn't done properly.

Which something the buyer can do. No point rewiring it before it is sold.
 

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