Potential No Main Earth

[SpaceWorm]

Just noticed something with my leccy in a 1957 bungalow.

The gas and water bonds have been disconnected and cooked up in the corner of the room, with no obvious earth coming from the board back to the cut-out.

Does this mean the property has no main earth?

Cheers

 

[sparkwright]

I would certainly expect an earth cable on that clamp on the main incoming cable sheath to go to the main earth terminal at the consumer unit...

Looks like you have no earth.

Can you explain what you mean about the gas and water?

There is a chance you may have an earth electrode (earth stake) outside. May be worth checking for that, JUST IN CASE.

 

[SpaceWorm]

The earth cables on the right of the picture are connected at the consumer unit, but have been disconnected from the incoming gas and water pipes.

So would that indicate that there is a main earth to the property, provided by connection to that clamp and incomer sheathing, it's just that it's been disconnected?

Thanks for the super quick response mate.

 

[ericmark]

I had it with parents house, they did have an earth, as I as a child managed to blow a 13 amp fuse when line touched earth, but when we came to install a wet room, I found the only earth was the one fitted for the party line telephone, which an electrician, well he claimed he was an electrician, had changed the fuse box for a consumer unit.

I would guess originally in 1954 the water supply was the earth, but seems all bonding had been removed, and the loop impedance meter did show around 80 ohms but that was the GPO earth with around 2 mm sq bare copper.

These things happen, which is why we should get an EICR every 10 years.

 

[sparkwright]

How many unconnected earth cables are there?

Are they different sizes?

More photos of this area would help, as well as photos of the consumer unit area.

 

[Guitarguy]

It looks like the lead sheath of the incoming supply cable has a clamp on it which indicated that it has either been connected up as part of the bonding or was providing the main earthing via the lead cable sheath.
I’d give the DNO a ring to get it tested and if the earth loop reading is good then this can be used as your earth terminal, it will also need a proper earth clamp fitted and not the current pipe clip.