Quick question Re equipotential bonding

[Doc955]

Hello,
When we had our consumer unit replaced a couple of years ago, the electrician bonded all the pipework together in the airing cupboard.
As they are bonded there, do I need additional bonding in the bathroom? (which I'm currently installing). No additional pipes have been added, just re-routed. The shower is a mixer type.
The only electrics in the bathroom are the lights.
Thanks.

 

[JohnD]

Look to see if the bonding is connected to the earthwire of the lighting circuit, and to all the metal pipes in the bathroom (the connection can be made in the airing cupboard if adjacent, and if they are continuous metal (no plastic joints or sections) and to the bath is it is a metal one; and to any wastepipes in the bathroom that are made of metal (e.g. cast iron).

Is there a shaver socket, immersion heater, extractor fan, electric heater?

 

[Doc955]

Thanks for the reply John.
Right,
On further inspection the bonding is just between the pipes. No connection to earth at all (in the airing cupboard at any rate).
I'm hoping(!) that he's tested continuity and found that the pipework is bonded to earth somewhere else, but would I be best off running an earth to the upstairs lighting circuit anyway?
The bath is plastic, all the water pipes are copper (to be 100% I checked continuity to the airing cupbaord), all wastes are plastic.
At present, there is no fan or shaver socket, but I'm looking to get these fitted (myself if I'm allowed). The fan is a double insulated, IP25 rated jobbie, shaver socket is an isolating/step down transformer type, IP41. The immersion is in the DHW tank in the airing cupboard (so not in the bathroom). No heater is fitted or planned.

Thanks.

 

[JohnD]

Yes, you must connect to the earthwire (CPC) of the lighting circuit. You can probably bring it down through the ceiling of the airing cupboard.

the later shaver socket and fan can go on the lighting circuit so no need to link to an additional circuit.

Electrical installations in a bathroom are subject to building regulations, look on our WIKI page for ban's part p info.

 

[Doc955]

Thanks again John.

On further reflection, I'm going to install the extra bonding in the bathroom on the tap side of the pipework This is because all the taps have compression fitting stop valves which *may* not provide a reliable connection under fault conditions. (I must confess to using plumbers snot on the connections to ensure they're watertight. )

I'll probably end up getting our local sparky to do the extra work, it'll probably be cheaper and less hassle than getting the council involved.........

One final thing: is the isolator switch for the fan OK to go in the ceiling (zone 3) near the light pull or does it need to be readily accessible without the use of ladders/milk crate?

 

[JohnD]

some people like to put the isolator outside the bathroom, above the door.