Settle a bet please Calling commercial electricians here.

rjb

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Hello folks!

Please settle a bet for me.

Question. Does the metal framework for suspended ceilings need to be bonded?

My answer. No. I don't think it is an extraneous conductive part (i think!). Only the metal flouresecent light housings. The Air con is earthed not bonded.

Mike's Answer. Yes of course it's metal I should know I've just re-wired my house.

(Mike has recently re-wired his house. Mike doesn't know or anybody at work for that matter that I'm training to be sparky (although we haven't gone into teh greatest depth in this area yet) and will be out of the current (no pun) office hell hole ASAP!!! ;) )

By the way Mike will also bond anything. If the gardener goes for a cup of tea, upon his return Mike would have bonded his spade!!)
 
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normally i would bother as its in a commercial place i would deffinately and it will only take you a about 10minutes to earth it so might aswell especially if your putting your name to the realiability of the install mate, saves anything coming back to bite you in the backside,

A&M
 
You are correct about it not being an extraneous conductive part, as it does not introduce a potential into the equipotential zone, but however, the chances of the gridwork becoming live is reasonable (think of all those sharp edges, and cables sat on them), and if left live, this would be a very dangerous, so I would definatly earth it.
 
As RF has already said, you don't need to "earth" the grid but many do for the reasons RF has stated. However, it's not black & white because in the event of an earth fault somewhere else in the installation you maybe introducing a problem that would not normally be there.

Also, if you do decided to "earth" the grid at one point you will need to test the whole grid to ensure you have continuity. Depending on the construction/type of grid you may well end up having to cross bond joints etc.

Although they are not always in the real world below is the NIC’s view

In practice, unless there are very exceptional circumstances (which would need to be taken into account by the electrical designer), the conductive parts of a suspended ceiling will be neither exposed-conductive-parts nor extraneous-conductive-parts. Consequently, in normal circumstances, suspended ceilings need neither to be earthed nor equipotentially bonded.

Electrical equipment such as luminaires, lighting track, overhead busbars, air conditioning units and the like incorporated in a suspended ceiling will normally be of either Class I or Class II construction. The exposed-conductive-parts of Class I equipment are required to be connected to the main earthing terminal of the installation by a circuit protective conductor designed to conduct earth fault current. Class II equipment is designed such that any insulation fault in the equipment cannot result in fault current flowing into any conductive parts with which the equipment may be in contact. The conductive parts of a suspended ceiling incorporating Class I and/or Class II equipment are therefore not intended to conduct earth fault current, and so such parts need not be intentionally earthed. (Some conductive parts of a suspended ceiling may be earthed, however, by virtue of fortuitous contact with exposed-conductive-parts, including those of Class I equipment.)

Unless there are exceptional circumstances, the conductive parts of a suspended ceiling will not introduce a potential that does not already exist in the space in which the ceiling is installed. In normal circumstances, therefore, there is no need to arrange for the conductive parts of the ceiling to be connected to either a main bonding conductor or to any supplementary bonding conductor.

Some of the requirements applicable to cables in suspended ceilings are embodied in Regulation Groups 522-06, 522-07 and 522-08 of BS 7671. In particular, Regulations 522-08-04 and 522-08-05 call for cables to be supported, either continuously or at appropriate intervals, such that no damage or undue strain will occur to the cables themselves or to their terminations.
It is inadvisable for cables, including insulated and sheathed cables to BS 6004, to be laid directly on a suspended ceiling grid for a number of reasons, including:
• The cables are liable to be damaged, both during installation and later, by the sharp edges of the grid (Regulations 522-06-01 and 522-08-01). For example, a cable may come into contact with the cut edges of the grid at a notch where sections of grid intersect, or may become trapped between a ceiling tile and the grid, possibly when other trades are carrying out work in connection with the ceiling or other services routed above.
• The suspended ceiling grid may not have been designed to take the additional weight of cables, and may deform or collapse as a result.
 
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so basically, "not unless the customer's spec asks for it to be.." is the official answer?
 
It is inadvisable for cables, including insulated and sheathed cables to BS 6004, to be laid directly on a suspended ceiling grid for a number of reasons, including:
• The cables are liable to be damaged, both during installation and later, by the sharp edges of the grid (Regulations 522-06-01 and 522-08-01). For example, a cable may come into contact with the cut edges of the grid at a notch where sections of grid intersect, or may become trapped between a ceiling tile and the grid, possibly when other trades are carrying out work in connection with the ceiling or other services routed above.
• The suspended ceiling grid may not have been designed to take the additional weight of cables, and may deform or collapse as a result.
But lets be honest they WILL BE, maybe not as part of the initial installation but when someone needs to put in an extra light fitting and is trying to minimise disruption and avoid getting out tools to hang the cable from the ceiling above or similar....
 
Or when someone wants power to an island unit and decides to use an extension lead run above the false ceiling to get it.
 
so basically, "not unless the customer's spec asks for it to be.." is the official answer?

You must read the same daft "customer specs" as me :LOL:

So yes, the official answer is, although the regs don't ask for it, the NIC don't recommend it, it may introduce a potential that was not there before and normally there are class 1 luminaires touching the grid every few tiles you should still earth/bond the grid if the over paid & ill informed designer asks for it. :LOL:
 
did a 6 month hospital re-fit.. all grids had to be bonded in several locations.. steel conduit everywhere..

3 compartment trunking.. (mains / data / nurse call ) every length of trunking had to be earthed so we took a 16mm earth straight though and cut 'n' crimped rings on for a bolt through every one.. good lace to earth the grids too as well... :)
 
Earthing in hospitals (and quite a few other environments) is a different can of worms altogether. Because of the presence of explosive gases and sensitive equipment it's not only about electrical safety so different regs and standards are adopted.

Most are covered under "Health and Safety Guidance" (HSG) documents.
 

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