I just discovered a thick lead tube hammered into the ground below the living room floorboards in my suburban 30's house. It has some holes in so doesn't appear to be an old gas/water supply and it has a small (old solid-green) earth conductor running from it. So I think I've found the earthing rod/electrode.. with a main earth conductor that can't be more than 4mm, if that
I think the house does rely on this as part of a TT earthing system: there is no earth conductor from the electricity company's supply/fuse block so I don't think its TN-S, and the earth isn't tied to the neutral supply anywhere so it doesn't look like a PME (although the supplier's isolator switch does have a terminal that links the earths from earth-rod and consumer unit so perhaps I should make sure its not internally connected to neutral in some way). Investigating the other parts of the earthing setup, I found there is a small earth conductor connected to the gas pipes, but nowhere near the meter, and another to the water pipes but nowhere near the stop cock.
I think these should really be upgraded to 10mm (or possibly 16mm to future-proof, though currently the meter tails themselves are only 16mm) and it would be a good time to do this whilst the floor is up. But I'm soon to sell the house, and whilst I'm willing to make the investment for the future owners, I don't want to do anything I shouldn't or which could raise eyebrows when it comes to sell.
Would I be right in thinking that earthing is not notifiable/part-p work, and/or can anyone think of reasons why it should be best left alone - e.g. such as needing specialist testing that I can't do?
Thanks
Kev
I think the house does rely on this as part of a TT earthing system: there is no earth conductor from the electricity company's supply/fuse block so I don't think its TN-S, and the earth isn't tied to the neutral supply anywhere so it doesn't look like a PME (although the supplier's isolator switch does have a terminal that links the earths from earth-rod and consumer unit so perhaps I should make sure its not internally connected to neutral in some way). Investigating the other parts of the earthing setup, I found there is a small earth conductor connected to the gas pipes, but nowhere near the meter, and another to the water pipes but nowhere near the stop cock.
I think these should really be upgraded to 10mm (or possibly 16mm to future-proof, though currently the meter tails themselves are only 16mm) and it would be a good time to do this whilst the floor is up. But I'm soon to sell the house, and whilst I'm willing to make the investment for the future owners, I don't want to do anything I shouldn't or which could raise eyebrows when it comes to sell.
Would I be right in thinking that earthing is not notifiable/part-p work, and/or can anyone think of reasons why it should be best left alone - e.g. such as needing specialist testing that I can't do?
Thanks
Kev