Hello,
I'm doing a bathroom refit which involves teeing off the hot and cold for a new shower and consequently have gone down the rabbit hole of trying to understand bonding arrangements. I understand there has been a change in the regs regarding bonding since 1999 when the house was built, and possibly to deal with situations like this house, where some aspects of the bonding don't seem to serve much purpose but would like to be enlightened
All circuits in the house are RCD protected. From the MET (earth bar in CU), I can see 4 earth cables disappearing in to the ceiling - one 10mm2, the others probably 6mm2;
The 10mm2 looks like it is the main bond - it goes to an earth strap on the earliest section of copper pipework in the house. However, the supply comes in via plastic pipe, in to a plastic meter box, via a plastic stopcock, before going through a plastic coupler to the copper pipework. At no point does copper exit the house/go underground. Surely this can't provide any difference in potential?
One of the 6mm2 earths from the MET goes to the bathroom and goes to all of the taps etc, so I guess this is just a MET-referenced supplementary bond? Likewise, I guess the other two earths go to provide MET-reference for supplementary bonds for the kitchen and the other bathroom.
I will provide supplementary bond to my new pipework anyway unless there is a particular reason not to. Just curious as to why this arrangement.
I'm doing a bathroom refit which involves teeing off the hot and cold for a new shower and consequently have gone down the rabbit hole of trying to understand bonding arrangements. I understand there has been a change in the regs regarding bonding since 1999 when the house was built, and possibly to deal with situations like this house, where some aspects of the bonding don't seem to serve much purpose but would like to be enlightened
All circuits in the house are RCD protected. From the MET (earth bar in CU), I can see 4 earth cables disappearing in to the ceiling - one 10mm2, the others probably 6mm2;
The 10mm2 looks like it is the main bond - it goes to an earth strap on the earliest section of copper pipework in the house. However, the supply comes in via plastic pipe, in to a plastic meter box, via a plastic stopcock, before going through a plastic coupler to the copper pipework. At no point does copper exit the house/go underground. Surely this can't provide any difference in potential?
One of the 6mm2 earths from the MET goes to the bathroom and goes to all of the taps etc, so I guess this is just a MET-referenced supplementary bond? Likewise, I guess the other two earths go to provide MET-reference for supplementary bonds for the kitchen and the other bathroom.
I will provide supplementary bond to my new pipework anyway unless there is a particular reason not to. Just curious as to why this arrangement.
