Bonding

[mateylec]

Hi all. I'm wiring a flat (new installation) there's no gas pipe, water main is plastic and all other pipes were too. Just gone back to second fix and found the boiler cupboard full of copper pipes ! I would have bonded these had I known they were going to be there, do i have to or wil it be ok as everything is RCD protected ?

 

[roukel01]

onsite guide page 31..... Supplementary bonding is not required to metallic parts supplied by plastic pipes. So you should be ok.

 

[telectrix]

get a long test lead, do an IR test at250v between MET/ CU earth terminal, and the copper pipes. if your reading is over 23kohms, no need for bonding. what fuel is the boiler?

 

[roukel01]

get a long test lead, do an IR test at250v between MET/ CU earth terminal, and the copper pipes. if your reading is over 23kohms, no need for bonding. what fuel is the boiler?

I take it you disconnect the boiler first??

 

[ezzzekiel]

the pipes wont be electrically connected to the boiler wiring.

 

[roukel01]

the pipes wont be electrically connected to the boiler wiring.

If the pipes are connected to the boiler, then they will be earthed through the boiler supply, so surely you would need to disconnect the supply first, or an Insulation test would be pointless.

 

[telectrix]

I take it you disconnect the boiler first??

what for?. testing between pipework, not wiring

 

[ezzzekiel]

testing between the met and the pipes, or any extraneous metalwork and met to identify if supp bonding is required,.

as you said earlier the boiler pipes do not need to be bonded together (although plumbers will argue different as its in there training that it is required)

however if you wanted to provide supp bonding for whatever reason to whatever part but were not sure if it was needed then carrying out an ir between the pipe and a known earth would identify this.

 

[DurhamSparky]

if you bond the pipes you will probably introduce a path for a fault current to cause more damage than good!

leave alone and chill out!

 

[zeljuga]

Hi there. Imagine scenario: Heavy rain outside, boiler flu trough the aloy roof with lead flashing on flue. Copper guttering, and Tv antena cable passing close bay all the way down to the ground. Bonding opinion.!!!???

 

[telectrix]

copper guttering, when there's pikeys?

 

[Deleted member 9648]

If there are no extraneous parts that require main bonding....and the boiler is not in a special location as defined in the BRB....there is no requirement to supplementary bond the pipes...But...if copper pipes from the boiler enter a special location and the 3 conditions to omit supplementary bonding are not met,the pipes will require supplementary bonding at the point of entry to the special location...or....if the pipes are electrically continuous this may be more conveniently installed at the boiler!

 

[mateylec]

Thanks chaps, Wirepuller, very concise ! that does it for me. The boiler is in a cupboard which is in a bathroom and there's a towel rail plumbed through the wall of the cupboard. It's an electric boiler btw

 

[mateylec]

The boiler is electric

 

[Deleted member 9648]

The boiler is electric

Makes no difference to bonding requirements.