Earthing gas to water, no easy access....

[Satanskull]

Hi, 1st Post!
I have moved a CU in an old ish house, earthing arrangement for the gas is ok(external), but I cant get a path to the water (floor tiles all over etc), can I connect to the gas pipe, go externally round the house and go through the wall to the water stopcock, or does it have to be a continuous loop? Thank you.

 

[telectrix]

what you can do is remove the cable from the gas pipe. crimp on a length ( preferably with a bit of Gn/Y heat shrink) sufficient to reach the water stop tap, then bond to gas without breaking the continuity, then on to the water. this means that if the cable is taken off the gas, you will not lose the bond to the water.

 

[sjm]

It needs to be a continuous cable.
You could crimp additional cable to the existing, heatshrink over the join then use this cable to bond both the gas and water.

 

[telectrix]

snap...

 

[sjm]

Great minds and all that!

 

[needasparks]

I will put my head over the parapit, I guess by asking denotes no other options are available so I guess you could but as you have mentioned it will need to be un-broken so at a push I would crimp from the gas so it is one continuous cable.
Just remember the whole reason is that if one is disconnected for any reason it will still be connected to the other.

edit
One finger typing make me soooooooo slow.

 

[jdd]

Would you put the crimped cable in an enclosure?

 

[telectrix]

nope.... by crimping you are basically jointing the cable. if it were phase conductors, i would enclose the joint, but not for an earth /bonding cable.

 

[nickblake]

dont forget if the cable goes round the house it will need to be protected or a larger cable , but appart from that as long as all routes to get a cable in then its crimped and extended

 

[Octopus]

I'll put my tin hat on BUT I seem to recall the "continuous" cable is mentioned in GN 3 and is not in BS7671 (unless its one of the updates!!)

Best practice says it should be continuous though!

 

[jdd]

If not in an enclosure how will there be protection afforded for the termination. (eg. no cord grips to take the strain if pulled)

 

[telectrix]

the crimp should be sufficient to stop it being pulled apart.

 

[Jimmy Boy]

As this is an 'Oldish house' have we established the csa of the main earth for the type of installation?

 

[Jimmy Boy]

BGB.

Main bonding must be as near as 'Practicable' to point of entry, so to my mind it would be OK to bond water, where you can get at it, if you genuinely can't get to the point of entry (Within 600mm), regs say it must be bonded internally not in the external box.

 

[Knobhead]

Is there a convenient point on the water system nearby? If so use that, 600mm of the service point is only a recommendation. Make a note on the CU where the connection is. It is better that the earthing arrangements be kept within the confines of the house. Externally run cables / bonding have a habit of going missing!