Earthing OK?

[innes]

Hi, just a civilian here with a question. After I got my old economy 7 meter replaced I had a look at how the earth wires are connected up in my house.
I found that earth is achieved by clamping to the water main.

(In the photo, wire F that disappears under the floor is the one that's clamped to the water main)

Is this an OK arrangement? Initially I thought something was wrong, as there is an earth wire that isnt connected to anything but was wrapped around the metal pipe through which the supply cable enters the house.

What would this earthing setup be classed as?

 

[Mark.W]

Wire F is called bonding.

It was probably a TN-S that has probably now been converted to a PME.

Get an electrician in to test it for you.

 

[telectrix]

looks like TN-s. cable f to the water is main bonding. what about bonding to gas? whichever way you look at it, it does need an electrician on site to ascertain if it's safe. it certainly looks as if it's in need of improvement.

 

[PC Electrics]

I would say 'no' this is not okay. Wire E looks like it might at one time have been your earthing conductor connected to a TN-S point (the sheath of the supply cable). It looks to me you've got no earth at all at the moment.

Get an electrician to look at it today, please.

Whereabouts are you, someone on here may be in your neck of the woods.

 

[innes]

Yes, I think I'll get an expert in.
There is no connection between Neutral and Earth that I can see (TN-C-S?), and no connection of Earth to anything near the supply cable (TN-S?).
The only thing that Earth connects to, apart from the electrical circuits is the water pipe.
Maybe the gas pipe is connected to the water pipe elsewhere.

 

[Amp David]

Nice diagram tho, top marks!

 

[Mark.W]

The gas pipes should also have its own bonding cable within 600mm of where it enters your house or within the gas meter.

I had a similar scenario a few weeks ago, I was doing a PIR and when testing Ze I disconnect the main earth from the MET and to my surprise I got no reading. I got the DNO out ASAP and he confirmed that the system had been converted into a PME on their side but not the consumer side.....?

 

[SPARTYKUS]

Agree with PC electrics, looks like TNS and it's come off and dangling. Doesn't look like ti has been converted to PME.

If you had a socket and see type plug in thing it might tell you you have no earth but it depends on what limit those things have before it decides you have no earth.... you may have bonding to a water pipe and be getting a very good earth from that (could even be as low at 0.2 Ohms, seen it as water pipe may be connected to next door, who is PME ).

Like has been said get a decent electrician in

 

[PC Electrics]

Local Authority Building Control - SEARCH

Put your postcode in NOW and get someone local out to look NOW. If you have no earth then you have a serious danger on your hands.
Don't want this happening again:
Young mother electrocuted by live tap as she ran a bath in her family's new home | Mail Online

 

[telectrix]

innes, what's your location.sure somebody here is near you can sort it.

 

[innes]

Nice diagram tho, top marks!

Heh, cheers. I try.

 

[innes]

Local Authority Building Control - SEARCH

Put your postcode in NOW and get someone local out to look NOW. If you have no earth then you have a serious danger on your hands.
Don't want this happening again:
Young mother electrocuted by live tap as she ran a bath in her family's new home | Mail Online

Yikes. It's been like this since I moved in 4 years ago! I was going to get the old fusebox upgraded as part of some building work that has been taking a while to get authorised, but it sounds like it's worth getting somebody in now rather than later.

 

[innes]

innes, what's your location.sure somebody here is near you can sort it.

Is anyone in the Edinburgh area?

 

[innes]

The gas pipes should also have its own bonding cable within 600mm of where it enters your house or within the gas meter.

No sign of that.

 

[innes]

If you had a socket and see type plug in thing it might tell you you have no earth

Ah... when the guy came to change the meter last week he tested a socket with a plug-in device and got a green light before doing the work. Could be I'm getting a decent earth from the main? The wire seems a bit thin though.