EICR bonding connection not visible/accessible

[ppelec100]

What is the case in if you carry out an EICR and you cannot get to the connections of gas/water bonding to get a reading?

The gas meter is outside but I see no bond to it. I cannot find the water stop cock. There are a few GY cables at the MET and I guess I could disconnect the cables and long lead on to the pipes themselves and test each cable to see the lowest reading to see if they are below 0.05?

There is no cross bonding at the boiler.

 

[littlespark]

That’s exactly what you do…. Take off the cable from the MET and test continuity with a long lead to as close as you can get to the stopcock.

You can’t tell how close the clamp is to the stopcock, but can check it’s connected somewhere.

Disconnecting from the MET removes any parallel paths


Note on the report how it was confirmed… to let future testers know it’s inaccessible.


However, if water pipe is plastic incoming, then the earth wire at the MET might be historical and not actually connected to anything.

 

[ppelec100]

That’s exactly what you do…. Take off the cable from the MET and test continuity with a long lead to as close as you can get to the stopcock.

You can’t tell how close the clamp is to the stopcock, but can check it’s connected somewhere.

Disconnecting from the MET removes any parallel paths


Note on the report how it was confirmed… to let future testers know it’s inaccessible.


However, if water pipe is plastic incoming, then the earth wire at the MET might be historical and not actually connected to anything.

Thank you for replying.

So the thing is I can’t see the water incoming whatsoever and I can’t see the stopcock for the water either so I have no idea if it’s plastic or metallic.
How would I go about determining if the water pipe is/needs bonding. I have a strong feeling it’s in the front hallway under the floor (carpet) in line with the stopcock that’s in the street pavement.

The gas meter however is outside so it should be pretty straightforward to test.

The customer is having the house redecorated slowly whilst living there and are having electrical works done from me, that’s the reason for the EICR, no RCD and she wants addition/alterations to circuits so I need to upgrade the board. I feel like I NEED to know 100% if that water is bonded or not if I’ll be upgrading that board.

Why these things are put in inaccessible places is beyond me

 

[mainline]

Thank you for replying.

So the thing is I can’t see the water incoming whatsoever and I can’t see the stopcock for the water either so I have no idea if it’s plastic or metallic.
How would I go about determining if the water pipe is/needs bonding. I have a strong feeling it’s in the front hallway under the floor (carpet) in line with the stopcock that’s in the street pavement.

The gas meter however is outside so it should be pretty straightforward to test.

The customer is having the house redecorated slowly whilst living there and are having electrical works done from me, that’s the reason for the EICR, no RCD and she wants addition/alterations to circuits so I need to upgrade the board. I feel like I NEED to know 100% if that water is bonded or not if I’ll be upgrading that board.

Why these things are put in inaccessible places is beyond me

All connections, including bonding connections, should be accessible for future maintenance/inspection, if you can't access it, then it's an unsatisfactory conclusion.

Even with wander lead tests with the 'alleged' bond disconnected at the MET you can't be certain if the incoming service is metallic or not.

You cannot be certain the cable going to it is correctly connected using the appropriate clamp and that the connection is sound.

 

[ppelec100]

All connections, including bonding connections, should be accessible for future maintenance/inspection, if you can't access it, then it's an unsatisfactory conclusion.

Even with wander lead tests with the 'alleged' bond disconnected at the MET you can't be certain if the incoming service is metallic or not.

You cannot be certain the cable going to it is correctly connected using the appropriate clamp and that the connection is sound.

Hmm but this now gets complicated because you’re supposed to bond 600mm from where the pipework enters the property or after the stopcock before any branch work… that could be under a floor which will later be laminated and not accessible.

So how do you even get around that?

 

[mainline]

Hmm but this now gets complicated because you’re supposed to bond 600mm from where the pipework enters the property or after the stopcock before any branch work… that could be under a floor which will later be laminated and not accessible.

So how do you even get around that?

They would need access to the stopcock anyway ?

 

[ppelec100]

You would need access to the stopcock anyway ?

You’ve lost me.
Do you mean if I go to bond it I will need to access it? If so then even in the future it will inaccessible again so the next EICR it will be unsatisfactory, if that makes sense.

 

[mainline]

You’ve lost me.
Do you mean if I go to bond it I will need to access it? If so then even in the future it will inaccessible again so the next EICR it will be unsatisfactory, if that makes sense.

You need to find the incoming water supply /stop cock, which obviously needs to be accessible anyway.

If that means a bit of plumbing work, then so be it, add a mtr of plastic pipe to it.

 

[ppelec100]

You need to find the incoming water supply /stop cock, which obviously needs to be accessible anyway.

I know but that’s the point I’m trying to make, it SHOULD BE accessible but it isn’t.
Even if I go lifting up boards to find it and if it is bonded i test it, if it isn’t then I bond it. The moment I put them floors back down and even if I note it anywhere it’s become inaccessible again. It will become extremely inaccessible if the floors been laminated/tiled.

 

[mainline]

I know but that’s the point I’m trying to make, it SHOULD BE accessible but it isn’t.
Even if I go lifting up boards to find it and if it is bonded i test it, if it isn’t then I bond it. The moment I put them floors back down and even if I note it anywhere it’s become inaccessible again. It will become extremely inaccessible if the floors been laminated/tiled.

Add a mtr of plastic pipe to it.

 

[ppelec100]

Add a mtr of plastic pipe to it.

I don’t get what you mean? Add a metre of plastic pipe to what the existing pipework lol?

 

[littlespark]

Then it becomes an insulated section, and no longer an extraneous conductive part. Ergo, no bond needed.

Can’t do that with gas though

 

[mainline]

Then it becomes an insulated section, and no longer an extraneous conductive part. Ergo, no bond needed.

Can’t do that with gas though

He said he has access to the gas meter.

 

[Pretty Mouth]

How old is the property?

 

[ppelec100]

Then it becomes an insulated section, and no longer an extraneous conductive part. Ergo, no bond needed.

Can’t do that with gas though

Ahh I see, I don’t know if you guys were suggesting I do that myself I’m not comfortable with plumbing.
I can tell the customer to have a plumber do it but can’t imagine they’d be on board.

He said he has access to the gas meter.

I think he means I’m not allowed to touch the gas pipes. Don’t you have to be gas safe registered to work on gas?

How old is the property?

I’m not good at guessing the age of properties I’d say around 1950s. Here is a picture of the front of the house off Google maps if you want to guess