Gas/Water bonds

[craig1000]

Hi in the event of it not being possible to get to the pipe of either within 300mm of it entering the building what is the course of action to take?
Exisiting install with neither bonded so it needs to be done!
I could maybe get to the gas meter box outside, is this acceptable as for the water with out further investigation i dont know what i can get to !
Also in terms of coding what would you code these as on a PIR/EICR, i am saying C2 for both, your thoughts?
May be able to get to gas via cutting up floor in living room permission given but what about then accessibility to the connections after?
What would no accessibility get coded as?

Cheers guys!

 

[telectrix]

first, the recommendation is within 600mm of entering the building, before ant branches. or as near as you can practically get. a bonding clamp under the floor, with a trap cut for access and labelled would class this as accessible.

lack of bonding i would code as C2.

 

[craig1000]

right ;-)
In the event of the customer not being prepared to have a accessible hatch left there i.e laminate going back down after then would it be ok to do it in the gas box?
I am guessing also that if i cannot find any where for either that the customer is happy with the damage to decorating that will be caused then i can only have one option which shall be to refuse a satisfactory cert?
Having looked on my own house earlier out of chance rather than looking i have noticed my gas runs from meter box along outside of building to the back of my house, the bond is made about a meter from the box, outside, i am guessing this can be ok?

 

[telectrix]

the bond should be inside the property.

 

[Octopus]

I've just done one where the gas meter was in a box just outside the front door. The pipe runs under the floor, under where a carpet would be so applied some common sense and attached the clamp inside the meter box for protection and also so it could be seen/inspected.

It may not be inside BUT its visible and just outside!

 

[craig1000]

Ok if not possible due to customer non co operation then no cert of satisfactory granted!
Interesting to as i say i discovered earlier on my own property that the gas bond is outside, well known housing association as landlords to, then again in have also noticed my PIR is 3 years out dated, hhhhmmm, gona get on to them, although i know its sound, been her 7 years, & recently been practising my testing! Still shocking they have left it to expire!

 

[Octopus]

Seen lots around my neck of the woods, outside the property, inside the gas meter cupboard - can't see a problem with it personally.

Tin hat on (again)!!

 

[telectrix]

well, i suppose inside the meter box is technically inside the property, arguably.

 

[Octopus]

well, i suppose inside the meter box is technically inside the property, arguably.

Better in the gas meter box than under the floor, inaccessible IMHO

 

[telectrix]

agreed^^^.

 

[Octopus]

Its that word accessible again isn't it.

Under floorboards and a carpet is NOT accessible IMHO

 

[craig1000]

Thanks all, i shall be pushing to do with in the property but as pointed out & my thoughts also, better to be in the box than under the floor not accessible!
The gas i know i can get to the box worst case scenario the water need more investigation, if i cant get anywhere without the decorating, units etc being ripped out & the customer wont allow me to i assume it stays a C2 & they do not get a cert!

 

[Jimmy Boy]

I suppose logically Gas pipes are a safer bet for getting a bond to at the nearest accessible point albeit not within 600mm, as gas pipes only ever get cut in to with copper as it's illegal to have plastic gas pipes inside a dwelling, I suppose as the meter box is attached to the house technically it forms part of the dwelling so is inside the E zone, I guess if the meter box was more remote say in a communal hallway you might be on a sticky wicket ?

ATB J

 

[Guest111]

Seen lots around my neck of the woods, outside the property, inside the gas meter cupboard - can't see a problem with it personally.

Tin hat on (again)!!

There is an estate near me with the little gas boxes set in the floor just under the front window and all of them are bonded just outside the box,must be a couple of hundred of them,also I think the word acccessible is open to interpretation.I mean suppose you bond under the floor and then someone goes and plants a great big welsh dresser over your hatch,technically its still accessible even though you would have to empty the dresser to move it,however it could be classsed as inaccessible as you couldnt access it at a moments notice.suppose it,s one of them if it was for an assessment it would depend on the individual asessor.

 

[Tonkatoy27]

My own opinion, (and I'm wearing a tin hat, NBC suit and I'm in a bunker) is that under floor is fine as long as the position is clearly documented in the certificates. (I personaly label the cu with the position as well) Saying that, the only water supply I can remember doing like that was incidentally, yesterday for a friend. Out of CU boxing just inside front door, out of doorframe, down wall to gas meter and clamp, around bay window, through handily placed iron air grating. (set at 45 degrees so watter can pour through it?!?) and under lounge floor to pick up the incomming water. I think practically that it's far more preferable to do that than tear the house up getting to an accessible water pipe. In this case the nearest would be on a different floor at the other end of the house. If clamps are outside I make sure to use a blue clip which are phosphor bronze and for use in damp locations.

I've got a property I rent out which was converted from a shop, I did the same as usual, 1st fixed a 10mm to the water incommer and gas meter position. On 2nd fix the bloody gas meter was in a ground recessed box and had a flexi pipe from the meter to a coupling on the outside of the box, I had no choice but to fit the clip on the pipe outside the meter box before it disapeared through the wall and under the concrete floor. I still give it a tug and pull every time I pass. (almost every day)