Main bonding cable route

[BluSparx]

Hi All

Just wanting a bit of advice on how to route a main bonding cable.

The layout of the property is

Water Mains enters in the kitchen
Gas mains enters under the stairs in the hallway
CU installed in Kitchen cupboard
Elec Meter installed in a separate cupboard under stairs

My thoughts were to run the bonding as follows:

Attach to water mains in kitchen and run around the outside of the property and then bring back in where the gas mains enters the property attaching to the gas pipe and then to the Earth (TNC-S) system

My original thought was to take up through into the void between ceiling and upstairs floorboards, and bring back down at the where the gas pipes come for the boiler however the customer doesn't want me to do this as will result in tiles being removed in the kitchen.

Thanks in advance

 

[ezzzekiel]

sounds ok to me , however whenever i run earth outside i cover it with either black capping or run it in conduit.

 

[Guest123]

Yes....if it's outside, pipe it. Bit of mechanical protection then aswell.

 

[Richard]

I'm sure someone will correct me, but I think under some circumstance you can use the main water pipes as conductors. Not as main earthing conductors, but to bond. Not sure if this helps you atall. Personally I always run a cable, but if it's very difficult, then maybe this could help.

I'll have a look in the good book now and try and get you some numbers.

rich

EDIT: 543.2.6 on pg 131?

 

[sjm]

Last time I ran bonding cable around outside of building I clipped it direct to the outside wall as the customer didn't want anything more obtrusive. Had the job checked as one of my annual assesments and the NICEIC bloke had no problems with it at all.

Hope this helps.
sjm

 

[Sintra]

I'm sure someone will correct me, but I think under some circumstance you can use the main water pipes as conductors. Not as main earthing conductors, but to bond. Not sure if this helps you atall. Personally I always run a cable, but if it's very difficult, then maybe this could help.

I'll have a look in the good book now and try and get you some numbers.

rich

EDIT: 543.2.6 on pg 131?

All extraneous conductive parts in an installation must be connected to the main earthing terminal by main protective bonding conductors. 411.3.1.2

Reg 543.2.6 states that an extraneous conductive part may be used as a protective conductor if certain criteria are met which would be difficult to accertain unless you are an electrical design consultant. It does not state it can be used as a main protective bonding conductor.

 

[Richard]

All extraneous conductive parts in an installation must be connected to the main earthing terminal by main protective bonding conductors. 411.3.1.2

Reg 543.2.6 states that an extraneous conductive part may be used as a protective conductor if certain criteria are met which would be difficult to accertain unless you are an electrical design consultant. It does not state it can be used as a main protective bonding conductor.

Hi, firstly thanks for your reply. I had the same conversation with someone, some months ago. I aggree with what you say, and that 'It does not state it can be used as a main protective bonding conductor' but i can't see anything in that paragraph that actually prohibits it's use either. I'm asking more out of curiosity than anything.

Thanks