In article , Christian
McArdle writes
Why do you reckon that then Christian?...

Because you won't get a shock from an isolated piece of metal, even with you
other hand clamped firmly on a live conductor.

Yes, but the leakage is likely to be quite high though. Even more so
when the water is running. Apart from that you have plastic plumbing
and metal taps so the "water" is connected to the sink unless we've used
isolating washers?...

If the metal is earthed, you
have a low impedence path to earth.

Quite..

The RCD might save you if the live
conductor happens to be connected via an RCD. If not, you're toast. The 32A
MCB will require 160A to guarantee disconnection, which is not going to
happen!

Course not, but as you say yer RCD will if its whole house protection.

The IEE agree. Even in bathrooms they advise not to bond metal baths or
radiators if all supplies and wastes are plastic and the item is not in
contact with structural metalwork. Indeed, they strongly recommend
connecting using plastic pipework so that you can take advantage of the
additional safety thereby provided.

So the "installers" who've just put the bathroom and wiring in my
daughters new place have used plastic pipe and earthed everything in
sight!...

Reg's who needs him(

Christian.



I seemed to think that somewhere the great idea was to bond "everything"
together in kitchens and bathrooms, so that there were no potential
differences anywhere????....
--
Tony Sayer