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Christian McArdle September 18th 03 03:14 PM

More about water pipe earthing
 
I know that I could put an earth tag across each speed-fit joint to ensure
continuity, but what is the point?


Don't. Plastic pipes do not need earthing. There is no advantage (and plenty
of disadvantages) in ensuring continuity when metal pipework is separated by
plastic. Small bits of metal isolated from everything else (i.e. metal taps
fed by plastic pipes) do not need bonding.

Christian.



Christian McArdle September 18th 03 06:27 PM

More about water pipe earthing
 
Err, I thought that the 16th edition regs required EVERYTHING in a
bathroom of a metallic nature to be earthed?


Some choice quotes from:

http://www.iee.org/Publish/WireRegs/...asticPipes.pdf

Metal radiators supplied by plastic pipes should
not be supplementary bonded. It is not safer to
supplementary bond them, it is safer not to.


For entirely plastic pipework, it recommends to bond:

Earth terminals of protective conductors of class I and
class II equipment and accessible exposed-conductive parts
of the building structure.


It continues:

Bonding of metal taps, metal radiators or metal
baths is not required unless the bath is connected
to the metallic building structure.


Hope this helps.

Christian.



Christian McArdle September 18th 03 06:34 PM

More about water pipe earthing
 
http://www.iee.org/Publish/WireRegs/...asticPipes.pdf

P.S.

The thrust of the document is to encourage the use of plastic pipework. The
IEE believes that plastic pipework and the subsequent lack of earthing
potentials in the room is a safer environment than an bonded earthed metal
one. If there have to be earthed potentials in the room, it is best that
they are the same, however, which is what supplementary bonding is about.

Christian.



Earl Kella September 18th 03 07:00 PM

More about water pipe earthing
 

"Christian McArdle" wrote in message
. net...
http://www.iee.org/Publish/WireRegs/...asticPipes.pdf


P.S.

The thrust of the document is to encourage the use of plastic pipework.

The
IEE believes that plastic pipework and the subsequent lack of earthing
potentials in the room is a safer environment than an bonded earthed metal
one. If there have to be earthed potentials in the room, it is best that
they are the same, however, which is what supplementary bonding is about.

Christian.




Thanks for the replies, I should have mentioned that all my plumbing uses
copper pipe with plastic push-fit joints but I gather the answer is the
same.

I will take attitude that unless there is the remotest chance of a tap,
radiator etc. coming in contact with a live wire then there is no need to
earth it - any pipework under the floor is effectively isolated by the
push-fit joint.

Regards

Earl





John Stumbles September 21st 03 05:12 PM

More about water pipe earthing
 
"Earl Kella" wrote in message
...

"Christian McArdle" wrote in message
. net...
http://www.iee.org/Publish/WireRegs/...asticPipes.pdf


P.S.

The thrust of the document is to encourage the use of plastic pipework.

The
IEE believes that plastic pipework and the subsequent lack of earthing
potentials in the room is a safer environment than an bonded earthed

metal
one. If there have to be earthed potentials in the room, it is best that
they are the same, however, which is what supplementary bonding is

about.

Thanks for the replies, I should have mentioned that all my plumbing uses
copper pipe with plastic push-fit joints but I gather the answer is the
same.
....any pipework under the floor is effectively isolated by the
push-fit joint.


I don't think so. The IEE document is silent on the scanario of metal
pipework with plastic joints, but its recommendation not to earth bond metal
fittings connected by plastic pipework is based on the resistance of water
in plastic pipework providing a level of insulation such that bonding is not
required. However where you have metal pipework with plastic joints you only
have a few millimetres of water separating conductive lengths and the
resistance of the water can not be expected to provide anything like the
same protection as metres of plastic pipe, so in your case exposed metal
pipes in the bathroom _should_ be bonded.

I will take attitude that unless there is the remotest chance of a tap,
radiator etc. coming in contact with a live wire then there is no need to
earth it ...


AIUI the reason all-metal pipework should be bonded is that in _any_ house
with an electricity supply there is a remote risk of pipework being made
live. Of course a responsible installer would not install either cabling or
pipework in such a way that there was a substantial risk, but unforseen
circumstances can create such a situation and the bonding is there as a
safety measure (belt _and_ braces :-)


--
John Stumbles
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