bonding conundrum

clive dobbs · Feb 23, 2012

The trouble is not knowing the earthing arrangments, the example I gave in a fault condition like losing PME neutral main house you would be introducing a different potential TT back from the flat therefore the equpotential zone in the house now has potential earth, and bonding would not stop the risk of electric shook in the house.

1shortcircuit · Feb 23, 2012

Okay so what if you walked through the front door of the granny flat and had no access to next door... You found NO BONDING so tested to see if the water pipe was extraneous and found that it was not? we'd stick a bond on it anyway??? This then takes us to the long debate that has been battled out in other threads which makes out you should bond metal windows and loose change on the bedside cabinets etc (Engineer54 will remember that one I'm sure)

If it's bonded next door and that's the reason you get your test results then you won't know that BUT the bonding next door will have a clamp attaching it to a pipe which will also have a label on it saying "Electrical Earth Connection - DO NOT REMOVE"!

If you've bonded the pipework and then the supply pipe is replaced with a plastic one then you have now created a potentially lethal situation if a fault were to occur.

You cannot be accountable for what a wet head decides to do or not do when he goes in after you?

A block of flats is entirely different and as I recently was informed each one AND the main installation should ALL have their own bonding (Main installation to within 600mm of stop tap and flats to within 600mm of point of entry - Where reasonably practicable)

This is my opinion based on a lot less experience than many others that have posted the opposite in this thread but to me it makes sense. I'll stand corrected though if someone can PROVE without doubt that my actions would have the book thrown at me in a court of law.

:thumbsup