Hi,
Is any one able to recommend an electric chrome towel warmer that does not require additional bonding on installation. Is this bonding really necessary these days or will electricians always insist on it?
Many thanks, Darren.
Installed where? Fixed or portable?
In a room containing a bath or shower, not if one is expected to justify it in the subsequent court case. While such cases are not inevitable they are something to consider, even if one doesn't give two hoots for the safety of those using the bathroom.
Other than in a room which has the misfortune of plastic plumbing, yes.
If you wanted a simple party politician style answer then sorry, but there is not one.
What have you got against earth bonds? They're quick to fit and cost little. And damn important in bathrooms and if your house has TN-C-S (PME) earthing.
Are you aware that the bonding connection does not have to be made to the body of the towel rail? You can bond to the earth terminal in the FCU, flex outlet or whatever is feeding the appliance, and the bonding can be completely invisible.
No, yes (unless you have plastic piping) and yes (sometimes even if you have plastic piping).
This raises an interesting question now that wiring is encompassed by the building regs. Installing a new electric facility in a bathroom would necessitate the bonding beiing brought up to current standards, but would installing a new pipe likewise require the bonding to be updated?
I suppose one way round it would be a conventional towel rail in the bathroom connected by plastic pipes to an electric boiler outside the bathroom.
Owain
You realise the earth wire in the connection to the rail can also serve as a bonding connection (i.e. no need for separate wires)?
The circuit will still need cross bonding to all the other circuits in the bathroom if it isn't already.
I'm quite confused now! I have the normal electric socket on the wall with an earth in it. I also have an earth wire coming directly out the wall to the left of it? I'm particularly keen to not to have any wires looking unsightly?
On 17 Jul 2006 10:29:59 -0700 someone who may be " snipped-for-privacy@gglz.com" wrote this:-
You didn't indicate which part of my posting you were replying to, which makes it rather difficult to comment too much.
However, what makes you think that I have anything against supplementary bonding?
Even if I did, that is irrelevant. All I did say was that the protective conductor in short lengths of flex is considered adequate enough for the supplementary bonding to run only to the cord outlet and not the appliance. I didn't make any comment on whether I thought this was good or bad.
On 18 Jul 2006 04:37:23 -0700 someone who may be snipped-for-privacy@tiscali.co.uk wrote this:-
It might help if you told us which room this socket is in.
There is no need to do this, for reasons others have already given. Whether something "unsightly" but safer is a good idea or not is a matter of personal prejudice.
Only you can answer that one.
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