What's the point of earthing an iron bath in the bathroom? Surely this is only going to help you if the bath then somehow becomes live? Which is not very likely - to put it mildly. Any thoughts?
- posted
20 years ago
Iron bath earthing
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- posted
20 years ago
Hmmm - more likely than you think.
Flat above my office, the guy splashed loads of water out of the bath - I think he was in there with his girlfriend. The water came through my ceiling and the light fitting. I was cross because of the water, but he had a truly electrifying experience. After that, he got his bath earthed.
Incidentally, he did not get fried because the electricity had quite a long path to travel through, but he got a definite tingle (not from the girlfriend) and it was potentially a dangerous situation.
I was surprised, like you, but since that incident everything in sight gets earthed.
Geoff
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20 years ago
The IEE published a paper on earthing which might be of interest. Can't find it on the IEE website, but there's a copy here
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20 years ago
You don't supplementary bond an iron bath, unless it is also earthed by other means, such as taps fed by copper pipe. The regs suggest that total electrical isolation is best. If this can't be achieved, then being well connected with everything else nearby is the second choice as even if everything in the room is electrified simultaneously, then no current can flow through you until the fuse/MCB/RCD blows. (This is a little simplistic, I know).
Christian.