position of main bonding of gas & water pipes

[Tim Watts]

Just call me Mr Gimlet...

[Helen]

replying to Tim Watts, Helen wrote: I was wondering if anyone can advise me. I've just had some building work done and the bonding cable from the consumer unit comes through the wall but was left unconnected. I've been told it has to be connected above the stopcock (within 2 feet of the stopcock). The cable is too short to reach above the stopcock. Part P was completed and ticked as done by electrician. My builder says "someone" must have disconnected it but the cable is too short to be connected above the stopcock. Above or below the stopcock? That is my question.

[tabbypurr]

Makes no difference, it just needs to be connected somewhere near where the water service enters the house.

read it.

NT

[Robin]

Even if it is a plastic stopcock but metal pipes in the premises? I had thought the bonding was supposed to be on the consumer side of any main stopcock to cater for that - or that happening if a plastic one is fitted in the future.

[John Rumm]

If its your stopcock (i.e. there is another outside that belongs to the water supplier, then you could connect to either side. If its the suppliers, then on your side (i.e. "after" the stopcock as the water flows). Generally one connects close to where the service enters the property.

If the supply is in plastic, but the house plumbing in metal, then the house plumbing be treated as another "extraneous conductive part" rather than an incoming service (since the service itself can't introduce a potential into the property). In those cases you can bond it anywhere its convenient.

More detail here:

[Roger Hayter]

You can extend the wire with a new bit connected via something of suitable current carrying capacity for the size of wire. *If* you've got a handy surface (eg the wall you mention) and it the connection easily accessible permanently to make sure it hasn't come loose, something like the following is widely used.

If this method is now deprecated I'm sure someone will tell us. You should use the same size wire for the extension with the same green/yellow insulation, probably 10mm^2 but it could just be 16mm^2.

[Tim Watts]

The IET Regs (17th) say (green book, Amd 1), summarised by me:

544.1.2

wrt gas, water or other service:

...near as practicable to point of entry...

... within 600 mm of point of entry...

... before any branch pipework ...

(Sorry, long para, not typing the whole thing out).

My water comes in through the kitchen floor, c*ck behind cupboard and pipe goes directly up through ceiling. My EP bond is just above the ceiling which is closer to the CU.

Running a wire down the side of the pipe would be pointless, and the clip would end up in a difficult to inspect location behind a cupboard rather than a nice easy one behind a cover in the upstairs dormer attic space.

It's been seen by another electrician who was also quite happy with it.

So basically, do something sane.