Evergreen Electrical, Bonding

	Bonding WHAT IS EARTH BONDING? In a domestic electrical installation there is (or rather, should be) a Main Earth, Main Equipotential Bonding and Supplementary Equipotential Bonding. The idea is to protect all the pipework and metalwork in the house, so that in the event of a fault occurring, the fuse/MCB will disconnect within the regulated time (usually 0.4 of a second). MAIN EARTH This is the earth usually provided by the Regional Electricity Company (REC), but sometimes (especially if the supply is from overhead cables) an earth rod must be driven into the ground and a cable run from there to the consumer unit. The Main Earth will provide earthing to the circuitry fed via the consumer unit. This Main Earth is usually a 16mm green & yellow cable. MAIN EQUIPOTENTIAL BONDING This is usually a 10mm green & yellow cable, which runs from the consumer unit to the house side of the main water stopcock and to the house side of the gas meter. These are necessary nowadays as the water and gas service providers run their supplies in plastic pipes and so there is no longer a “Good earth” from their pipes. SUPPLEMENTARY EQUIPOTENTIAL BONDING Ok, so we’ve bonded the cold water and gas, but what about the hot water and the central heating? These are “Cross bonded” by attaching 4mm green & yellow cables to each of the pipes in the bath/shower room or in the airing cupboard if it adjoins, or is in the bath/shower room. The bath/shower room is the most important place to be bonded, as this is where you could be wet, naked and vulnerable to electrocution. All metalwork in these areas must be bonded. This includes the earth conductors in circuits to an electric shower; shaver point, lighting and heaters/towel rails, which must also be bonded to the pipework. Note from1st July 2008 the 17th edition of BS7671 states that this bonding is not required in bath/shower rooms on new installations as all circuits must be RCD protected. For more information contact Brian Coleman on: Mobile: 07956 510307 Tel/fax: 01322 613185 click here to email

Evergreen Electrical Ltd is an NICEIC approved contractor, which means that you have the security of knowing that all our work is to the highest standards, as laid down in BS7671: 2008. Not only that, All our work is guaranteed for Ten Years!