Shower near cu and main bonding

[Blue Fox]

Hello all,

Couple of quick questions, Been to look at a job where a once cupboard under the stairs which was converted to a toilet 20+ years ago but is now being converted to a shower/wet room, thing is part of the original cupboard has the cu in, the customer intends boarding this off and tiling the inside, however the shower will be less than 3feet from the cu, can't see anything wrong with this but just seems wrong havin a shower that close to cu - any comments??

Second popped round a mates house as he is looking at fitting an electric shower but will need his fuse box changing, however there is no bonding anywhere on the main gas/water incomers to the house, but the house is only 15 years old and he has lived there for 8!!! I thought maybe someone had been tinkering with things so we pooped next door as he insisted all the houses were the same as next door have shower working without "one of those new fangled rcd thingies" and they ahve no bonding either!! How can an estate be built tha trecently with no proper bonding or am I missing something, I as under the impression the bonding should be placed as soon as they enter the house???

 

[Apache]

My CU is less than 3 feet from outside

So long as the CU is in a sperate room or compartment operated by a tool then not a problem (assumign it's not going to get wet )

AFAIK

2nd Q - you'll have to bond but why new CU? You could put shower on stand alone RCD for less cost? Is water run in plastic or metal? Gas has to be metal.

 

[batty]

I would not be happy having shower so close to wet room but that is just my opinion. Second question if property has metal pipes even if mains are plastic which at 15 years they will be, you will need a main bond to water and gas. You cannot relie on RCD for primary protection.

Batty

 

[Blue Fox]

Thanks for the replies, re the shower, I couldn't find anything wrong in the regs and agree with what you are saying Apache but I also hold the same opinion as batty - seems too close to me!

re the bonding, realise I have to bond it all but can't believe a housing estate built that recently can have no proper bonding! The pipes in are both plastic but round the house both are copper.

 

[Evans Electric]

I'm pretty sure if the CU is in a seperate , locked cupboard, and obviously the shower can't spray onto it , then it would conform.

No bonding , I think someone just got away with not installing it, it is unusual for an estate only 15 yrs old, but these things happen.

Refering back to your original thread Bluefox, you say that you and your mate went next door and " Pooped" Bet that surprised them somewhat !!

Deke

 

[batty]

He certainly popped then pooped.

Batty

 

[NozSpark]

Well..

Are you going to be posting letters through every door in that estate then??

 

[Evans Electric]

He'll be pooping them through the letter boxes

Sorry Bluey just a wind up

Deke

 

[Apache]

Thanks for the replies, re the shower, I couldn't find anything wrong in the regs and agree with what you are saying Apache but I also hold the same opinion as batty - seems too close to me! re the bonding, realise I have to bond it all but can't believe a housing estate built that recently can have no proper bonding! The pipes in are both plastic but round the house both are copper.

The incoming gas is plastic? Seriously?

That has to be bad!

no?

 

[batty]

The incoming gas is plastic? Seriously?That has to be bad!

no?

Paddy why all services are plastic they have been for years.

Batty

 

[Apache]

But if there was a fire it would melt

 

[Badger]

doesnt it have a metal core though within the 2 layers of plastic

 

[batty]

The pipe that they are fed through into meter is fire proof on gas and water would not matter. Internal gas pipes are copper or iron.

Batty

 

[Apache]

thought if incoming water was plastic (& gas) the no need for main bonding?

also thought 17th did away with requirement to supplimnentary bond?

I maybe way off - just what I (thought) I'd picked up

 

[batty]

You still need main bonds to internal services if pipes are metal.

Batty

 

[binky]

You still need main bonds to internal services if pipes are metal.Batty

If incoming supply is plastic then no earth potential is intoduced, so bonding not necessary in theory - but don't like the idea, even when strictly correct.

 

[Evans Electric]

Incomers have been plastic for yonks but AFAIK main bonding still has to be installed.

 

[NozSpark]

Incomers have been plastic for yonks but AFAIK main bonding still has to be installed.

So then why when incoming services are plastic do we bond when LPG cylinders external to the house, sitting on the ground and connected to internal metal pipework don't need bonding (according to NIC tech helpline that is)

 

[Evans Electric]

Its the metal pipework inside the house that must be bonded, whether the mains are PVC or not. An attempt to form a Faraday cage between all the metal services when the network companies started installing PME. With the N & E strapped together we were told they were worried about reverse polarity on the network causing everyones pipes to be live.

I don't know if that was the reason, its what we were told.

Deke

 

[EL Zappo]

My take on it would still be to bond main gas and water. The 17th regs are still hazey on existing installations. You will find that although the main gas service will be poly pipe underground, it should be steel galv above ground.

Gas should be bonded within 600mm of the meter. Have also come across situations were copper pipes through out the house have been joined by plastic push fit joints. This meant that all pipe work had to be bonded between every joint. That was a real pain.

On the point of the c.u. being in the same room as the shower. This is a total bend on building regs. Sounds like the electrical cuboard has been altered to make room for an additional shower room. This should have been moved during the original conversion.