supplementary protective equipotential bonding for bathroom?

[Margaret Lillie Ferns]

My nephew has a TINY 1970s buildone-bedroom house which he bought in about 2003 - and is now thinking of changing the BATH in the BATHROOM, and want to ensure his/his tenants safety and comply with regs.  We do not know whether electricals have been updated since the house was built.  

PRESENTLY

 Water is heated by an ELECTRIC IMMERSION HEATER (on "Economy7") located in an airing cupboard in BEDROOM adjoined to bathroom)

Water supply is via COPPER pipes (hot and cold), which I believe enter the bathroom via the airing cupboard in adjoining bedroom

The ONLY electrical item in the BATHROOM is the ceiling light.  (There are NO electric sockets or appliances or radiators)

.

QUESTION re bonding in BATHROOM

AM I RIGHT IN SAYING THAT SUPPLEMETARY PROTECTIVE EQUIPOTENTAL BONDING is NOT required beyond  

i.  The hot and cold water pipes in the bathroom being bonded together with green/yellow wiring - AND

ii.  The ceiling light is on an appropriate RCD

QUESTIONS re THE IMMERSION HEATER located in BEDROOM 

1.  Can I assume that the emersion heater already being part of the electrical supply, is ALREADY adequately earthed - so irrelevant where SUPPLEMENTARY PROTECTIVE EQUIPOTENTIAL BONDING of bathroom is concerned?

2.  What about the "COPPER PIPE"  from IMMERSION HEATER into bathroom?  Is the green/yellow wiring between hot and cold water pipes in (bathroom/airing cupboard)  ADEQUATE protection.

3..Do we need to ensure/ensure that Immersion Heater is on RCD

Who is best to employ re Earth Bonding?  Am I right is saying a Sparky rather than a plumber?

Many thanks 

 

[Evans Electric]

Strange that no one has answered this !

To save you some hassle I'd say check the  board and if necessary, upgrade it to full RCD protection .

You can then forgo the bathroom bonding , always assuming the main bonding is in place.

Your questions on bathroom are correct .  

Immersion heaters should , in my opinion , definitely be on an RCD . They can become faulty without automatic disconnection  .

Edit:   Just seen you will have tenants ....I suggest you get an electrician in to carry out an EICR ,

(Electrical Installation Condition Report )   (( Same as you would for gas))     You can then start off with a safe house .  In Scotland this would be mandatory.

 

[Andy™]

Strange that no one has answered this !

i did read part of it not long after it was posted but gave up after the first few lines... no need for random words to be in capitals etc

 

[Essex1]

Hang on a minute. Where does it state an immersion heater should be on an RCD.  

 

[Blue Duck]

It doesn't...

RTFA

 

[Rob_the_rich]

My nephew has a TINY 1970s buildone-bedroom house which he bought in about 2003 - and is now thinking of changing the BATH in the BATHROOM, and want to ensure his/his tenants safety and comply with regs.  We do not know whether electricals have been updated since the house was built.  

PRESENTLY

 Water is heated by an ELECTRIC IMMERSION HEATER (on "Economy7") located in an airing cupboard in BEDROOM adjoined to bathroom)

Water supply is via COPPER pipes (hot and cold), which I believe enter the bathroom via the airing cupboard in adjoining bedroom

The ONLY electrical item in the BATHROOM is the ceiling light.  (There are NO electric sockets or appliances or radiators)

.

QUESTION re bonding in BATHROOM

AM I RIGHT IN SAYING THAT SUPPLEMETARY PROTECTIVE EQUIPOTENTAL BONDING is NOT required beyond  

i.  The hot and cold water pipes in the bathroom being bonded together with green/yellow wiring - AND

ii.  The ceiling light is on an appropriate RCD

QUESTIONS re THE IMMERSION HEATER located in BEDROOM 

1.  Can I assume that the emersion heater already being part of the electrical supply, is ALREADY adequately earthed - so irrelevant where SUPPLEMENTARY PROTECTIVE EQUIPOTENTIAL BONDING of bathroom is concerned?

2.  What about the "COPPER PIPE"  from IMMERSION HEATER into bathroom?  Is the green/yellow wiring between hot and cold water pipes in (bathroom/airing cupboard)  ADEQUATE protection.

3..Do we need to ensure/ensure that Immersion Heater is on RCD

Who is best to employ re Earth Bonding?  Am I right is saying a Sparky rather than a plumber?

Many thanks 

i missed this too, oops.

If the ceiling light is already on a 30mA RCD, then there is no need to put supplementary bonding to the hot and cold water pipes, but only if the ceiling light passes a loop impedance test. Else the bonding needs to be in place.

The immersion heater is not in the bathroom location, so does not need RCD protection, but might be prudent as said above. It is also possible that the immersion heater does not have an overheat thermostat fitted (with a reset button), it should really have one, depends when the immersion heater was installed whether it had one.

An EICR should highlight any problems with the installation, no guarantees though, you could post any report you get here for the perusal of the forumites BEFORE you pay for it.

 

[Manator]

Hang on a minute. Where does it state an immersion heater should be on an RCD.  

Where does it state that it should not?

Any work carried out now, should be to the current regulations, without a full appraisal of the installation in question we can not make such suggestions.

We could give an informed view, but that is about all we can do.

I do understand the thinking behind placing any electric heating devise on a RCD, but as you point out there is no definitive rule. Then again there is no rule against it. Therein lies another question.

 

[Evans Electric]

As Rob The Rich says   EICR,s  can a bit vague sometimes and can also be OTT but as a landlord it does demonstrate that you showing a certain duty of care by having the gas & electrics inspected .................you can do no more .

 

[Rob_the_rich]

If it is a small flat and bathroom, it might not be necessary to do the supplementary bonding AT the bath taps, if the pipes come from the cylinder cupboard, they could be bonded there. It depends on whether the continuity is low enough.