Hello everybody,
I have signed up to the forum today in the hope of getting some advice on bathroom earth bonding for a bathroom renovation we are doing. I am an engineer with scares theoretical knowledge only and no practical electrical qualifications.
As part of the bathroom refit we are replacing the bath and want to change the position of the taps to the other end of the room. I thought this would be straight forward until I read the bathroom safety page in Collins DIY which says earth bonding must be professionally tested.
To avoid slowing things down and getting an electrician in for this one thing, I'm trying to establish whether using plastic pipe for the new work would mean that I could forget about earth bonding for the bath.
We currently have copper pipe coming through the wall and running about two feet to the bath taps. This two foot stretch is earthed on hot and cold. My proposed change would involve cutting the pipe at the point where it comes through the wall (this will be concealed behind the bath), then there will be approx. 1-1.5m stretch of plastic hot and cold pipe to the end of the room, where they will connect to the bath taps.
I've read quite a few pieces of information now, and I'm still confused. It seems easier to get an answer for a room which is entirely installed with plastic or copper pipe, whereas here we have a combination. Do the taps (which will be metal) still require earthing even though they are connected using over 1 meter of plastic pipe? Does the existing copper pipe (which will be cut back to behind the plasterboard wall) require its own earth?
Other things I in the room which are earthed are the mains inlet for the flat, and a radiator. I assume sink taps, shower and toilet pipes may also be earthed behind the plasterboard.
Thanks in advance for reading this and to anyone who is able to offer help. It is much appreciated!
I have signed up to the forum today in the hope of getting some advice on bathroom earth bonding for a bathroom renovation we are doing. I am an engineer with scares theoretical knowledge only and no practical electrical qualifications.
As part of the bathroom refit we are replacing the bath and want to change the position of the taps to the other end of the room. I thought this would be straight forward until I read the bathroom safety page in Collins DIY which says earth bonding must be professionally tested.
To avoid slowing things down and getting an electrician in for this one thing, I'm trying to establish whether using plastic pipe for the new work would mean that I could forget about earth bonding for the bath.
We currently have copper pipe coming through the wall and running about two feet to the bath taps. This two foot stretch is earthed on hot and cold. My proposed change would involve cutting the pipe at the point where it comes through the wall (this will be concealed behind the bath), then there will be approx. 1-1.5m stretch of plastic hot and cold pipe to the end of the room, where they will connect to the bath taps.
I've read quite a few pieces of information now, and I'm still confused. It seems easier to get an answer for a room which is entirely installed with plastic or copper pipe, whereas here we have a combination. Do the taps (which will be metal) still require earthing even though they are connected using over 1 meter of plastic pipe? Does the existing copper pipe (which will be cut back to behind the plasterboard wall) require its own earth?
Other things I in the room which are earthed are the mains inlet for the flat, and a radiator. I assume sink taps, shower and toilet pipes may also be earthed behind the plasterboard.
Thanks in advance for reading this and to anyone who is able to offer help. It is much appreciated!
The best advice is engage the services of an electrician. It's not going to be a huge bill for a couple of hours of their time.
