Bonding Cast Iron Pipe

[DPG]

and some soil pipes ( like ours, 1950's ) are asbestos, painted over the years, look like metal but clout with a hammer gives a different sound. then the bit that goes from the bog, through the wall might be lead.

Must be the caveman in you Tel, this obsession with hitting everything with a hammer.

 

[telectrix]

Must be the caveman in you Tel, this obsession with hitting everything with a hammer.

once you establish that it's not an electrical fault, the hammer comes out.

 

[Pete999]

An RCD doesn't negate the need for main bonding, it only affects supplementary bonding.
Soil stacks pass through other rooms too, and the times I've had to bond them has been when they are exposed inside other rooms such as a garage or other lean-to type construction on the side of a house.

That's why I stated that RCDs MAY negate the need for bonding. May as in Might, could, sometimes etc

Thanks for the answers.

So, we have at least established that it is required to bond it or it may fail an EICR.

The pipe is definately cast iron and definately goes into the ground and has never been altered. A plumber told me the joins were made with lead. The pipe jutting into the bathroom has a lot of rust underneath that has been treated with rust converter.

What is the procedure to test it?

There are no flanges or similar places to attach to. I think removing a patch of paint down to bare, clean metal and then fitting the copper strip before painting over would be the best method to bond it.

Or, would it be possible to solder on a small metal tag with a soldreing iron?

What about removing a section of pipe outside and replacing it with plastic? (I may need to do this anyhow to fit a branch for a second toilet). Then it won't be able to introduce an earth potential will it?

 

[davesparks]

That's why I stated that RCDs MAY negate the need for bonding. May as in Might, could, sometimes etc

The OP has specifically asked about main bonding of an extraneous conductive part, RCDs never negate the need for this.

 

[davesparks]

Weld a tag on the pipe to bolt to.

It's cast iron, welding is not advisable and can cause problems, you would have to braze to it if you were going down that route.

 

[davesparks]

Thanks for the answers.

So, we have at least established that it is required to bond it or it may fail an EICR.

The pipe is definately cast iron and definately goes into the ground and has never been altered. A plumber told me the joins were made with lead. The pipe jutting into the bathroom has a lot of rust underneath that has been treated with rust converter.

What is the procedure to test it?

There are no flanges or similar places to attach to. I think removing a patch of paint down to bare, clean metal and then fitting the copper strip before painting over would be the best method to bond it.

Or, would it be possible to solder on a small metal tag with a soldreing iron?

What about removing a section of pipe outside and replacing it with plastic? (I may need to do this anyhow to fit a branch for a second toilet). Then it won't be able to introduce an earth potential will it?

The procedure to test this is to isolate the installation, disconnect the earthing conductor from the installation and then measure the resistance between the disconnected earthing conductor and the suspected extraneous part.

No you can't solder to it with a soldering iron, the thermal mass of the cast iron will absorb and dissipate the heat from the soldering iron much faster than the iron can deliver heat. Plus solder won't stick to iron.

 

[Pete999]

The OP has specifically asked about main bonding of an extraneous conductive part, RCDs never negate the need for this.

Yes a misunderstanding on my part