Earth bonding for EV Charging point

[Detection1]

Good morning I’m looking for a bit of help please.

We are looking to get an electric vehicle charger installed at our house but the company have requested information and photographs of evidence showing that our pipework is earth bonded.

Our house was built in the 1960s and there was no earth bonding present at the inlet of the water pipe or at the gas meter. But there is an earth bonding terminal in the electrical cupboard and clearly some earth bonding wires going from it.

I finally found that when I tracked the water inward pipe up into the immersion heater cupboard that the main pipe in there was earth bonded. But I cannot trace the earth bonding on the gas pipes because the gas pipe I think that comes into the kitchen is behind all of our cupboards.

Is it okay and is it safe for me to create a bond connection between the water pipe and the gas pipe which both run behind my washing machine? Would this then be suitable and safe?

Thanks

 

[timhoward]

This is rather hard to answer without seeing your property!
In general the bonding connections should be ‘as near as practicable to the point of entry’ as the point of bonding is to protect your property from something outside making the pipes live, and protect anyone outside from encountering a live pipe from a fault within your property.
Is there no sign of any bonding near the gas meter?

 

[telectrix]

as above. if the gas meter is outside, look for a bond innthe meter box. it's usually acceptable to share the bond between the gas and water, if intallation is PME, the bonding cables should be 10mm.

 

[Detection1]

Definitely no sign of any bonding at the gas meter.

 

[Strima]

Are the incoming gas and water pipes metal or plastic?

 

[UNG]

Are the incoming gas and water pipes metal or plastic?

Was just about to post the same myself
A lot of properties built around the 60's have had the incoming gas and water pipes changed to plastic in the last few years certainly around where I live

 

[Detection1]

Are the incoming gas and water pipes metal or plastic?

Yeah good question, the gas meter was moved many years ago and they may be plastic. That’s why I think the bonding is at the point of entry in the kitchen (I think that is where it was likely to first pop up after the meter).

 

[timhoward]

You can sometimes pull off a kick board and see pipes underneath kitchen units.

 

[Strima]

Yeah good question, the gas meter was moved many years ago and they may be plastic. That’s why I think the bonding is at the point of entry in the kitchen (I think that is where it was likely to first pop up after the meter).

The regulations changed a while ago and if the incoming services are plastic and do not introduce an earth potential they do not require bonding. Simplest way would be to employ a local electrician to carry out some basic testing to confirm whether or not bonding is required.

TBH the charger installers should be checking all this before they start work and not expect the homeowner to do the legwork for them. But I have heard, on more than one occasion, that companies have tried to charge for additional 'upgrade' works before they start to install the charger. If this happens please ask on here before agreeing to any additional works.

 

[Detection1]

Thanks for all the guidance everyone

 

[Detection1]

You can sometimes pull off a kick board and see pipes underneath kitchen units.

Yep looked about 100 times and there is nothing coming out of the floor. I assumed therefore it would come out of the wall??