Main bond to water supply to block of flats.

[johnosman]

I've just been testing a block of flats where the main water supply is plastic and goes through the block in plastic pipe, the issue is that all the flats are then fed via a meter and copper pipework. Should there be a main bond to the closest copper pipework to the main water intake and this then joined to every subsequent branch off of the plastic pipe?

 

[telectrix]

1st step is to test it. disconnect any other bonding and IR test from copper pipes to MET. if the reading is > 22kOhms, then don't bond it.

 

[johnosman]

Thing is I cannot gain access to the flats so can't disconnect any bond inside of them.

 

[Engineer54]

1st step is to test it. disconnect any other bonding and IR test from copper pipes to MET. if the reading is > 22kOhms, then don't bond it.

Wish you luck in not encountering parallel earths in a block of flats!! Best just to bond where you can, if metallic pipework is still part of the service installation!!

 

[Guitarist]

I did post a nice reply, but the system crashed on me again with usual message...

 

[Engineer54]

I did post a nice reply, but the system crashed on me again with usual message...

Mine crashes from time to time, but my reply box auto saves what i've written so if after it crashes, i come back hit the auto save and hey presto it's all back ready to continue writing, or post!!

 

[telectrix]

clever sod! LOL. :45:

where's auto save?

 

[7029 dave]

cant find it either lol

 

[Engineer54]

clever sod! LOL. :45:

where's auto save?

Only appears in the bottom left hand corner of the reply box when text has been saved. On my reply box as i'm typing this, a little yellow box on the right hand corner, fades in and out stating ''Auto Saved''!! I can't be the only member with this facility, ...perhaps you just haven't noticed it!! lol!!

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Wish you luck in not encountering parallel earths in a block of flats!! Best just to bond where you can, if metallic pipework is still part of the service installation!!

just bond it...and prove the bonding was successful...rather than go down the road of proving whether or not it needs bonding

 

[johnosman]

It's plastic main though so do I recommend bonding across every branch to each flat?

 

[GLENNSPARK]

It's plastic main though so do I recommend bonding across every branch to each flat?

well in this case you would be wanting to prove whether or not there was any extranious in them flats...

 

[Guitarist]

Which can often be a nightmare. Gas may be extraneous, then connects through the boiler to the water pipework and hey presto, the water pipe is effectively bonded via the gas 10mm, but may not in itself be extraneous...so, unless you can isolate the gas from the water by disconnecting pipework, there's often no way of knowing for sure whether the water pipework is actually extraneous...

 

[oldtimer]

Also in flats look out for borrowed earths as this is getting found more ie the guy upstairs has an earth but the guy below him does not yet is getting an earth from him via the gas & water bonding

 

[johnosman]

As it the main incoming water it should be bonded and extraneous shouldn't come into it, if it was just one property and the water came into the building in plastic and then went to copper you would bond it without even thinking about it, so in this instance should you do as I first thought and go to the closest copper pipe to the main stopcock and then link across to the rest. Or do you know different....lol

 

[7029 dave]

yes get on that bit of copper before first joint and bond it on consumers side.

 

[Simlec]

As it the main incoming water it should be bonded and extraneous shouldn't come into it, if it was just one property and the water came into the building in plastic and then went to copper you would bond it without even thinking about it, so in this instance should you do as I first thought and go to the closest copper pipe to the main stopcock and then link across to the rest. Or do you know different....lol

Why is that then?

 

[snowhead]

Thing is I cannot gain access to the flats so can't disconnect any bond inside of them.

Are you testing the flats or testing everything external to the flats within the block?