UK Quick bit of advice about earthing

[SuburbanMe]

Good morning all, first time poster, thanks in advance for any help!

I'm planning on relocating a socket on my downstairs circuit about 2ft from its current location. Having taken a look at the socket, it appears the circuit is earthed at this point, the other side of the external wall pictured in socket.jpg is the gas meter and the earth wires are presumably attached to the gas pipe.

Pictured in consumer_unit.jpg is the are where the consumer unit and socket resides, I am planning on moving the socket so it is closer to the consumer unit, removing the need for the trunking too.

As a result I am thinking I can use the additional cable freed up by relocating the socket to simply re-earth the circuit on the mains gas pipe pictured in consumer_unit.jpg as there is already an earth contact there for the actual consumer unit.

My last question is I presumed all circuits in the house would be earthed through the consumer unit, rendering earthing individual circuits unnecessary. Do I even need to earth the circuit any more as the consumer unit is earthed?

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Dan

 

[James]

The consumer unit is missing any form of rcd protection.

It would be a good idea to get an electrician involved, the earthing arrangement is the only protection you have against shocks if there is a fault.

Although the installation probably doesn’t comply with current standards, it may be suitable for continued use.

Only a site visit would enable a proper evaluation of the safety issues.

 

[SuburbanMe]

It would be a good idea to get an electrician involved, the earthing arrangement is the only protection you have against shocks if there is a fault.

Thanks James, I have an electrician coming round to take a look

 

[Dustydazzler]

The wall must be moist to rust the heck out of that back box ...

 

[SuburbanMe]

The wall must be moist to rust the heck out of that back box ...

Yeah, there's a crack in the wall above and the plaster has blown all around it. Getting it all redone once I've relocated the socket.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

it appears the circuit is earthed at this point,

I think you are misinterpreting what you see. The CPCs (earths) of the circuit cables are connected to a terminal in the back box, and a jumper cable links this to the socket. This has nothing to do with a main earthing connection and is unlikely to be in any way connected to any pipes, incoming earths etc, it's an internal connection within the socket box. As you say, the circuit is earthed via the consumer unit. Actually what you have in the socket is poor practice; the circuit cables should connect to the terminal in the socket, with the jumper connecting from there to the back box, simply to earth the box.

The connections to the pipes are not earthing but equipotential bonding; connections made to ensure that all metalwork in the house is at the same potential. The earthing conductor is the one from the main incoming cable at the left of the pic.

 

[SuburbanMe]

I think you are misinterpreting what you see.

Hi, thanks for this! You're absolutely right, I've just had an electrician round and he said exactly the same as you. I've seen earth circuits in to the socket countless times but never in to the pattress box first, which is what confused me.