What is the situation with supplementary bonding in a bathroom when it's been re-fit using plastic pipe. Also there is a storage heater that was bonded to the copper pipework. Can this be bonded using the earth terminal of the cable connection box that feeds it?

nice one Stirling, perhaps a little confusing, basicaly he needs to bond all the metalic parts and leave the plastic parts.

also 2.5mm not permitted, he won't be able to protect it so not worth the while + against regs

Hey sponge, excuse me if I talk chit, bl00dy shattered  

[quote author=spongebob  link=1107728996/0#3 date=1107732869]O.k. not sure I understood it all, but here goes. Storage heater. In addition to it's supply cable which leaves a surface mounted plastic box with a blank face plate attached there was an earth bond to copper pipe. Should this earth bond be extended to a point where it can be connected to a copper pipe or can the earth terminal in the cable connection box be used. [/quote]
What we must do is bond all copper pipes together, and then bond to any earth terminals near by e.g. heater earth point.

Start with you're first copper pipe, bond from this to any other copper pipes and then bond from the last copper pipe to the earth terminal of light switch or any other 'earth terminals'

see pic for what cross bonding means



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The taps don't get bonded directly, only pipework, no taps of metalic fittings, just the copper pipes

To bond we use an earth clamp that goes around the copper pipe



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You're downlighter's are class 2, which mean's double insulated, e.g. no earth connection needed, however there should be an earth nearby, perhaps in a terminal block, you should be bonding to this and any other earth terminals including the shower, do this at either the shower or the double pole pull cord for the shower

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Very Naive Sponge  

My next job in the rewire!  Do all bonds have to be visible, where possible?  Or can they be beneath floorboards?  

Thanks

JohnD

So what is 'accessible' in this context?  

Bonding to bath taps, for example, is as a rule only accessible if a panel is removed, and these days sinks too tend to be boxed in - do I only have to have the bonds visible where pipes are actually showing, and 'accessible' (i.e. by removing a panel or raising a floorboard) the rest of the time?

And, on lighting circuits for example, junction boxes are normally under floorboards?  So does this classify as accessible?  Or did we really ought to fit backboxes with terminal blocks inside at skirting level instead, so that all joints are truly accessible,  as they do on the continent?

Thanks

JohnD  

Also can bond outside the zones, so if you can clearly identify all the metal pipes entering the bathroom from outside the room you can bond them just before they enter the room. This can be useful if the place has already been tarted up. Just make sure you hook up to the lighting circuit properly. As yours has only plastic pipe entering the room the real requirement would be to bond the lighting with the heater. There seems to be little that can introduce a different earth potential to the room, but double check things like heating pipes or old immersion pipes etc which may enter the room. Accessories within the bathroom can be bonded using the cpc of the accessory, as long as this is tested and proved. So the Heater to the FCU would be ok on the CPC from the flex (no clamp needed), but the FCU to the light would have to go on 4mm between them, not relying on out and back to /from the consumer unit. Even if you're using class2 lights at present, bond it now to save the grief when
" 'Erin Doors " demands a different (class1) light next year.  

My area engineer's definition of accessibility includes not only that it can be physically accessed but also that it is known to be there. His standard scenario is that you install a JB under a floor, the floor gets covered, you move house, there is a fault. How 'accessible' is it now that nobody knows it exists?

This 'bonding' question arises on all and every forum i visit.Each reply tends to differ slightly or more and mostly results in a lenghty debate on 'opinions'.
Could someone please explain if non-blah blah bonding ever resulted in:
a)an electrocution
b)a resulting fire
c)a prosecution
d)a death.
The reason i ask this is i am obviously not an electrician but seeing obvious pros debate it i wonder if it is an absolute essential or just 'another' stupid reg' that must be obeyed!

p.s dont all jump down my throat please,just wondering!
p.p.s. awaiting all manner of quotes and obituries and bull from C.P.W!

Right. I've come in late. Will peruse all replies and return with any queries. Thanks.

Right....here is what I propose to do. Any earth clamps that were removed (3) are going to be extended to where they can be re-attached to copper pipe. The whole supplementary/ main bonding can be addressed by a proper spark. This is giving me a headache! Thanks for all the comments though. All I need now is a few regulations to cover, painting, decorating, plumbing and joinery and I can put my feet up.