EZYBOND, the Oscar-winning earth clamp!

Eaton’s innovative new earth clamp, EZYBOND™, has won an accolade from a leading M&E services contractor, Hills Electrical and Mechanical.

The Hills Electrical & Mechanical Preferred Product Awards are the only awards for building services products that are presented by the people who install and use them. They are made annually for building services products that demonstrate innovation, health and safety improvements, reduction in installation time and environmental benefits. Twelve winners were presented with cut glass trophies in front of 300 guests at "A night at the Oscars" in the sumptuous dining hall of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

EZYBOND™ is a one-piece Nylon clamp that satisfies the requirements of BS 7671 (The IEE Wiring Regulations) for earthed equipotential bonding of gas, water and central heating pipes. It is suitable for single pipe bonding or cross-bonding.

EZYBOND™ is easy to use. The installer cleans the pipe in the normal way and then strips away 40mm of insulation from the conductor which is then threaded through the safety label and then through two holes in the back of the EZYBOND™ clamp. The clamp is hooked round the pipe, two serrated jaws are engaged using finger pressure and then locked firmly into position using gland pliers.

The Hills judges commented "This is an excellent innovation, which will offer significant labour savings and cut down on fiddling with screwdrivers in awkward places."

Users have reported dramatic reductions in installation time – and therefore cost – compared with use of traditional earth clamps. EZYBOND™ is much easier to install in difficult locations, for example under a sink or bath. It is safer to use because there are no sharp edges and no screwdrivers to slip and injure electricians.

Other EZYBOND™ benefits include the fact that it achieves a direct copper-to-copper electrical connection between the conductor and the pipe rather than relying on dissimilar metal connections between the conductor and the earth clamp and then between the earth clamp and the pipe. The clamp is moulded from heat- and UV-stabilised Nylon 6.6 which offers excellent mechanical properties, chemical resistance, heat resistance, self-extinguishing properties and freedom from corrosion.

EZYBOND™ earth clamps have been tested in an ASTA laboratory to the relevant parts of BS951:1999 Electrical Earthing – Clamps for Earthing and Bonding and passed all the electrical tests and conductor pull tests. It has also successfully undergone the resistance to ageing and resistance to humidity tests of BS EN 60669-1 and the resistance to heat and glow-wire tests of BS 1363-1.

Eaton’s award was presented to Chris Pack, Product Manager – Commercial Assemblies, by David Hill, Group Chief Executive of Hills Electrical & Mechanical.