Published:
14 May 2013
Category:
Technical articles
Older installations are sometimes found to employ the water service pipe as the sole means of earthing.
Older installations may use a gas, water or other metal service pipe as a means of earthing. This is not permitted.
It has never been permitted to us a gas pipe as a means of earthing and, since 1966, it has not been permitted to use any other service pipe either.
Necessary protective bonding connections must be made to the gas installation pipe, water and other metal services pipes.
Although no metallic pipe for gases or other flammable liquids or the metallic pipework of a water utility service may be used as an earth electrode where precautions are taken against its removal and it has been considered for such a use.
It has never been permitted to us a gas pipe as a means of earthing and, since 1966, it has not been permitted to use any other service pipe either.
Necessary protective bonding connections must be made to the gas installation pipe, water and other metal services pipes.
Solution
Every electrical installation requires a proper means of earthing. This is normally realized by means of an electricity distributor's earthing terminal provided for this purpose near the electricity meter. if no such terminal is provided or is unsuitable, an earth electrode is required.Although no metallic pipe for gases or other flammable liquids or the metallic pipework of a water utility service may be used as an earth electrode where precautions are taken against its removal and it has been considered for such a use.
Regulation 542.2.4
A metallic pipe for gases of flammable liquids shall not be used as an earth electrode. The metallic pipe of a water utility supply shall not be used as an earth electrode. Other metallic water supply pipework shall not be used as an earth electrode unless precautions are taken against its removal and it has been considered for such as use.This article is extracted from Snags and Solutions Part 1 published by the: NICEIC Group