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EICR Gas bond

aligarjon

HI guys.   I did an EICR this morning on a small domestic bungalow that was completely renovated/converted 6 years ago. There is no main bond to the gas . The water is all plastic.  The incoming gas main to the external meter is plastic.  The sole gas pipe into the property is buried in the floor screed and is obviously copper. This is a new gas pipe done at the same time as the other works.   My gut reaction is it should have been bonded as it's basically buried in the structure but then i can't see exactly how the pipe is run, there is a plastic insert through the wall but i don't know if it continues through the screed. Where it pops up out of the screed there is no plastic pipe, just bare copper.  As yet i have been unable to get access to the original EIC.  The rest of the electrical work has been done very nicely and it looks like they new what they were doing.   Any thoughts please.

 

Gary

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    The question is can it introduce an external potential (that is not already present). As a concrete floor may be conductive the answer has to be no so bonding is not required, although it would probably do no harm. What appliance does it feed, because if a boiler or cooker with electric ignition it is probably bonded already, and the current cannot be very large so some 10mm is excessive? Is it reasonable to suggest that “real Earth” is an external potential, if the concrete is firmly connected, probably not as this applies to many properties. Once that path is followed reinforcing is required in all floors connected, to the MET, and probably the walls and ceiling too need some form of bonding!

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    You could do worse than slip your  meter on ohms between the pipe and the MET, or something known to be earthed.

    If you see a fraction of an ohm it is already bonded but you do not know where. It could be at an appliance.

    If you see many tens of k ohms its connection to the outside is tenuous, and any external voltage will be current limited by that ‘electrode resistance’ (which is probably more about concrete and the damp course membrane), and therefore safe.

    Only if you see something in between perhaps between 10 ohms and 25k ohms  is it actually possible that it might be dangerous if a  fault came on. That would need more thought and perhaps bonding.

    Mike.

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    Apart from the bonding question, the gas pipe itself contravenes gas regulations if it enters the building through the foundations and is buried in the concrete screed.

    Gas supplies from below ground have to surface and enter through the wall above the floor inside, where they are visible to the fire brigade arriving in an emergency. 

    regards, burn

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    Surely that is new build houses only  then ? - it pipes must emerge from the floor in every house  in the estate where I live  (1970s build)

    Mike.

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    Thanks guys.   It only supplies a boiler.  Cooking is all electric.   It doesn't go through the foundation , to be fair it may well be above the floor inside then dip down into the screed as where it enters is behind or under the kitchen units.  I didn't look in that much detail at exact height.  I couldn't see how to measure the pipe without actually disconnecting which i wasn't overly keen to do as it was in a bit of an awkward spot after being boxed in.  I have noted in the report my slight concern but trusted the designer who installed it as the rest of the installation was very good. So a little bit of a cop out on my part if the truth be told but i am confident it is safe as it is.

    Gary

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