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Oil Pipe Bonding.

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A garden oil tank is made of plastic. It is supported on blocks off the ground. Its plastic covered metal oil pipe runs above ground along a wall into a bungalow to the oil boiler. From a visual inspection I believe that the metal pipe is NOT an extraneous-conductive-part, but have not electrically tested it yet.

But…………..there is an earth electrode at the tank position with a length of badly connected green and yellow wire that earths the metal pipe. Why do tank installers do that? So now do I:

a, Remove the earth electrode

or

b, Main bond the metal oil pipe?

Z.

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  • 0

    Short of replacing the oil pipe (outside the building) with plastic (e.g. https://www.bes.co.uk/qual-oil-underground-oil-pipe-10mm-x-50m-13105 ) then you've got the exported PME potential issue whatever. Bonding the oil pipe will make sure the boiler's c.p.c. doesn't have to carry all the diverted N current all by itself (although it's not likely to carry much unless the electrode at the tank as a quite low resistance).  Leaving the electrode in place might even mitigate the PME problem slightly by bringing the voltage of the soil next to the tank up towards PME voltage (a buried grid would be better though).

    As I understand it, earthing LPG tanks is a must for anti-static reasons … the hazards for oil will be much less, but some may regard it as good practice all the same. I gather than oil tank installation is notifiable under building regs, so unless you're registered competent person under part J (rather than P) or want to involve the local BC, I'd suggest it's not something to be messed with without understanding.

       - Andy.

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  • 0

    Short of replacing the oil pipe (outside the building) with plastic (e.g. https://www.bes.co.uk/qual-oil-underground-oil-pipe-10mm-x-50m-13105 ) then you've got the exported PME potential issue whatever. Bonding the oil pipe will make sure the boiler's c.p.c. doesn't have to carry all the diverted N current all by itself (although it's not likely to carry much unless the electrode at the tank as a quite low resistance).  Leaving the electrode in place might even mitigate the PME problem slightly by bringing the voltage of the soil next to the tank up towards PME voltage (a buried grid would be better though).

    As I understand it, earthing LPG tanks is a must for anti-static reasons … the hazards for oil will be much less, but some may regard it as good practice all the same. I gather than oil tank installation is notifiable under building regs, so unless you're registered competent person under part J (rather than P) or want to involve the local BC, I'd suggest it's not something to be messed with without understanding.

       - Andy.

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