Gas bonding my relocated meter

[Draughtsman]

Where is the bonding cable to be attached to the gas pipe now that the gas meter has been moved? The old bonding was attached to a forged steel 90% elbow on the top of the meter but the new meter has 22mm copper going in to the meter top.

You can see where the olde worlde fuse box was sited and painted around in yellow.

6mm O/D dia. earth tails drop down from new cu in the room above, to shared block. A new earth coming up from new electricity meter location (hole with expanded foam) I think one of the old earth tails went to the previous gas meter site, after vanishing in to the plaster, but think that both of that pair sunk in the wall are redundant now anyway.

Does the bonding need to be attached in the meter box? Or can it be attached inside the house? I saw a mention of within 600mm of meter and that could just about be managed. What is the min. size earth cable allowable? The earth tails from the new cu are 6mm O/D inc. insulation.View attachment 170316

 

[EFLImpudence]

Where is the bonding cable to be attached to the gas pipe now that the gas meter has been moved? The old bonding was attached to a forged steel 90% elbow on the top of the meter but the new meter has 22mm copper going in to the meter top.

It should be connected to the pipe at the point of entry to the premises [edit] where practicable.

You can see the olde worlde fuse box has gone, 2 new cu tails drop down to shared block with another coming up from new electricity meter location. I don't know where the old earth tails go but think that they're redundant?

Can't really make anything of the picture.

Does the bonding need to be attached in the meter box? Or can it be attached inside the house?

At the point of entry, which obviously can be inside or outside.

I saw a mention of within 600mm of meter and that could just about be manged. What is the min. size earth cable allowable? The old earth tails are 6mm but the earth tails from the cu are larger dia.

The 600mm. only applies to meters indoors but it is not actually a correct instruction.
10mm² cable is required.

 

[Draughtsman]

Images/text revised.

I can just get a bonding strap and affix to the 22mm just after it enters, that's handy.

And the new 6mm O/A dia earth tails that the spark fitted to the cu? They would likely be 10mm² but I might struggle to find half a meter, maybe Amazon.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Do you mean the gas pipe is only half a metre from the Main Earthing Terminal?

The bonding wire should run from the pipe to the MET which is normally near or in the consumer unit or near the meter.

If that is the MET in the picture because the CU has been moved then that would be alright but it must not be boxed in making it inaccessible and would be better screwed to something solid.

 

[Draughtsman]

Do you mean the gas pipe is only half a metre from the Main Earthing Terminal?

The bonding wire should run from the pipe to the MET which is normally near or in the consumer unit or near the meter.

If that is the MET in the picture because the CU has been moved then that would be alright but it must not be boxed in making it inaccessible and would be better screwed to something solid.

I need about 1.2m of 10mm² earth cable if the clamp is to go on the 22mm gas where it emerges from the wall, but there is a 15mm gas riser coming off the 22mm much closer to the MET.

It isn't boxed in currently, I don't like permanently boxed in utilities anyway.

The anti-grav MET, good point. A permanent support will be arranged.

I ordered 2m of 10mm² earth plus a clamp, from Amazon

 

[EFLImpudence]

I need about 1.2m of 10mm² earth cable if the clamp is to go on the 22mm gas where it emerges from the wall, but there is a 15mm gas riser coming off the 22mm much closer to the MET.

It doesn't actually matter where on the pipe the connection is made but the regulations state at the point of entry - where practicable - so that that piece of pipe from outside the premises, which is the part which needs the connection, does not become disconnected from the MET by alterations within the building.

It does not apply to gas pipes but water pipes might be altered and some plastic pipe inserted between the point of entry and the actual connection.

 

[Draughtsman]

I see.

I just overspent by £2.07 for an additional metre of 10mm². I could have just bought 1m and fixed to the gas riser that's adjacent the soil pipe.

Oh well.

Thank you.

 

[Draughtsman]

So, do the 2 old earth tails that vanish in to the yellow wall need to remain, because the meters that were behind that wall have been moved? Or do the various earths eventually go to some copper earth rod and they're best left alone?

 

[EFLImpudence]

No, they are not Earths, they are Bonds which 'join electrically' the Earthed metal parts within your house to ensure that they all remain at the same potential(voltage) in the event of a fault.

You cannot get a shock by touching two things of the same voltage - obviously you must not be also be earthed yourself.

The gas pipe itself IS connected to Earth (the ground) and acts as an earth rod.

Only parts which are already Earthed require Bonding. It would be better if we could ensure NO parts were Earthed but we can't - some must be Earthed on purpose (e.g. washing machine metal case) to ensure the supply is disconnected by the fuse/MCB when a live wire touches it by mistake, otherwise it would remain live.

 

[Draughtsman]

So I don't really need the 2 old bonds that vanish thru that yellow wall? With the meters they serviced having been moved they are now obsoloete, they could be disconnected from the MET, and even removed altogether?

 

[EFLImpudence]

If they are not connected to anything then, of course you don't need them.

 

[SUNRAY]

Indoors is best