Earthing and Plastic Pipes

[singalong]

What are the latest rules on earthing taps etc when using plastic pipes please?
If say the bathroom taps are connected via plastic pipes, do the taps have to be earthed and if so where should the earth wire be taken back to?

 

[andsam]

I dont believe earthing is required if plastic pipework has been used.

 

[Paul Barker]

That's correct, the tap is no danger to anyone as it originates inside the zone we are protecting, it doesn't need bonding any more than a soap dish does.

The purpose of suplementary equipotential bonding in a special location which requires it (kitchen being a special location but not requiring suplementary bonding), is to bring to the same potential all extraneous metal parts which could introduce a different potential from outside the location. Therefore only pipes which originate outside the zone and are exposed in the zone are a possible hazard.

Hence short copper drops from rads to plastic pipework don't need bonding either, and neither does the rad need bonding in this instance.

When the rad is piped in copper which originates outside the zone it is also no danger if both the flow and return are bonded.

Although it is common practice to cage (Faraday Cage) the suplementary bonding into the light fitting protective conductor, it is only required to bond any electrical fittings inside the zones. The light fitting is outside the zones.

If there is an airing cupboard or boiler room ajacent all the bonding can take place in there in many cases.