Equipotential bonding required for new boiler?

[3phemeral]

Hi,
We had a Worcester Bosch 4000 boiler fitted a few months ago - all pipes go into the boiler through a mounting plate. We recently got a visit from an electrician for some work and he says the boiler needs to be bonded ('equipotential bonding') using 5x bonding clamps; the previous 20+ year old boiler was bonded, but my understanding is that new boilers don't need this. The boiler is in a cupboard off the living room; it's wired to a new consumer unit with RCD protection. He quoted £75 for the work - which IMO seems expensive given there's an earth cable rolled up next to the boiler which goes back to the consumer unit (so if required, I imagine bonding would take less than an hour).

For additional context: The gas pipe into the property is bonded within 60cm of the gas meter. The water pipe into the property is also bonded at the point of entry into the property (the ~1m pipe before entering the property is plastic tho; all the rest metal as far as I can tell).

Does the boiler need to be bonded? If not, how can I argue this with him? We've got some other electrical work we need him to complete urgently including an EICR test.

Thanks in advance!

 

[blup]

Its got to be less unsafe if the source of the current is protected by an RCD but what harm is there in adding the EP? Maybe also post on the electrical forum for a wider perspective

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Does the boiler need to be bonded? If not, how can I argue this with him? We've got some other electrical work we need him to complete urgently including an EICR test.

£75 to make a special visit, is cheap. £75 to do the job, if already on site is expensive. Needed or not, I would do it, other will say no, but my personal view is everything guaranteed to be at the same potential makes it safer.

 

[3phemeral]

Hi,
We had a Worcester Bosch 4000 boiler fitted a few months ago - all pipes go into the boiler through a mounting plate. We recently got a visit from an electrician for some work and he says the boiler needs to be bonded ('equipotential bonding') using 5x bonding clamps; the previous 20+ year old boiler was bonded, but my understanding is that new boilers don't need this. The boiler is in a cupboard off of the living room; it's wired to a new consumer unit with RCD protection. He quoted £75 for the work (to be done together with other electrical work) - which IMO seems expensive given there's an earth cable rolled up next to the boiler which goes back to the consumer unit (so if required, I imagine bonding would take less than an hour).

For additional context: The gas pipe into the property is bonded within 60cm of the gas meter. The water pipe into the property is also bonded at the point of entry into the property (the ~1m pipe before entering the property is plastic tho; all the rest metal as far as I can tell).

Does the boiler need to be bonded? If not, how can I argue this with him? We've got some other electrical work we need him to complete urgently including an EICR test.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Murdochcat]

Not sure I agree with this “spark”

Equipotential bonding at the incoming gas and water , if required, negates the need for the bonding he is suggesting

Was this highlighted in an EICR?

 

[EFLImpudence]

Such bonding has never been required.

 

[EFLImpudence]

I would not trust him to carry out an EICR correctly.

 

[JohnD]

Electrical regulations require main bonding of metallic services that enter the house, such as metal gas and water pipes, iron or lead waste or soil pipes, heating oil pipes. They do not require bonding of appliances. If you wanted to amuse yourself you could ask the "electrician" for the number of the regulation where this requirement can be found (there isn't one)

This seems to be an invention of the heating trade.

When the boiler is installed, all the metal pipes, and the earthwire of the electrical cable, will be connected to the metal boiler, and are bonded at entry, so there is no particular need to add bonding cables. The pipe mounting plate bonds them anyway.

Perhaps he has a need for £75.

However, when the boiler is being fitted or removed, it is just about possible that the boiler casing might be at a different potential to the pipes, in the event of a fault, and he might have one hand on each. Perhaps for some reason he forgot to isolate before starting work. So if it makes the gasmen happy, feel free to buy a metre of G&Y and half a dozen bonding clips, and spend ten minutes with a screwdriver to save yourself £75.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/greenbrook-ec14-internal-earth-clamps-12-32mm-20-pack/65778

I think DIY sheds sell them singly at a higher price

https://www.screwfix.com/p/time-6491x-green-yellow-1-core-6mm-conduit-cable-10m-coil/335jy

 

[EFLImpudence]

Why would you advocate that someone do something himself that does not need doing to 'save' £75 for someone else to do it?

Employ someone who knows what they are doing.

 

[EFLImpudence]

I see this thread has been posted twice.

Its got to be less unsafe if the source of the current is protected by an RCD but what harm is there in adding the EP? Maybe also post on the electrical forum for a wider perspective

Such bonding has never been required.

What else would you 'bond' unnecessarily? Might as well do the door handles.

 

[blup]

I see this thread has been posted twice.


Such bonding has never been required.

What else would you 'bond' unnecessarily? Might as well do the door handles.

Why would a trained electrician advise a customer that it was?

 

[JohnD]

...if it makes the gasmen happy....

 

[SUNRAY]

I see this thread has been posted twice.


Such bonding has never been required.

What else would you 'bond' unnecessarily? Might as well do the door handles.

Like I had to back in the 70?

 

[3phemeral]

Hi all,
Many thanks for your input; I challenged the electrician on this: he says he then checked with the boiler manufacturer who confirmed it doesn't required equipotential bonding. That's £75 and some unnecessary work saved Hopefully this thread will be useful to find for anyone in a similar situation.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Why would a trained electrician advise a customer that it was?

Not trained well enough.

Many thanks for your input; I challenged the electrician on this: he says he then checked with the boiler manufacturer who confirmed it doesn't required equipotential bonding.

Perhaps he will remember.

That's £75 and some unnecessary work saved

Good.

Hopefully this thread will be useful to find for anyone in a similar situation.

Hopefully, although this problem has been around for decades.