Gas meter

[Petra]

This is for a 1995  purpose built flat.   Following a recent gas service and inspection to obtain the Gas Safety Certificate the engineer made a suggestion regarding the electrical bonding of the meter.  The meter is outside at ground floor level and supplies a first floor flat via an external copper pipe. The earth bonding is all completed  where the copper pipe enters the building. The gas meter itself is made of plastic and is non bondable.. The engineer's suggestion was to run a separate earth wire from close to the meter up the wall and into the building to connect up to the rest of the bonding. Our long standing gas engineer has retired and this has not been suggested before. Is this a futile exercise given that the copper pipe is a suitable conductor.?  I would appreciate your  views/comments. Thank you

[Melboy]

I do know that the electrical bonding requirement for all gas pipes has been upgraded and if it is this case that your gas engineer has probably recommended this work to be completed. It may help you if you can get a second opinion or at least determine whether this additional earth bonding is a mandatory requirement or a just a post build requirement.

[bil8999]

2 hours ago, Melboy said:

I do know that the electrical bonding requirement for all gas pipes has been upgraded and if it is this case that your gas engineer has probably recommended this work to be completed. It may help you if you can get a second opinion or at least determine whether this additional earth bonding is a mandatory requirement or a just a post build requirement.

 

6 hours ago, Petra said:

This is for a 1995  purpose built flat.   Following a recent gas service and inspection to obtain the Gas Safety Certificate the engineer made a suggestion regarding the electrical bonding of the meter.  The meter is outside at ground floor level and supplies a first floor flat via an external copper pipe. The earth bonding is all completed  where the copper pipe enters the building. The gas meter itself is made of plastic and is non bondable.. The engineer's suggestion was to run a separate earth wire from close to the meter up the wall and into the building to connect up to the rest of the bonding. Our long standing gas engineer has retired and this has not been suggested before. Is this a futile exercise given that the copper pipe is a suitable conductor.?  I would appreciate your  views/comments. Thank you

I tend to go along with the engineer that I am paying to complete the cert, otherwise he may refuse to sign it off

[Melboy]

I will ask my Son tomorrow. I dare not even mention WORK related subjects to him on a Sunday. 😆

[Petra]

Thank you for replying Bil8999 & Melboy.

The engineer has completed the inspection and issued the GSC.  It was just in general conversation about the boiler etc that he suggested we may wish to run a separate earth pipe up the outside wall.  The existing pipe is copper so I could not understand what benefits there would be of running a copper wire alongside. 

melboy--please pass my thanks on to your som

[Melboy]

Morning Petra,   

                         I asked my Son this morning by email for an answer to your question. He is a working registered Gas Safe engineer with 30 years current and up to date experience so his reply has to have some weight to it.

This is what he replied.:

                                       "Yes, it's a gas safe reg.  Bond within 600mm of meter or sometimes point of entry - it's an electrical regulation that has to be observed by gas engineers although they are not qualified with electrical regs. ! But must comply with it as a legal requirement"

I hope that reply does help you. .

[Carryon Regardless]

You will have had an electrical safety inspection last year (or so), that should pick up any bonding omission.

Yes the earth bond should be clamped close to the meter, it being close to the meter is to ensure that on inspection it can be seen.

The bonding to all services should be unbroken from the consumer unit to the service point (meter). It is permissible to crimp an extended wire, but not to extend via an earth clamp. So you could run a 10mm earth wire from meter to existing bonding point and crimp it to the existing wire.

Copper pipes (plumbing) aren't considered suitable for earth bonding, even though more often the cross sectional area of the pipe will exceed the bonding wire. These pipes can be replaced by a naive plumber who isn't aware of the importance of earth bonding. But these days it's only qualified gas engineers that are allowed (legally)to  interfere with gas integrity, and they will be aware.

Aside from ticking the box on inspection this isn't going to serve advantage in your case.

Tbh I would wait for a later electrical inspection, should that electrician then decide it is required. I expect that he was happy with the bonding as is, at the point it enters the flat, as the gas system is bonded.

[Petra]

Thank you Melboy (and son ) , and Carryon Regardless for taking the time to reply.

We passed the last electrical test without any problems, and the electrician did not make any mention of this at all. I recall he did check the bonding inside the flat, and also under a newly fitted stainless steel sink. I think that I am inclined to wait and see if anything is said when the next electrical inspection is completed.