PME and earth bonding oil pipes

[waddycall]

Finishing off my central heating installation and I’m now looking at earth bonding. Looks like we have a PME system. I’ve been reading a few horror stories about (unnecessary) earth bonding causing dangerous situations on PME systems.
I’ve not found any earth bonding on any pipework in the house but believe there must be something somewhere as my meter is showing continuity between the earth terminal in the consumer unit and my new central heating pipework. I’m guessing it could all be earthed via the immersion in the cylinder!
My plan is to run 10mm earth cable from the consumer unit to under th boiler and bond each pipe there as this is within 600mm of the oil pipes (two pipe system) coming into the house.
Any thoughts?
Cheers

 

[Rig Pig]

I don't think you are allowed to use fuel pipes as earth lines, it's definitely not allowed on gas systems.

 

[WorkshopChris]

How far is the tank from the house? And is the tank close to any buildings/infrastructure that has a electrical system connected to your supply or any other supply?

 

[waddycall]

How far is the tank from the house? And is the tank close to any buildings/infrastructure that has a electrical system connected to your supply or any other supply?[/QUOTE

The tank is next to the outside wall (100mm off) and the oil line runs about 25 metres around the house in plastic coated copper. The plastic is stripped back at the compression elbows at the external corners of the building. The Poe then runs up the wall to head height and into an enclosure with a fire valve and tiger loop de-aerator. Two plain copper 10mm pipes pass through the wall, under the wall mounted boiler and up into the boiler to connect onto the flexible oil hoses.

 

[waddycall]

Sorry not sure how I included my reply in your quote!

 

[brightspark]

the only earth bonding needed is gas water and oil at source of supply. if its a metal framed building the steelwork needs bonding . if your bonding your oil in to the house it needs to be at point of entry no need to bond any of the others near the boiler as the water supply is bonded and all your heating pipes are all connected together anyhow on manifold at boiler

 

[dobbslc]

The continuity you've found is probably through the immersion heater, central heating pump, boiler, electric shower etc. Do as @brightspark says and you'll be fine.

 

[Welderpaul]

the only earth bonding needed is gas water and oil at source of supply.

Was there a time when the regs asked for everything to be bonded?

House I've just had rewired had every radiator bonded, water/gas, kitchen sink, and heating pipework when we stripped it out.

Spark has just bonded water and gas as you say.

 

[brightspark]

yes radiator and towel rail had to be bonded to the lights and the shower in 4.omm earthwire by rights metal window as well now not needed if the installation is all rcd protected thank god

 

[dobbslc]

We used the have to bond everything!
15th edition regs I think. Crittle window frames, rads, sinks the lot!
Problem is if you get a live to earth fault you could have all of this lot live for up to 5 seconds until the fuse / mcb goes!!!

 

[WorkshopChris]

yes radiator and towel rail had to be bonded to the lights and the shower in 4.omm earthwire by rights metal window as well now not needed if the installation is all rcd protected

Good old 15/16th edition.

 

[brightspark]

Good old 15/16th edition.

was known as the silly season for earthing

 

[WorkshopChris]

was known as the silly season for earthing

If it was metal and didn't move bolt a bit of yellow/green to it.
I remember seeing a combi boiler with all 5 pipes bonded to each other even though they were all fitted to the same fixed metal manifold.

 

[brightspark]

If it was metal and didn't move bolt a bit of yellow/green to it.
I remember seeing a combi boiler with all 5 pipes bonded to each other even though they were all fitted to the same fixed metal manifold.

yes I used to go to jobs and plumbers would do it regular I asked them why . its corgi regulations was the answer . what crap no such thing. as said above there all connected to the same manifold. ive even seen electricians run a 10mm bond to a sink that's all piped in plastic and they have bonded 2. 6inch lengths of copper pipes of the sink it still goes on people that are supposed to know the regs getting paranoid

 

[lshigham]

yes I used to go to jobs and plumbers would do it regular I asked them why . its corgi regulations was the answer . what crap no such thing. as said above there all connected to the same manifold. ive even seen electricians run a 10mm bond to a sink that's all piped in plastic and they have bonded 2. 6inch lengths of copper pipes of the sink it still goes on people that are supposed to know the regs getting paranoid

My old dears house that was rewired just before she bought it has 10mm earth to the 3" copper tail after the stop tap, its all plastic either side. Some prople really have no common sense