I have just fitted an electric shower and it works fine, but I cant understand why I need to earth the bath because as I see it if there is a short and I touch the taps I will make the link for the current to go through but if I Isolate the bath totally there can be no path therefore should I not be safe ?
2007-07-25 06:19:20 · 9 answers · asked by mr bump 3 in Home & Garden ➔ Do It Yourself (DIY)
Mr X thanks for your answer but I have plastic connectors.
2007-07-25 06:26:56 · update #1
The waste pipe is plastic all the way to the sewer.
2007-07-25 06:28:33 · update #2
If your bath is isolated because of plastic pipe/fitting, there is no need to have it supplementary bonded.
But your shower, even though it has an earth in the wiring, still has to be bonded to other circuits within the bathroom.
See fig 2. It is explained here:
http://www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/EarthingPlasticPipes.pdf
2007-07-26 00:42:41 · answer #1 · answered by nigel t 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋
For f**ks sake why do people do DIY???!
If in the event of your cold pipe on your bath becoming live when it isnt at the same potential as the hot pipe it will use you as the earth path this is why we cross bond pipes. This is called supplementary bonding and must be done in 10mm The 4mm earth that is run beetween the lights, heaters, radiator or anything on a seperate circuit only applys to new builds or rewires
We earth the main incoming water supply so that the if any of the pipes become live it will use this earth path instead of you and at the same time earth the bath and actually make the cross bond usefull this is called main equipetential bonding and must be in 16mm
An RCD/RCBO rated at 30ma should be fitted but again this only applys to a new build or rewire
What you fail to realise is that baths are usually made out of fibre or enamel but the pipes, taps and water will conduct electricity
2007-07-26 06:43:06 · answer #2 · answered by Ashrightuk 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
You cannot isolate it, because it will still have some earthing properties through the pipework connected to it.
So make sure that is correctly earthed, and also make sure that the shower unit is also correctly earthed. This will give you the best protection, should your shower unit develope a fault.
You may have plastic connectors, but if they are wet, they will still conduct the electricity though the water.
What about the hot and cold tap pipe work?
And as, efes_haze says you will still have to get a qualified electrician to check the installation and earth bonding.
2007-07-25 06:24:28 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
The idea of earthing as i understand it, is that you prevent the current going through you - to earth, that is what kills you, plastic connectors break the earth and therefore have to be re-earthed at the other side, even though the water would conduct current, i have a feeling that an electrician may just condemn the whole installation if you are this vague about it, when he does, it will have to be re-done if you sell the house, so it would have been cheaper to get an electrician in the first place.
2007-07-25 09:05:20 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
You (under current regs) only BOND the bath to the protective conductor of the bathroom circuits if it (the bath) is not electrically isolated from earth.
Your shower circuit should be bonded to any other circuit(s) in the bathroom regardless of the plumbing.
Plain water is actually a very poor conductor of electricity, so baths plumbed entirely in plastic rarely need Bonding. you do however need to ensure that it _is_ electrically isolated and for that you need the quality of test equipment that only a professional electrician has.
2007-07-25 09:07:59 · answer #5 · answered by Girlie Electrics 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I have no idea what you are talking about. Is the bath a conductive material? What is an electric shower? Did you connect the electric shower to a ground fault circuit interrupter? Do not take electrical advise from untrained people on yahoo or any where else. And be advised, there are many people on yahoo posing as qualified electricians who are not what they claim to be. A real electrician can spot them by their wrong answers, but others can be fooled. Call a real electrician or have your work inspected by the building inspector as you are probably required to do in your location.
2007-07-26 05:49:35 · answer #6 · answered by John himself 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
if its an electric shower then you must earth it......given the voltage and current.. some are in excess of 10Kw....
Since the introduction of plastic piping you can no longer rely on earthing to water supply pipes.
The whole electrical supply to your house should be earthed using a grounding/earthing rod outside the property, you cna safely earth to that.
you cannot guarantee that your isolation of the bath will work
you cannot rely on your health or extended living you you make contact with something metallic when the shower has an earthing fault.
2007-07-25 06:30:32 · answer #7 · answered by Mark J 7 · 1⤊ 3⤋
well i take it your bath is cast iron? otherwise you do not need to earth it. if it is you will/should need to earth it. all supplementry earth bonding should be carried out in in any bathroom. this includes earth clamping taps,towel rails,rads and baths. bring a 4mm earth cable into the room.and i hope your shower is protected by a RCD or you might come out of the shower blacker than when you went in
2007-07-26 01:31:12 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Please please
1. You must earth the bath!!!!
2. Get a qualified electrician in to test your amateur installation before somebody in your house is electrocuted.
3. Testing an electrical installation in a bathroom by a qualified person is a legal requirement.
2007-07-25 06:30:18 · answer #9 · answered by efes_haze 5 · 1⤊ 3⤋