Hi
I am after some advice please.
I live in a 100 year old terrace house.
I am having a water meter installed. The water company advises me that the electrical earthing of the house could be affected.
I have attached pictures of what I believe are earthing attachments to the incoming water pipe, and the incoming gas pipe.
I have also attached a picture of my consumer unit which has a RCD device.

I have no experience in this area, and do not know whether the water company are just covering themselves.
Basically, do I need to engage an electrician to check this out, or am I worrying about nothing.

Thank you for reading.
Geoff

As long as the earth on your incoming water mains is 10mm and goes direct to your main earthing point at the meter or consumer unit, you will be ok.

I assume they may be refering to the fact that a water meter may have plastic connectors, so any property that rely's on the water main for an earth could have this broken.

Your gas pipe earth looks ok as well as long as it is on the house side of the gas meter and before the first T in the gas pipe work.

_________________
Dave

www.drlgas.co.uk

It would be an idea if the meter is not metal to bond the in and out pipes togeter with a 10mm wire.

BTW

Assuming that the main bonding cables aren't the only ones going to the main earth terminal.



Any property which uses a water supply as an earth has been in contravention of the Wiring Regulations for several decades.

Geoff - please post a photo of your supply fuse, and the cables connected to it, and to the meter, CU and earth terminal.

_________________


I'm sorry - I can't come in to work today, the voices are telling me to stay at home and clean the guns.

.

Hi ban-all-sheds,

Thanks for reading.

Attached are pictures of the meter box, and the consumer unit. The three cables leaving the meter box two thirds of the way down on the left hand side go through the wall into my house and into the consumer unit. My question is this.

The coiled green and yellow cable which goes from my consumer unit and is attached to the incoming power cable in the meter box. Is this my main earthing terminal connecting back to the electricity board earth?

Also, where is my earth terminal. Is it part of the consumer unit.

Many thanks
Geoff

OK - looks like you've got a TN-S supply, so you're not relying on water pipes for the earth.

Your main earth terminal could well be in the CU - if it is then the earth cable from the supply should go into it, plus the bonding cables from the water and gas pipes, and the earth wires of every circuit cable

_________________


I'm sorry - I can't come in to work today, the voices are telling me to stay at home and clean the guns.

.

Thanks ban-all-sheds.

Your help is much appreciated.

The bonding cables from the water and gas pipes go into the CU.
As do the the earth cables of the circuit cables.
The earth cable from the supply also goes into the CU.
I assume that as you said, there is an earthing bar in the CU.

I had a look at diagrams of a TN-S supply online, and it looks very much like my arrangement.

I am therefore convinced that the water pipe is not used as an earth for my property and will proceed with the installation of my water meter.

Thanks again
Geoff