Author Topic: Earthing a House  (Read 3645 times)

Earthing a House
« on: 04 March, 2019, 09:53:41 am »
The boy has recently picked up the keys to his first house and wants to change the boiler.  Britsh Gas came round and did some checks and declared that the house is not earthed and that they would need to instal an earth spike for £400+.

Looking at the wiring there is of course earth connections all wired back to the fuse box area but as far as I can see no connection between the armoured incoming cable and the earth block.  There ought to be but what form should it take?  It's a 70s house, semi with integral garage and the fuse box is in the garage.

IMG_20190303_153356163 by Russell Wiles, on Flickr

Thanks

R

Re: Earthing a House
« Reply #1 on: 04 March, 2019, 10:37:06 am »
Looks like that metal strap ought to be connected up to the earth block - maybe a short cable from the left screw? Get an electrician in to have a proper look at it.

I wouldn’t dick about with spikes unless as a last resort - if the property previously had working earth via the incoming supply it’d be odd to convert it to a spike (which are always inferior).

Kim

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Re: Earthing a House
« Reply #2 on: 04 March, 2019, 01:31:00 pm »
Looks like that metal strap ought to be connected up to the earth block - maybe a short cable from the left screw? Get an electrician in to have a proper look at it.

I wouldn’t dick about with spikes unless as a last resort - if the property previously had working earth via the incoming supply it’d be odd to convert it to a spike (which are always inferior).

Agreed, that strap looks suspicious.  There are various earthing schemes, and most of them don't involve an earthing spike at the consumer's premises.

If British Gas have tested the earth loop impedance and found it lacking, then something needs to be done as a matter of urgency, as potentially (pun not intended) any earth fault could be a serious hazard.  Conversion to TT earthing might be one way to rectify that.

Re: Earthing a House
« Reply #3 on: 04 March, 2019, 01:44:13 pm »
As I understand it, a normal earth is to the metal armouring of the supply cable, which is the function of that clamp.  I'd be tempted to DIY with a heavy-gauge cable from the block to the bolt on the clamp's earth strap, but I suppose one should really get an electrician to do it.

Gattopardo

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Re: Earthing a House
« Reply #4 on: 04 March, 2019, 01:49:42 pm »
The earth from the outer cable is not connected to the earth block, as others have mentioned.


Kim

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Re: Earthing a House
« Reply #5 on: 04 March, 2019, 01:50:05 pm »
As I understand it, a normal earth is to the metal armouring of the supply cable, which is the function of that clamp.  I'd be tempted to DIY with a heavy-gauge cable from the block to the bolt on the clamp's earth strap, but I suppose one should really get an electrician to do it.

I'd be tempted to DIY the clamp too, but lacking the equipment or expertise to measure earth loop impedance afterwards, I'd have no way to tell if it had solved the problem.

Re: Earthing a House
« Reply #6 on: 04 March, 2019, 02:43:39 pm »
Get a sparks in. If the earthing was originally supplied by the energy provider they may have a duty to maintain it. You need to know what earthing system is being applied here. You will probably need to check cross bonding in the property as well.
Get a bicycle. You will never regret it, if you live- Mark Twain

Re: Earthing a House
« Reply #7 on: 04 March, 2019, 03:36:14 pm »
Get a qualified electrician in to sort, far safer that way for all concerned.

Think, “what if?” not “if only!”

G


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Re: Earthing a House
« Reply #8 on: 04 March, 2019, 03:40:21 pm »
In addition, get a decent local plumber to quote for the boiler, BG are a complete rip-off, witness their £400 quote for earthing.
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Re: Earthing a House
« Reply #9 on: 04 March, 2019, 09:33:53 pm »
Your son's solicitor  should have asked for an electrical safety certificate before completion. All the work to bring the install to standard should have been at the vendors cost.

Andrij

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Re: Earthing a House
« Reply #10 on: 04 March, 2019, 09:46:08 pm »
At first glance I thought this was a thread about Eating a Horse - so surely it belonged in 'Food & Drink'.
;D  Andrij.  I pronounce you Complete and Utter GIT   :thumbsup:

Aunt Maud

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Re: Earthing a House
« Reply #11 on: 04 March, 2019, 10:20:29 pm »
Avoid British Gas at all costs, they employed a non registered CORGI sub contractor to do out heating system in Somerset despite me insisting it was BG plumbers who should carry out the work.

Numpties of the highest degree.

Valiant

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Re: Earthing a House
« Reply #12 on: 05 March, 2019, 02:46:13 am »
Get a proper sparky in, as it'll need to be measured and tested safe.
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Wombat

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Re: Earthing a House
« Reply #13 on: 07 March, 2019, 11:31:56 am »
Er, did he not have an electrical safety certificate when he bought the house?  If not, why not?  It sure as hell won't have passed unless it has an adequate earth.
Wombat

hellymedic

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Re: Earthing a House
« Reply #14 on: 07 March, 2019, 01:09:04 pm »
I don't think certification is needed for sale/purchase in England; I think it is for rental BICBW.

Wombat

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Re: Earthing a House
« Reply #15 on: 14 March, 2019, 05:45:39 pm »
Lets rephrase it.  You want to sell me your house?  Then provide an electrical safety certificate!  Don't care if its not required by law, its required by me, and my insurance company.  its certainly grounds for refunding some of the purchase price, as certificate or not, its dangerous, and not safe to live in.

The whole house purchase thing in England and Wales is totally broken.
Wombat

Re: Earthing a House
« Reply #16 on: 14 March, 2019, 08:35:49 pm »
Electrical safety certificate required by your insurance company? For your private residence?

Maybe I need to read my insurance schedule more carefully, but I think I'd be looking for a less prescriptive underwriter.

hellymedic

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Re: Earthing a House
« Reply #17 on: 14 March, 2019, 08:50:12 pm »
My insurer did not demand this; nor did my mortgage lender, though I bought this place in 1999 and thing may have changed.

Re: Earthing a House
« Reply #18 on: 15 March, 2019, 12:36:17 pm »
Leccy came round, tested and installed a new clamp on the incoming with a tail to the earth block.

With regards to British Gas, thier offer is hard to ignore.  With deals and discount, ignoring the earthing issue, they are cheaper than a local installer as well as offering additional sevices like a Magnaclean and a powerflush.

Downside is that they won't instal without an internet connection for the smart control system.

Re: Earthing a House
« Reply #19 on: 16 March, 2019, 10:11:09 pm »
British Gas did our boiler a year or so back. I’m pretty sure there’s no internet connection, but maybe we didn’t get that control system.