Equipotential Bonding (earth)

In the past all the pipework in your home would have been made from copper or steel, both of which conduct electricity. As a result it was possible to get an electric shock from touching these pipes. To prevent this, the pipework was connected to the main earth in the house, then at various points along its length, secondary cables were fitted to link the pipes and continue the bonding to earth.

In modern houses much of the pipework is plastic, so ‘earthing ‘ is no longer an issue. If you need to cut and remove a section of pipe you must replace the bonding cable so if you are uncertain, it is a good idea to seek the advice and skills of a professional.

Earth bonding or ‘equipotential earth bonding’ as it is known in the trade is not just fitted to the pipes in your home. It is also connected to other pieces of kit like the gas meter or maybe your incoming water supply pipework and valve. If you are unsure about the cable it is coloured green and yellow, that is yellow with a green stripe.

Kingston Plumbers use earth bonding cable frequently. The cable is a bonding wire of 10mm. The earth bonding actually terminates at the main consumer unit in the house, connecting straight to the earth point inside. The earth bonding ensures that everything connected is at the same ‘potential’ electrically (hence equipotential). The only time a current can flow is when there is a potential difference, so things at the same potential are ok and will not conduct, resulting in no electric shock risk. A Kingston Plumber is trained to deal electric shock. So you can see that equipotential bonding although redundant most of the time can when required, save your life.







“