Boiler Pipes seem to be live !!!! Ask questions and find answers to many subjects relating to electrics and electrical work

[jmc020468]

Hi........... To cut along story short just moved into a 1940's house and I had just changed my gas hob, then when I started to connect the flexi hose at the gas point I got a shock off the pipe work !!
Putting a circuit tester between earth at the ring main socket and the hob or pipe work lit up my circuit tester.
Then I noticed if I plug the boiler in to the ring main the pipes and hob are not live anymore.
Very strange..... Some one said it could be to do with earth bonding round the pipe work at the boiler (Can not see any)

Can anyone advise me please?

Thank you John

[Eurospark]

Sounds like the pipes are earthed via the boiler supply, which isn't good enough. They should be earthed directly to the earth terminal bar in your DB (fuse box) and this should be done as soon as the pipes enter the house for water and gas (although if they are plastic on entry, as soon as they connect to copper.
The meter will light up if the pipes are not earthed but it is an induced voltage rather than a direct connection to the live. This is still bad news especially around gas fittings. The earthing is a simple job, but make sure the hot pipes and both sides of the radiator circuit are earthed as well as the incoming water and gas.

[htg engineer]

The mains gas pipe should have an earth connection within 1m of the gas meter, also all the copper pipes from the boiler should be earthed too.

[jmc020468]

Hi Eurospark............. Thanks for that,will get the job sorted straight away.
Once again Thank you
Will let you know how I go on John

[jagjitsingh11]

Hi i got a problem with my valliant bolier. underneath where it has been earthed from one pipe going to the rest,,, i touched it with wire mash and for some reason the earth wire from where it is connected to the pipe it had a mini explosion or some kind of spark and then my bolier switched of completely. i checked the fuse on the spur switch but it is perfectly fine, i couldnt see a problem with the earthing allthough it sparked so what should i do to resolve the problem ??????????????????????????????????????? i would reallly REALLY APRICEATE SOME HELP !!!!!! please SOMONE HELP !!!!!!!!!

[ericmark]

You should ask this question on a new thread not latch it to some one else's.

Likely there are internal fuses but the question is what happened and why. I would not really be happy until I had tested the earths to ensure there is nothing wrong. Not really something that can be done without test gear.