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I am replacing my kitchen sink and have discovered both taps are earthed! The main earth is connected (strapped) to the hot water pipe feeding that tap and another thinner earth coming from that to a 'strapped' connection on the cold water pipe beneath that tap. An earth wire has then bee taken from that connection and screwed to the sink.

Should there be 2 earths?
Does the sink need to be earthed?
Can I remove the secondary earth to the cold water pipe and run it straight to the sink.

Any help would be greatly appreciated as we are without water till i get this sorted having already cut the cold water pipe

Many thanks

Ok, I found this on an alternative forum - the practice of earthing the cold and hot water pipes is called cross bonding and is totally unnecessary in domestic kitchens. The principle seems to be that the hot water pipes might come into contact with the ground thereby creating an alternative if the cold water pipe doesn't - the mains might be plastic pipes etc. It's a principle that doesn't hold water (sorry) in my opinion and others! The safest way of grounding electricity in your home seems to be to get the electric company or an electrician to put a big spike in your back garden and connect the earth to that. And I'm going to do just that first thing tomorrow.

Cheers

BONDING NOT REQUIRED IN KITCHEN

SHOULD GET AN ELECTRICIAN IN TO DISCONNECT THESE EARTH WIRES FROM CONSUMER UNIT

I'm no professional but I understood earths were there for your safety. If there's an electrical short to any metalwork you want the current to go down the earth and safely to ground - bypassing you! :wink: It's therefore in your best interests to make sure any metalwork in the kitchen (electricity, water, metal sink, dodgy connections...) is earthed. Any loose wire touching a water pipe somwhere in the house could jack the whole system up to a dangerous potential. With plastic washers at the interface to the sink that means the individual taps could be isolated from the sink and you would only find out when you touched a tap! That'd put you off your tea! :shock:

Best to leave all taps earthed, the sink earthed as well and make sure all the earths are connected back to the Ground connection for the house.

If you have plastic pipes connecting between metal it may be worth putting on an earth line that bridges the gap. Electricity flows through water...

[quote="slapdash"]I'm no professional but I understood earths were there for your safety. If there's an electrical short to any metalwork you want the current to go down the earth and safely to ground - bypassing you! :wink: It's therefore in your best interests to make sure any metalwork in the kitchen (electricity, water, metal sink, dodgy connections...) is earthed. Any loose wire touching a water pipe somwhere in the house could jack the whole system up to a dangerous potential. With plastic washers at the interface to the sink that means the individual taps could be isolated from the sink and you would only find out when you touched a tap! That'd put you off your tea! :shock:

Best to leave all taps earthed, the sink earthed as well and make sure all the earths are connected back to the Ground connection for the house.

If you have plastic pipes connecting between metal it may be worth putting on an earth line that bridges the gap. Electricity flows through water...[/quote]

Totally agree with slapdash, safety first the more earth bonding the better.
Do not take these cables off!
KB