What is the true reason of earthing (domestic) water pipes?
Another time I was told that water pipes are earthed to avoid a harmful potential to occur on any on the water taps.
Now I see a house which has a rubber hose coming from the well and pressure tank, and copper pipes only start to be used after the softener tank. Still, the fuse box and the telephone cable are religiously connected to one of those copper pipes.
Who is earthing whom? A water filled rubber hose can't be a "good earth"..?
Answer:
The water pipes are used to provide a good ground for the electrical system. In most areas, the requirement is to ground to the water pipes on either side of the water meter so that even if the meter is removed from the system for servicing, the electrical system is still properly grouned as is the remainder of the buildings water pipes.
If you have come across a system where the ground from the electrical system was connected to the water system on the building side of a non-conductive section of piping, there SHOULD have been a jumper wire around this section or to the supply side of the water meter. It sounds like this was a domestic well fed building and there was no metallic piping from the well to the building. In that case, I would ground the buildings water piping to the electrical system. The electrical system should also be grounded via a ground rod. This should suffice to provide a good ground to both the electrical system and the buildings metallic plumbing.
they are not used as a source of earth but if an electrical fault occures on the earth system in your house this in turn will also liven up the copper pipes because the pipes are now at the same potential if you touch them you wont get a shock because all the metalwork will be at the same potential so no volt flow through a person most incomming water pipes are plastic so you would not get an earth
The house used to be earthed to the ground via the copper water pipe supply because copper is one of the greatest conductors of electricity. The main water supply has a current running through it to help prevent corrosion of the mains water supply pipes. Any copper pipe that is embedded in the earth for the term of its life is going to a great earthing choice. anyone who says that rubber is going to do the job, doesn't know what their on about. A copper stake near the fuse box is now the norm. Demarcation and ease of acsess are the reasons.
Marianna, you, the people who have answered and other readers should find this interesting http://www.davidbridgen.com/earth.htm...
The answers post by the user, for information only, FunQA.com does not guarantee the right.
More Questions and Answers: