You regularly check your smoke alarms, but have you ever checked the bonding on your water and gas pipes?

This is a critical but often overlooked safety feature in your home. Proper bonding helps prevent electrical faults from making your pipes live, which could pose a serious risk to you and your family.

Your home should have 10mm earth bonding connected to both the water and gas pipes, usually near the water main stopcock and gas meter. These cables ensure any stray electrical currents are safely discharged.

Do you know where your stopcock is?

If it’s not under the kitchen sink, it could be in the basement, the garage, a downstairs WC near the front door, or even under the floorboards. If you’re unsure, now is a good time to locate it.

Once you find it, take a moment to inspect the bonding cable. It should be securely clamped to the pipe—not loose, not spinning, and definitely not coming off in your hand.

Why is this important?

If your property lacks bonding cables, or if you ever feel unusual tingles from pipes, sinks, radiators, or even while taking a shower, it could indicate a serious electrical issue. In these cases, it’s essential to contact a qualified electrician as soon as possible.

For expert advice and electrical services, get in touch with your local electrician, serving Medway & Maidstone. Ensuring your home is electrically safe is just as important as checking your fire alarms—don’t overlook it.

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Finding and testing connection of electrical bonding to gas pipes
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Locating main protective bonding termination near gas meter
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Checking bonding to gas pipes
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Finding electrical bonding near water main stopcock
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Checking presence of main protective bonding conductors to gas installation
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Locating earth bonding to incoming water supply
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Finding earthing cable for water normally near water main stopcock
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Bonding to water and gas should be routinely checked to make sure they're tight
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Finding bonding to water near the water main stopcock
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You should ensure the bonding to your water and gas is nice and tight