Replacing boiler - Is this electrical set up OK?

Xcellor · 04-10-2021 8:53am #1

My existing boiler has a three core armoured cable and the amour is being used as earthing with something like this

Earthing Nut 20mm 2 Pack | Earthing | Screwfix.ie

Is this safe and ok to do or does there need to be a separate ground?

04-10-2021 12:25pm

It would be best to use a heat resistant 4 core cable.

Xcellor · 04-10-2021 2:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117974360#Comment_117974360

Problem is it would be a pig to run a new cable as its buried under concrete coming into house. If it was in a conduit and I could pull through the above I would.

At the moment its brown - perm live / blue neutral / yellow switched live and the armour connected to ground.

The boiler has worked like this for 15 years (on a seperate breaker which has never tripped in all those years) so when it gets replaced the plan is to reuse existing to avoid extra expense.

04-10-2021 4:04pm

Just because a breaker has not tripped does not mean that all is well. If you want something that is compliant with the regulations the cable going into the boiler should be heat resistant. Perhaps a short heat resistant 4 core flex could be connected to the the boiler. This could join to the SWA in the boiler isolator. The SWA armor should be made off using a proper SWA gland so that it provides a 360 degree connection not the device you have shown. It would be best to Gand this off into a metal box at both ends of the cable. This should allow for a solid earth connection. Once tested properly it would be possible to determine whether the earth connection is sufficient to meet the requirements as outlined in the rules (IS10101).

Xcellor · 04-10-2021 5:45pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117975589#Comment_117975589

Ok thanks for the advice.

Whoever wired the boiler originally should be ashamed of themselves. Electrical tape job. No junction box. Just floating cables.

Replacing boiler - Is this electrical set up OK?

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