What should be grounded in the bathroom. How to make grounding in the bathroom? Grounding older bathtubs

Is it necessary to do grounding in the bathroom? Answer to this rhetorical question unequivocally - yes, it is absolutely necessary! Today's rooms reserved for bathing procedures are simply crammed with appliances powered by electricity. These are in disrepair household electrical appliances may be electrocuted. Often fatal. Proper grounding of the bath in the apartment of any house, hotel, hospital is a guarantee of safety, since in a humid environment the resistance of the human body to current is significantly reduced.

Purpose of grounding

The grounding of the bathroom, in accordance with the requirements of the rules for the installation of electrical appliances, is carried out by connecting the bodies of the baths, made of metal, with metal pipes (water, gas, sewer) with steel wire. This can be done with the help of a grounding electric cable from copper with a cross section of at least 6 mm 2.

All household appliances in the bathroom, powered by the mains, are connected by a cable consisting of three cores to a differentiated machine during the grounding process. The latter can be replaced with a moisture-proof socket with a connected conductor (ground electrode). These measures will make it possible to make the potential difference on plumbing and electrical appliances in the bathroom the same. And even if electrical appliances fail, the electric charge will leave their body and fall into the ground.

If there is no grounding, and the cable insulation is damaged for objective reasons or moisture has got into the terminal box of one of the electrical appliances in the bathroom (hair dryer, washing machine, heated towel rail, etc.), then the metal parts of the devices will be energized and, when touched, you can get an electric shock.

So, the purpose of grounding the bathroom is to protect a person from the often fatal electric shock.

Mounting process

The grounding conductor must have a large cross section and, as a result, a small electrical resistance (much less than that of human body). If the grounding is done correctly, then even in conditions of insulation damage, as mentioned above, the electric current will choose the path of least resistance for itself - it will go to household appliances, for example, and go through the circuit into the ground.

Due to the presence of a differential machine, when power surges begin (when the electrical appliance is faulty), the damaged electrical appliance will be instantly disconnected from the network.

In addition to grounding the bathroom body and the metal elements of the shower stall, in order to equalize the electrical potential, experts advise connecting all metal utility pipes (if they are made of metal) to the neutral bus.

Contour on engineering communications made of plastic

Previously, the role of the ground electrode (circuit) was played water pipes(metal), since they are connected by welding to the riser. The latter descends into the basement and disappears there under the ground.

Today, in terms of replacement metal pipes plastic counterparts, which do not conduct current, it is necessary to lay a large-section cable (from one core) into the bathroom. He will play the role of a ground electrode (or circuit).

PMC installation

Simplify the grounding process household appliances PMC or a potential equalization box will help. It's plastic rectangular container with a zero tire made of brass (or copper). The bus is located inside, clamps-terminals are placed on it.

The next step - a single-core copper cable with a cross section of at least six square millimeters is laid in the cable channel, along the baseboards. Start the cable path from the electrical panel and end near the PMC. One end of the wire is stripped and fastened to the zero rail with two zinc-coated washers to the bolt. The second end of the same cable is also stripped of insulation and fastened to the PMC on a zero bus, in a threaded clamp with the largest hole.

It is important not to confuse the current-carrying wires and the grounding conductor, the latter is wrapped with electrical tape or other yellow or green beacons.

Proper grounding of a cast-iron bath is its connection to the PMC neutral bus. It is done using the same copper cable that you used to lay the ground electrode (circuit). The length of this cable must not exceed three meters. On modern cast-iron bathrooms there is a special tide - for connecting the grounding conductor using a galvanized steel M6 bolt of the desired length. It is inserted into the tide, a washer is mounted on it.

Two turns of pre-stripped copper cable are wound around the bolt clockwise. Another washer is mounted on top of the wound one, after which the M6 ​​nut is screwed on. Both washers and nuts must be galvanized. Wrench the nut is tightened as tightly as possible with a wrench.

If the bathtub is old and does not have a tide, you can connect a ground cable to the bolt on one of the bathtub legs. To do this, you will need to drill drill bit hole in the foot of the bathtub to screw the grounding jumper to it. The sequence of the following actions is the same as described above - in the case of a modern cast-iron bath.

Acrylic bath

Acrylic bath complete metal frame- frame. Her in without fail must be grounded. On a wooden or brick frame, it is also desirable to ground an acrylic bath. After all, water is an excellent conductor of current, but acrylic is a dielectric.

The body of the bathtub made of acrylic is not very durable, so it is installed on welded construction in the form of a frame, which is a profile of a steel pipe.

When water enters between the frame and the body of the bath, a wet layer appears on the latter, which perfectly conducts current. For this reason frame structure acrylic bathrooms must be grounded.

To carry out such a process as grounding an acrylic bath, a jumper or terminal pad is provided. The neutral ground wire in the bathroom is connected to it. The terminal pad is a nut with a screw and washer, the diameter of which is not more than 6 mm. The nut is welded to the terminal pad and marked with a ground sign. Before connecting the earthing switch to this jumper, clean the nut welded to it from paint and grease. Under the washer, two turns of copper wire should be wound. Winding should be clockwise. Put the screw back and tighten it as much as possible.

If there is no jumper, you will have to make a hole in the steel pipe (using a pobedit drill) from which the frame is made. It should be eight millimeters in diameter, and the metal around the hole should be carefully cleaned of paint. A zinc-coated bolt is inserted into this hole and then we proceed according to the instructions described above (as in the case of a cast-iron bath).

It is more prudent to choose a place for mounting the contact pad in acrylic bathtubs that are not equipped with a contact pad at the bottom of the frame (closer to the wall or corner). The hole should be drilled where it will not weaken bearing capacity frames. Now you know how to properly and independently make the grounding of a bathroom made of cast iron and acrylic.

Previously, it was not required to make grounding in the house. But in our time, this issue is particularly relevant, since the bathroom has a lot of electrical equipment and metal products.

In addition, the bath must be grounded only because it is a source of danger.

Theory

Many electronic appliances these days have small metal grooves for grounding. This term means special protection, which takes the electric current when it appears on the body of the object and leads into the ground.

Everyone in their life has experienced mild electric shocks when touching electrical appliances. Quite often this can happen if you touch the computer, washing machine or heating tank. In the latter case, this occurs due to the formation of a hole in the heating element, due to which electricity passes through the water.

Often this happens for the reason that in our homes the electrical wiring was installed inappropriately. If there are grounding devices, this problem will not cause inconvenience.

The Importance of Grounding Your Bath

Since water is an excellent conductor of current, the bathtub is the most dangerous place if it is not grounded. If there are a lot of metal objects in the bathroom, even pipes, then.

A pipe, radiator, bathtub, sink, sewer pipes and other metal products that are not connected to electricity in any way can cause bad consequences if a fuse blows. This is the reason why it is required to organize grounding, which.

Previously, the bath was grounded as follows: its bowl was connected to a sewer or water riser.

Currently, if you are a resident apartment building under no circumstances should this method be used.

You will not have grounding, in case your neighbors change their iron plumbing to plastic pipes. In addition, now you will have an increased area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe capacitor, which causes not the best consequences.

Grounding a metal bath

The normal way of wiring is to connect the bathtub with a special connection using a special ground bus. The busbar must be located on the switchboard.

This type of connection is called a "ground jumper".

Such a connection must be made in any room with a bathroom where there is electrical equipment.

Many apartments and houses are equipped with Soviet baths. If you have installed just such a plumbing fixture, then it is grounded as follows:

• a hole is drilled in the foot of the bath using an electric drill with a drill bit. Subsequently, the grounding jumper is fixed with a bolt, nut and washer;
• the multi-core cable must be screwed to the bath leg on one side and to the distributor on the other. All wires from metal appliances must be connected to this cable;
• the distributor is fixed on the wall in convenient location. It is brought to the ground bus of the input shield, which is located in the entrance;

Recently released steel and cast iron bathtubs are equipped with a special "petal" that is used for grounding. A ground wire is connected to it.

In this case, it is only necessary to strip the cable and clamp it between the washers of the petal, securing it with a bolt and nut;

If the bathroom has a shower equipped with an instant water heating function, or a heating tank, then they must also be grounded. The jumper in this case is done as follows: metal elements device cases are connected to grounded pipes.

Is an acrylic bath grounded?

Nowadays, acrylic bathtubs, which are light and affordable, are especially popular.

Although it is a polymer that is a dielectric (i.e. does not conduct current), such a bathroom still needs to be grounded for the following reasons:

• casting and extrusion are two ways to produce an acrylic bath. The polymer produced by extrusion does not retain its shape well. It is the bowls made in this way that must be installed in a steel frame, which must be grounded;
• the acrylic bath is also grounded in order to remove static electricity. If the bowl is large, then this must be done, as this can lead to the fact that the bath will accumulate a strong electric charge.

Grounding the Jacuzzi

"Jacuzzi" - a whirlpool tub that runs on 220V and has a frequency of 50 Hz.

To connect and install the hot tub, the room must have a separate grounded socket. It must be equipped with shutters, due to which access to the plug is closed. In addition, a third plug is required, which will play the role of grounding. This socket is protected against splash water, so there is no possibility of a short circuit.

The socket must be mounted at a height of at least 50 cm from the floor and at a distance of at least 70 cm from the edge of the hot tub. The cable is double or triple insulated.

It is necessary to install an automatic machine that can withstand a load of 16 Amperes so that there is no possibility of damage to the electrical equipment of the bath, which can be caused by a sudden voltage drop. Also, an RCD device should be located outside the bath room.

Using a hot tub that is connected to an ungrounded outlet is strictly prohibited.

In addition, hot tubs must not be grounded through heating, sewerage and water supply systems.

This work should only be carried out if the whirlpool is disconnected from electrical network. If the electrical cord is damaged, then you should not use such a bathroom, it is better to call professionals who will repair or replace it.

Cabling

The parameters of the conductor are determined by the norms electrical work. The conductor can be used as a grounding jumper. In houses or apartments, a rigid stranded wire with a cross section of 6mm squared should be used.

The cable is insulated, it must be yellow-green PVC. This section will ensure the electrical safety of the room.

The connection is made through a current protection circuit breaker if the bath has the function of heating running water.

Steel is used as a ground electrode (to save money). However, the most reliable and effective option is copper-clad steel.

2 meters - this should be the length of the ground wire, no less. However, the shorter the length of the wire, the less chance of damage.

The jumper can be pulled under the bath screen, under the floor lining or in a special pedestal so as not to spoil the wiring appearance premises. The cable can also be laid under plaster, similar to electrical wiring.

We all know that the connection between water and electricity can be fatal for a person. In the bathroom, this picture is constantly observed: high humidity, flowing tap water, and nearby sockets, electric boiler, washing machine. To protect yourself from electric shock, it is imperative to install a ground loop, the purpose of which is to divert voltage to the ground and thereby prevent a dangerous situation. In this article, we will tell you how to make grounding in the bathroom with your own hands, providing not only instructions, but also illustrative examples each stage of work.

How was it done before?

A few decades ago, the issue of creating a ground loop was not so important. This was due to the fact that all apartment owners made grounding through metal risers of hot and cold water which in turn were connected to the ground. As a result of a dangerous situation, the potential left through the pipes and there were no problems. However, later many residents of apartment buildings panel houses they began to replace metal pipes with plastic ones, tk. they are more practical. As a result, the neighbors downstairs change the piping, and your grounding in the bathroom loses its functionality, and you, in turn, can become a victim of defeat. electric shock.

That is why in Khrushchev it was decided to make a ground loop in a different way, which we will discuss below.

Modern installation technique

In old-style apartments, there are several ways to ground the bathroom. The best is the installation of a ground bus in a common house shield, so to speak, the modernization of the power supply system. However, this is extremely difficult to achieve, so some residents with permission management company organize their own ground loop in the basement.

Suppose, in your case, a three-wire electrical wiring has already been connected to the switchboard. All that remains for you, which we described in detail in the corresponding article. This system involves combining in the PMC (potential equalization box) grounding conductors from the bath itself, the sink and metal pipes, as shown in the diagram below:

From PMC the wire goes to the ground bar in the shield. As for electrical appliances (boiler, washing machine, heated towel rail, etc.), they must be connected to a grounded socket. In the video below, the expert gives his opinion on this matter:

Additionally, you need, which will protect the electrical wiring in the bathroom from. If you still decide to make a protective circuit in this way, electric shock can be avoided. We will talk about the nuances of installation below.

In new buildings, things are much easier, because. most often, a potential equalization system is already provided, in fact, as is a three-wire wiring. It will only remain if it has not yet been installed, and connect the RCD in the shield.

By the way, you can make the grounding of a bathroom in a private house by analogy with the instructions provided above. The advantage is that it is much easier to perform in this case than in old apartment. We have examined in detail all the nuances of the installation work in the article to which we referred.

Connection nuances

So we have come to the main part of the article, in which we will consider the features of installing grounding in the bathroom. First of all, I would like to talk about the materials that need to be prepared. So the list is as follows:

Now let's talk in detail about how to make the grounding of the bath, which today can be steel, cast iron or acrylic.

The hardest thing is to ground the old cast iron bath, because to do this, you need to drill a bolt hole in the body, slightly above the legs (you will see special processes from the body). Next, the wire is pressed with a washer and nut, as shown in the photo below:

In modern cast-iron and steel bowls, the manufacturer already provides a special ear for grounding. The only thing is that you will need to brush off the enamel a little to a metallic color, which will improve the electrical contact.

As for acrylic bathtubs, as in previous cases, the manufacturer takes care of his customers and therefore provides an eyelet on the frame in advance, to which the wire must be connected. If there is no ear, we drill it with a drill, as mentioned above. Another way is shown in the photo:

Well, the last thing I would like to talk about is the grounding of the hydromassage bath. Since it is equipped electrical equipment, thanks to which the jacuzzi works, you need to seriously approach the issue of installing grounding. As a rule, a device with a hydromassage is connected to an outlet, with the help of which protection is provided (if the wiring is three-wire). Additionally, it is recommended to protect yourself by connecting an RCD in the shield, which should work in a dangerous situation.

So we told you how to make grounding in the bathroom with your own hands, if it is not there. We hope that the provided instructions with photo examples were useful and interesting for you!

materials

Do I need to ground the bath? This question worries many people who are going to make repairs in their home. Equipment modern apartments It is distinguished by the presence of all kinds of household appliances and electronics. For the convenience of connecting them in a house or apartment, sockets are installed everywhere, including the bathroom. Grounding the bathroom will protect against sudden current discharges, and avoid such a common problem when the faucet in the bathroom is shocked.

What is bath grounding and why is it necessary?

The modern bath is one of the most dangerous places in the house. In most cases, they are made of metal, which is a good conductor of electricity. Often sockets and additional light switches for convenience are installed in close proximity to the bowl body itself. There is a certain risk to human health (electric shock). Therefore, in order to avoid the sudden appearance of an electrical discharge, it is necessary to ground the bathroom in the apartment.

In our country, the requirements for this procedure are regulated by special rules and regulations. Therefore, it is best to seek help and advice from experienced professionals. At its core, the grounding of the bath is the connection of the body of the bowl with a wire, which in turn has a connection to the ground (floor). If it is, then the charge (including the statistical one) that suddenly appeared on the body will “leave” into the floor without causing trouble.

How to ground a bath?

In the old days, grounding in the bathroom was done in the most primitive way: they stretched the conductor from the bath to the water riser. Today, the entire water supply system is made of polypropylene (plastic) pipes, so this option is completely meaningless. From the bathroom there must be a special connection to the ground bus, which is located on the distribution board. How to make grounding in the bathroom correctly? It all depends on the material of the sanitary ware.

Grounding an old-style bath

Bathtubs made during the Soviet period are still found in many apartments. However, not everyone knows how to ground a steel bath produced in these years, and whether it is worth doing it. Each old-style plumbing product has approximately the same design. Therefore, their grounding is carried out according to the standard scheme for them.

A grounding jumper is threaded into the foot of the bath. If the leg is solid, then a through hole is pre-drilled in it. Then the jumper is fixed with a nut and bolt. A stranded wire is used as the grounding part, the other part of which is adjacent to the distributor on the wall, installed outside the bathroom. Also, for clarity of the process, you can learn how to make the grounding of the bath by referring to the video material:

Grounding a cast iron bath

Do I need to ground a cast iron bath? The answer is obvious - it is necessary. Cast iron is a metal, therefore, like any other material in this category, it is an excellent conductor of electric charge. And one fine moment given property can lead to a very unpleasant problem: "the water in the bathroom is electric."

All modern cast iron plumbing already has special device(petal) for connecting the ground wire. Its fastening initially involves the use of a bolt and nut. In the future, the grounding of the cast-iron bath occurs according to the standard scheme described above.

Note! It is imperative to install an earthing system if the shower mixer is connected to an instantaneous water heater that differs from storage boiler more power.

Grounding an acrylic bath

The acrylic bathtub is the latest innovation in the modern sanitary ware industry. The value of the material lies in quite lightweight and low cost (when compared with products made from other materials). Acrylic is not a metal and does not conduct electricity. However, due to the plasticity of the material, and in order to avoid deformation of the shape of the bath, it is installed in special frame made of metal.

Does it need to be grounded acrylic bath? Acrylic, like any synthetic material, is a dielectric and can generate static electricity. The area of ​​the bowl is quite capable of accumulating a large number of electric charge and lead to such a serious problem as "water in the bathroom is electric", which can harm human health. Therefore, the grounding of the acrylic bath is mandatory by attaching a rigid multi-core cable to a metal frame frame.

Potential equalization in the bathroom

A potential equalization system in the bathroom is necessary to ensure its complete safety. In addition to the main ground loop provided in any construction project modern building, it is necessary to create an additional contour for a particular room. Each conductor has a certain electrical potential. By itself, it poses no danger. The danger lies in their difference between various metallic objects. The higher it is, the greater the likelihood of electric shock to a person.

Potential equalization in the bathroom is the same important aspect how to ground a bath. It is a reduction in step voltage at the surface by means of protective conductors laid inside the floor of the room or on its surface. They are connected to a grounding device. You can also reduce the potential difference with a special floor covering. Potential equalization in the bathroom or other rooms must be carried out by a specialist, some of its features can be found in the following video material:

In almost any private house and apartment, the bathroom is equipped with at least one electrical appliance - washing machine, a boiler or a heated towel rail, or even all at once. And these benefits of technical progress, we note, are operated in a room with high humidity, in which, as you know, the probability of electric shock increases many times over. The simplest and least expensive, but at the same time mandatory and effective measure to completely protect yourself from this is grounding in the bathroom.

What motivates the need for grounding in the bathroom

In the bathroom, any faulty appliance in use can be a source of life-threatening or nuisance current. Non-grounded electrical devices of neighbors connected to water supply or sewage systems, having a breakdown on the case or so far only current leakage, can also cause similar consequences. Another variant of "hello" from neighbors is also possible - they ground some electrical appliance on their steel or cast iron pipe despite the fact that the riser or part of it is made of plastic. Moreover, in all these cases, the danger is a breakdown or leakage from phase wire. Zero vein is not dangerous.

Room grounding diagram

A person can get an electric shock if he closes any conductive surface under phase voltage to the ground, or even the water itself, flowing from a tap, faucet, or the one in the bathroom itself. A person will close this circuit with himself under the following circumstances:

1. 1. One part of his body (most often a hand) will come into contact with an object (electrical appliance, faucet, bathtub) or water that is energized.
2. 2. Another part of his body will also come into contact with conductive objects or surfaces, but which, according to electrical concepts, are "connected" to the ground. That is, with those that, together with materials separating from the ground, objects, substances or structural elements of the building form an electrical circuit.

Conductive surfaces in the bathroom are not only all metal objects, but also others. We are talking about materials that are not good conductors and can even be electrical insulators in terms of their properties. If they are wet, and even worse - wet, then current can also flow through them or on their surface. So, for example, even a wet towel can be under phase voltage - depending on where it hangs.

Everything is clear with the first point. Let's take a closer look at the second one. What can be included in the electrical circuit to ground. It can be:

• Metal pipes.
• Steel and cast iron bathtubs as well as wet acrylic.
• Water and drains filling plastic pipes. After all, they flow further down the riser, in main pipeline and on some part of their path they will certainly come into contact with metal (they will fall into steel pipe or valve) that goes into the ground or is in it.
• Metal elements of building structures - steel reinforcement, beams.
• Wet concrete floors and other building structures.
• Wet floor coverings, seams in them and the base of the floor underneath.

Now let's remember Ohm's law. The amount of current flowing through something is equal to the voltage applied to it divided by its resistance (I = U/R). That is, the larger R, the smaller I (current). If R is very large, and in the case of electrically insulating, non-conductive materials and substances, its value is such that it can be taken as infinitely large, then I will practically be zero. That is, if there is at least one component in the circuit considered in the second paragraph that is not a good conductor, the human phase will not close to the ground.

In the same time flooring made, for example, from ceramic tiles, which in itself is a very good insulator, covered even by the most the thinnest film water, turns into a conductor. More precisely, its surface. Wet seams in the flooring, as well as the concrete of the base of the floor and ceilings, will also conduct current. If it passes along them to the metal elements of the building structure (reinforcements and others), which at the same time will be somehow connected to each other, and the lowest (in the foundation) - as a rule, with the ground, then it will turn out electrical circuit from the last to the floor in the bathroom.

Examples where electric shock is unlikely and quite possible

Examples in which it is unlikely or impossible to receive an electric shock when performing the first step above:

• a person, not touching anything else, is standing on the floor barefoot, but the feet and the flooring are dry, and the latter is made of a material that is not a conductor (wood, ceramic or other tile made of natural materials, linoleum);
• a man, touching nothing else, stands on wet floor, but shod in slippers or other shoes, which, like the feet, are dry inside and do not conduct current (rubber, leather soles).

Otherwise (to something else conductive to touch with the second hand or stand barefoot on a wet floor) can knock. And the stronger, the greater the current value. And it, as follows from the Ohm's law given in the previous chapter, depends on the voltage - the potential difference between the ground and the object that was touched - and the total resistance of the resulting circuit. That is, the R of a person and all the elements of such a chain following him to the ground are summed up. If, due to the high total resistance and / or low voltage, the current turns out to be small, then its passage through the body may not even be noticed.

Another example when it can hit - by the way, when a person is already directly in the bath itself. He can stand or sit in the water. Then the person turns on a faucet or shower connected to an electrotitanium (another electric heater). And that one has a faulty heating element - a heating element. The nature of the fault is insulation damage. The fault area falls on the internal tank with heated water. The insulation is completely damaged and all 220 V, it turns out, are "connected" to the water (the so-called breakdown) or partly (it has lost its former electrical insulating properties due to aging or improper use of titanium, and therefore poorly insulates the conductor inside the heating element), and current leakage occurs.

And in this case, together with the jet, when a person touches it (for example, with a hand), not only water will be supplied to him, but also phase voltage(breakdown or leakage). After all, some other part of the body, he will definitely be in contact with the bath. And that, in turn, at this moment may turn out to be a link in that electrical circuit to the ground, which was discussed in paragraph 2 above (see in the previous chapter). That is, the current will flow through the person, then the bathroom, the water draining from it, and sewer pipes. Either from the bath it will go through the wet floor and concrete floors, and then along the metal elements of the building's structures. At the same time, a current will also flow through the jet, but the largest one will go through a person, since its resistance is much less than that of water.

What determines the degree of danger and what gives grounding

When any of the electrical appliances is defective, the degree of possibility and danger of electric shock depends, as it becomes obvious from the previous chapters, on the following factors:

• From which pipes are the risers and intra-apartment wiring of water supply, heating and sewerage - metal, metal-plastic or plastic (including those of neighbors).
• Qualities tap water and water in the heating system. When it is of normal quality, it conducts current poorly, that is, it is a semiconductor ( sewer drains contain impurities, including salts, making them a good conductor).
• The level of general humidity in general and the degree of wetting of individual objects and materials in particular (conductive and insulating - see the first chapter).
• From the state of the psycho-emotional and physical person himself, as well as his skin.

Why depends on the skin. The total resistance of the human body is approximately 1 kOhm. The resistance of internal tissues is thousandths of this value, and everything else is due to the skin. The importance of resistance is described in the first chapter. And if the skin is damaged or wet, and even polluted, then its resistance decreases significantly. Accordingly, the probability of electric shock increases many times, and the more severe the consequences of this may be. A grounding conductor that connects conductive (metal) elements or parts of electrical appliances and other potentially dangerous objects to the ground directly, thereby equalizing the potential difference (voltage) between them. That is, the current begins to flow through the ground.

Even if a person by himself additionally closes the phase to the ground (described in the first chapter), then he will not even feel it. A current will probably pass through it, too, but negligibly small. The greatest will be in the grounding conductor, since its resistance is many times less than that of the human body. In addition, grounding can "save" a faulty electrical appliance from its complete failure, when it becomes completely unrepairable. In the event of a short circuit in it, a high current will flow to the case through the ground wire, which should trigger the protection device in the electrical panel -.

And in the shield we mount a zero bus purchased in electrical goods (or for grounding - they are the same) with suitable dimensions and method of attachment. Then we connect it with a wire stretched through the cable shaft (the cross section is not less than that of the phase conductors) in an insulating sheath with a ground loop. All electrical appliances installed in the bathroom are recommended to be connected directly directly to the electrical distribution board through your own separate or circuit breaker. The connection, of course, is made with a 3-core cable. We connect the third core in the shield to the bus, and at the electrical appliance - to the screw terminal with the earth icon or with the designation "PE".

If, nevertheless, electrical appliances are connected through a socket, then take them out of the bathroom.

When installed inside, they must be of the appropriate design for moisture protection and have a "shutter" that protects the contacts from splashing. In addition, sockets in this case should be mounted at a height of 30–50 cm from the floor and no closer than 50–70 cm from electrical appliances and water sources (edges of a bathtub, washbasin, shower cabin). Each electrical appliance must have its own separate socket (no tees) with a grounding contact. The power supply from it to the shield is also carried out with a 3-core cable. The third wire is connected to the grounding contact of the socket. From the electrical appliance to it, we also extend a 3-core cable with a plug having a third grounding contact.

Grounding bathtubs and other potentially unsafe devices and objects

Each device must have a separate conductor. Grounded devices must not be connected in series to the grounding bus of the shield. As a grounding conductor, copper with a cross section of at least 2.5 mm 2 should be taken if it is mechanically protected, and 4 mm 2 when there is no such protection. It is also allowed to use aluminum and steel conductors with a cross section of at least 16 mm 2 . It is advisable to use insulated wire. We clean it both ends, on which we then make a ring for fasteners. Let's start with the usual showers and bathtubs. They are equipped with a special mount - an eyelet. If necessary, we clean it at the place where the fasteners are installed (a suitable bolt with a nut and washers that will protect the wire loop and eyelet from being pressed through) from enamel, dirt or rust to bare metal.

Proper bathroom grounding

In old metal baths grounding is not provided. If their legs are an integral part of the entire product (not removable), then we drill a hole in one of them with a diameter of 4–6 mm for the corresponding bolt with a nut and washers. It is necessary to drill in such a place that the hole does not reduce the strength of the leg, and the fasteners and the ground wire do not spoil the appearance. Before fastening the conductor, the area around the hole on both sides must be cleaned to bare metal.

It is impossible to ground the removable legs, since the contact between them and the metal bath itself deteriorates significantly over time, or even completely disappears due to oxidation and even rusting of their adjacent surfaces from high humidity, as well as deformation caused by frequent temperature changes. But if the racks are bolted to the bathroom body, then you can connect the ground to one of them. When there is no such fastening of the legs, proceed as follows.

AT steel bath we make a through hole at the side on the side facing the wall. In the cast iron on its outer side, we drill a blind hole with a diameter of 5 mm in the place where maximum thickness metal. Better near the edge. Then we cut the thread for a bolt with a diameter of 6 mm (with a washer). The main thing is not to get a through hole instead of a deaf one and not get damaged enamel coating inside the bathroom. But the depth of the hole should also be sufficient - 5–6 mm, in order to establish grounding reliably and with good contact. A tap for threading will need to grind off the pointed nose. This will allow you to cut deeper.

What if the bathtub is acrylic? Made by extrusion way goes with metal frame stand. If it does not have a special ear for grounding, then we drill a hole. If the acrylic bathtub is cast, then it usually should have a special jumper. When it is not there, we act as with a metal bath - we drill a hole. grounding acrylic plumbing fixture it will also protect against static electricity that accumulates on it when there is relatively little humidity in the bathroom.

In addition to the plumbing and electrical appliances, we also recommend making grounding for all metal pipes. And also desirable for metal taps and mixers connected to plastic pipes.

This is necessary so as not to receive "hello" from a neighbor in the form of a current discharge. How this happens was mentioned at the beginning of the first chapter. To do this, you can use steel clamps with holes. All ground connections must be covered bituminous mastic not to rust. All conductors should be brought into a potential equalization box (PEC) installed in an inconspicuous place in the bathroom. This is a common plastic junction box with 1 common bus. And already from it we pull 1 insulated wire of the same section to the grounding bus of the shield.