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  1. #26
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    29-05-2015 @ 12:49 PM
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    Quote Originally Posted by adzt1 View Post
    also once (if u use) your earth rod is in the ground there is no guarantee it will conduct enough , different soils, depths etc .
    must be tested itself, independent of the house wires !!
    Absolutely correct and the first answer that focus's on the real concern. The surrounding soil determines the effectiveness of the ground. You need a geohm to measure the soil resitivity otherwise just putting a rod in the ground doesn't account for the nature ofr the surrounding soil. 99% of earths installed by electricains are hit and miss.

  2. #27
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    In the UK a company earth was at one time normal, after several expensive damage claims from consumers this ceased to be the case. Now one just has a live and neutral. I have installed the same system in Thailand as I have in England, namely 10 amp thermal trips and an RCCB. Most Thai installations use an ELCB, this is useful for protection against electrical fires but does not protect you, that is the task of the RCCB. I don't bother with a substantial earth, as it is mainly used for handling static on various electronic devices.
    A lot of noise is made about earth testing and earth resistance but if you lack expensive test gear one can get a reasonable result using Ohm's law and the assumption that the local substation is earthed. Connect something like an electric kettle between the live and the earth rod, measure the current flowing, then the PD (voltage) across the kettle, subtract this voltage from the supply voltage and you have the voltage being applied to the earth rod. Divide this voltage by the current flowing through your kettle and you have your earth resistance.
    Now the experts will say this earth resistance should be less than 1 ohm, however in reality it only needs to be low enough to trip your thermal fuse (in my case 10 amps).
    So 10 amps at 220 volts means 22 ohms resistance will do the trick.

  3. #28
    Member EssEffBee's Avatar
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    17-08-2013 @ 11:01 AM
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    Using a qualified electrician is the obvious and correct decision. But the fly in the ointment is that decent electricians are hard to find in thailand...
    I can tell you that there is no such thing as a "qualified electrician" in Thailand. Let me qualify my statement.

    In Thailand, people can attend college & learn about "electrical stuff". They do not, in any way, learn about domestic electrical installations. They do not learn about "earthing systems". They only learn electrical theory pertaining to things that do not directly concern domestic electrical installations.

    How do I know this?
    I worked at a well known government technical college for about 5 years. I am also an Electrician.

    In Thailand, the most predominant "earthing system" is the IT system. It is extremely safe IF "Insulation Monitoring Devices" are used. If these things are not used, the system can be quite dangerous.

    The other earthing system used in Thailand is the M.E.N. system. Some people purport that the TT system is in use. I have never seen the TT system used in Thailand.

    At the end of the day, earthing your electrical system in Thailand will not assure your safety. If you want to be safe, make sure that each & every circuit is protected by an Earth Leakage Protection device.
    Idiots! I'm surrounded by idiots!

  4. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by EssEffBee
    I can tell you that there is no such thing as a "qualified electrician" in Thailand. Let me qualify my statement.
    I would suggest there are quite a few, but only amongst retired or working farangs, you it would seem are the working variety, I'm the retired version
    One problem I find is the local guys never seem to know if they are using British or American terminology and standards. The last time I met BTUs I was an 18 year old apprentice

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