anatta

Here is the installation guide for domestic electrical systems that I was given by my local electricity company.  It’s (naturally) in Thai, but the tables and graphics are fairly self-explanatory.  I found it helpful to ‘look at together’ with our electrician, who would otherwise have continued to doubt the need for things like heavier cabling to the kitchen outlets and proper ‘crown’ cable joins.

The contents are broadly as follows:

pages
1-5 Connecting to the supply; overview of system; consumer unit; ground rod
6 -12  Cable types and diameters
13- 20  Laying and connecting cables
21-30  The grounding system
31- 38  Circuit breakers and switches
39-43  Welding and splicing techniques

 Thai installation guide front matter.pdf   1.13MB   26 downloads
 Thai installation guide pages 1-3.pdf   1.49MB   23 downloads
 Thai installation guide pages 4-7.pdf   1.71MB   18 downloads
 Thai installation guide pages 8-12.pdf   1.88MB   27 downloads
 Thai installation guide pages 13-16.pdf   1.71MB   15 downloads
 Thai installation guide pages 17-20.pdf   1.6MB   11 downloads
 Thai installation guide pages 21-23.pdf   1.31MB   19 downloads
 Thai installation guide pages 24-26.pdf   1.14MB   16 downloads
 Thai installation guide pages 27-30.pdf   1.67MB   14 downloads
 Thai installation guide pages 31-33.pdf   1.22MB   12 downloads
 Thai installation guide pages 34-36.pdf   1.18MB   11 downloads
 Thai installation guide pages 37-39.pdf   1.22MB   17 downloads
 Thai installation guide pages 40-43.pdf   1.39MB   16 downloads

I'm checking the electrics of our new house and have managed to carry out some of the tests prescribed on Crossy's excellent site, but with only very limited technical knowledge I need advice on two matters.

1. The two main supply wires are spliced (bound with bulging tape) inside the consumer unit some 15 cm before reaching the main CB/ELCB.  I haven't yet had a chance to ask the electrician if this is because he originally cut them too short, but that is my best guess.  Question: Is this dangerous and therefore unacceptable?

2. The house has 12 (double) socket outlets, but I notice only four earth wires (apart from the ground spike wire) joining the earth bar in the CU.  I've tried to measure the resistance from the earth bar to each of the socket outlet earth contacts, and get readings of 6 or 7 ohms for all of them - but my multimeter doesn't seem very reliable (and I may be misguided even to think it can be used for such a test!).  Question: Is a ratio of one earth wire to three (/six) socket outlets acceptable? (And if the 6-7 ohms is accurate, is it within acceptable limits?)

Thanks.

Has anyone experience of COGO (the building block kit that looks virtually identical to LEGO?  It seems rather less expensive.  Is the quality as good?

I want to replace the ground rod that the builder has located under the house in dry sandy soil (and may well be short and of poorly conductive metal).  I'm thinking of running the earth wire (10 sq. mm?) from the CU out of the house through the air to a nearby concrete pole, then down to a decent 2-metre copper sheathed rod in soil that never fully dries out.  The total length of the earth wire would then be about 20 metres: Would that be OK?

Please advise.

Our builder is soon to start on the concrete pillars for the house.  When I asked him about keeping the new concrete moist while it cures he said he will spray it with water every day (but I think he would be willing to accept other suggestions).  I've seen pillars wrapped in polythene sheeting: is this a better way of keeping them moist?  How long should they be kept moist at this time of year?

All advice gratefully received.