unheard

Speaking of the electrical contractor... There was another electrical problem that has surfaced during the A/C install. I've hired a local electrician to verify the A/C guy's claim - the problem been confirmed and relayed to the builder. But apparently he didn't bother to check the Earth/Ground resistance. To be fair I've only asked him to look into the known problem that's been reported by the A/C installer.

Here's the reason for my question (in the picture). The contractor has "forgotten" to install an Earth/Ground rod. He's covered the wire with dirt and called it a day. I have found about it by accident while digging around the area, looking for other stuff. I'm not sure if I'm still on the builder's meter. Assuming PEA comes in for an inspection and does a half-decent check. Would they even be capable of finding such a problem, if not for the accidental discovery of my own? I guess they could do that by checking the Earth/Ground resistance.

Is there such a thing in Thailand? Is it required by law to get done for every new construction prior to sign off? At least for the permitted builds. And if there is, is it applicable everywhere or maybe just urban?

Take it back. "the paint can keep surfaces 19 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than their ambient surroundings at night." https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2021/Q2/the-whitest-paint-is-here-and-its-the-coolest.-literally..html

Surely 3C above ambient?

Thanks for the link. Never heard of that battery tech before. It does sound like a very good value. Please keep us posted.

No one has commented on any special ventilation measure. Is it safe to assume then that batteries and other on the ground components are robust enough to reliably function at 40-50C ambient?

Yeah, but not really an option in this project due to the roof runoff management situation.

The idea behind insulated wall and roof panels is to prevent heat transmission. The South wall will be exposed to the Sun during all winter months and parts of the fall and spring. The West side - all year around. Un-insulated, fully exposed to Sunlight metal will re-radiate tremendous amounts of thermal energy towards anything parked/placed in the immediate area.

I'm about to build a new carport, located in close proximity to the house (might be attached to the house by its roof). Consider installing solar on top of it at some time in the not so distant future. I don't know much about solar. May I get some basic advice based on the forum members' experiences on what can make the future solar install easier? Is there anything about carport designs that can make them solar friendly, other than their roof orientation? Does the roof structure need to be re-enforced to accommodate the panel weight? Are they real heavy? Anything about requirements for solar equipment placement? How much room does it take by itself? Does the equipment need to be cooled during the hot weather time? Ventilation requirements? etc., etc. The proposed carport will have two parking spaces. A single slope, metal roof will be facing West. I consider using PU insulated metal sheets, both for the roof and shed walls. It will have a shed/storage room and look similar to this. Thank you!

How about a metal roof on a fully wooden house. What would be the most likely end-effect of a direct-on-the-roof lightning strike in that situation?

Assuming you have concrete roof tiles... Would a metal roof make a difference in the same kind of a situation, on the same type of the house construction? Do the underground portions of rebar in concrete piles/footings have to be exposed in some way, instead of being fully encapsulated in concrete, in order to provide enough of electrical connection to drain off lightning current?

My understanding that it's not the structural steel work that creaks, but the roof sheets themselves rubbing against each other or against the structural steel underneath. The daily thermal steel expansion/contraction cycle produces some sheet movement. But it's not a guaranteed thing to get much creaking to start with - will lastly depend on the roof's geometry, overall construction quality, number of attachment points, length and number of sheets, their thickness, etc, etc. Besides with that amount of insulation you shouldn't really hear much at all. The initial morning/evening creaking sounds if initially present should become less frequent or even go away with time as the roof settles.

Proper builders normally operate out of sizeable cities. Farmer "builders" reside in the countryside. Proper builders will need to have an incentive to come out of their immediate area when asked to build a house in the middle of nowhere, especially if the builders' local market is busy enough to keep them working. The busier they become locally, the more expensive it gets to bring them out. But they will come as long as the price justifies their expense and inconvenience of working in a remote location. If you're in the sticks and unwilling to pay the "remoteness premium" then yeah, you got a problem.

@creative1000 "I’m pretty sure its letting a/c and purified air escape as we also leave the bathroom window permanently open." There's no much air movement through that opening when the rest of the house doors and windows are closed (assuming a fairly air tight house construction).

Agree. I don't know why it still needs to be explained on this forum. It's OK to employ local unqualified "builders" (in reality, farmers) to build a house. Many have done just that and saved truly significant amounts of money in the process. But somehow they still expect to have lasting quality afterwards. You get what you pay for. There's no need to bicker later on on how bad and incapable Thai tradesmen are. Farmers are not tradesmen.

If the column deletion change has been run by the engineers and approved then it's all good. Sorry, it wasn't clear from your post. I just wouldn't be so sure about validity of builder's own opinions on structural designs, regardless of how many houses he's built in the past. There is a clear reason for why they have structural engineers employed. That's their job to oversee those kinds of changes.

Does the location really matter for a quality build?

Yeah, builders must follow an approved design to a tee. No any deviations should be allowed unless specified by an architect or structural engineer.

Of course It's no big deal to the builder. But did you (he) consult the architect or structural engineer? Structural changes like that should not be left to the builder to decide, not without the architect's approval!

Don't see any markings on the wires

I'm thinking of trying the Liquid Nail adhesive. It sticks to everything while forming a water proof seal.

My contractor hasn't done a proper job during the install of the house underground electrical connection. The HDPE pipe has been cut in two sections. It's been installed at a very shallow depth, of just a few cms deep. A couple of questions. I plan to deepen the trench at its most vulnerable section in order to position a portion of the cable's length deeper underground. I have already dug the cable out and placed it on surface, right next to the trench. Would it be safe to move the cable back into the deepened trench while it's live? What would be the appropriate range depth of the trench? How can I seal the open HDPE joint to prevent moisture from entering the pipe? Will the electrical insulating tape work? Thanks!!!