Thai wiring.

[chiangrai]

I had  a house built last year but ran out of money before it was finished so

when the electrician was here I just got him to put in 3 wall sockets/outlets.

 

He brought the electricity into the house and the meter and fuse box(don't know the

American English for fuse box) look fine.Then he took a single wire coming out of the

fuse box and it all looks fine until that wire becomes 3.He didn't use a junction box or

anything,he just joined the 4 wires together with insulation/electrical tape.

So there is a big ball of wires and insulation tape which looks totally unprofessional to say

the least.

 

Is this safe.Does it just look ugly but is actually safe and sound and should I just let well

enough be or should I try to put something better in it's place.

 

Then when he put in the wall sockets he put in 3 tiny Thai sockets which can take 3 of the tiny flat

2 pin Thai plugs.I want to change these to something decent.I have an extension lead which I bought

and I'm wondering if I can use the socket/outlet on it for a wall socket.

It's the best socket I've seen in Thailand.Three universal sockets in it all with lights and all good quality,

They hold the plugs really well.

Can I do that,can I connect the extension lead which is also a surge protector to the wall and to the existing

wire.

 

As you can tell I'm not an electrician and I know that the first thing you will say is get an electrician.

I live in the mountains and it's really difficult to find a good one.There are electricians but they are cowboys.

I actually think the safest thing to do would be for me to do the job with the help of this forum.

 

 

[bankruatsteve]

Ouch.  Yes, the split should have been in a box.  But yes, it's probably safe.  Thai's do twist and tape to make a solid connection - which is the main thing.  It sounds like you don't have ground to your receptacles so if your extension has 3-pin receptacles beware that will not have ground either.  If your extension can plug in, just do that.

 

Of course the best and proper thing to do is put up the money to get things done right.  You should at least put an RCBO in the fuse box to give you fault protection. 

[Artisi]

Sounds like a typical rough as guts everyday dodgy Thai installation. It will probably work but wouldn't allowed to stay for 1 minute in my home. 

For a couple hundred extra Baht, it could have been a proper job. 

[chiangrai]

In the twisted ball there are 3 colors of wire,green and yellow striped,grey and black.

What do these colors mean.

If I was to plug in the extension it would use one of the spaces in the all ready overloaded

3 flat pin Thai socket.

I want to take away the Thai socket and replace it with my extension socket but I ddin't know how to connect them.The original wire is flat shaped and the lead for the extension is round but I think they both have 3 wires.

Should I try to connect the lead with the original wire or connect the existing wire to the socket

itself.

 

I have a few junction boxes and wire connectors lying around.

[Crossy]

42 minutes ago, chiangrai said:

What do these colors mean.

If you have to ask, you should not be doing, for your and your families sake. It's not as if the colours make any odds here, could be anything.

 

Do not "try" anything, certainly don't be connecting an extension directly to the house wiring.

 

Let's have some photos of your distribution board with the lid off (care please) and the existing wiring.

 

Let's see what you have then we can point you in the right direction to make it safe.

 

Do you still have a construction supply (8 Baht per unit)?

 

Moving to the Electrical forum.

 

[grollies]

I had our 'professional' electrician wire-in a hot water heater on the garage wall for the outside kitchen. This is where he put the earth.(nb, the chain is to secure the gas bottle to the wall). Also note the wire colour, as crossy says, all our other earth wiring is 2.5 green.

 

 

[Crossy]

3 minutes ago, grollies said:

nb, the chain is to secure the gas bottle to the wall

I don't want to worry you Grollies, but someone's pinched it.

 

[chiangrai]

In Europe green and yellow striped is earth so I presume it's the same in Thailand

but we don't have grey and black so I was wondering if anybody knows what the Thai colors represent

Yes,connecting the extension to the original wire is a bad idea because have different wire types.

The original wire has one wire that is hard core and the extension doesn't.

 

Sorry I can't send photos,never learnt that one.

 

Me Missus uses extension leads like crazy.She has them going every where.Extension leads

pluged into extension leads.

Inthe west we frown on thatbdon't we.For what reason exactly...........fires

[JAG]

Just now, chiangrai said:

Sorry I can't send photos,never learnt that one.

If your wife is Thai she almost certainly can send photos!

 

Really mate, take up the offer - you won't get better advice for free!

[Crossy]

4 minutes ago, chiangrai said:

In Europe green and yellow striped is earth so I presume it's the same in Thailand

In Thailand it is extremely unwise to presume anything, particularly when it comes to wiring.

 

Far too many people die from ignorance (no, not aids [UK link methinks]).

[grollies]

4 minutes ago, chiangrai said:

In Europe green and yellow striped is earth so I presume it's the same in Thailand

Never, never, ever presume anything electrical here. For instance, it's not unheard of here to have the neutral switched instead of the live.

 

And crossy, it was probably the electrician that nicked it.

[grollies]

1 minute ago, Crossy said:

In Thailand it is extremely unwise to presume anything, particularly when it comes to wiring.

 

Far too many people die from ignorance (no, not aids [UK link methinks]).

Beat me to it

[welsh wizard]

Start saving, or buy a big fire extinguisher as a good Thai electrician are few and far between. We replaced my son's 4way 3phase distribution board with a 12 way and 3 4 way boards around the house. How big is the house and what do you have electric wise.

Sent from my CUBOT DINOSAUR using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Crossy]

By the way, the common Thai colours are the same as the US NEC;-

 

Black - Live

White/grey - Neutral

Green - Earth

 

The normalised colours of:-

 

Brown - Live

Blue - Neutral

Green/Yellow - Earth

 

Are (theoretically) being implemented.

 

My long extension lead (made with the flex that a certain large DIY place had in stock) is Black - Live, White - Neutral (doing ok thus far), Red - Earth (oh well, 2 out of 3 'aint bad).

 

Cue a song.

 

 

 

[Kwasaki]

4 hours ago, chiangrai said:

As you can tell I'm not an electrician and I know that the first thing you will say is get an electrician.

Well it's not rocket science but if you know nothing leave it alone.

I use these in a plastic box thingy really technical.

[chiangrai]

I have some of those(above wire connectors) and a junction box but how do I

join 4 wires together.

Do I need different connectors than above.

[Artisi]

15 minutes ago, chiangrai said:

I have some of those(above wire connectors) and a junction box but how do I

join 4 wires together.

Do I need different connectors than above.

I think it would be very wise to heed Crossy's advice, if you are asking these very basic questions you are completely out of your depth.

Dead is dead and it's permanent. 

[chiangrai]

O.k I get the message.

 

But what I want to do is is put one junction box on an existing wire and taking

one wire off of it and put a socket/outlet on it.

Junction box--wire--wall socket.

 

So it will be 3 wires that I have to join together not 4.I have wire nuts and the above wire connectors.

Which is best or should I buy some other product online.

 

[grollies]

1 hour ago, chiangrai said:

O.k I get the message.

 

But what I want to do is is put one junction box on an existing wire and taking

one wire off of it and put a socket/outlet on it.

Junction box--wire--wall socket.

 

So it will be 3 wires that I have to join together not 4.I have wire nuts and the above wire connectors.

Which is best or should I buy some other product online.

 

heed the advice above, you obviously haven't got a clue.

[grollies]

I did get 240v thru my temple (no, not Wat) once. Some prick wiring an office cabin left the aircon wires hanging and then powered up the unit....just as I was putting panels up and brushed the wiring with my head.....never did me any harm 555555.

[Crossy]

@chiangrai I really, really (really) recommend you get a half competent sparks in.

 

With no photos, no test gear and no (even basic) knowledge you really are putting yourself and others at serious risk of death.

 

Ask around your locale, someone must know a man who knows (roughly) what he's doing.

[mogandave]

I did get 240v thru my temple (no, not Wat) once. Some prick wiring an office cabin left the aircon wires hanging and then powered up the unit....just as I was putting panels up and brushed the wiring with my head.....never did me any harm 555555.

The great thing about dead brain cells is that you never miss them....

[grollies]

2 minutes ago, mogandave said:

 

The great thing about dead brain cells is that you never miss them....

 

Trying to kill off a few more daily with Leo

[Artisi]

1 minute ago, grollies said:

Trying to kill off a few more daily with Leo

If that's what you drink, there's a fair chance that is /has happened ?

[grollies]

16 minutes ago, Artisi said:

If that's what you drink, there's a fair chance that is /has happened ?

Yeah, I know, I was thinking of changing to lao kow.

[mogandave]

I drink two two kinds of booze, imported and domestic.

[sometimewoodworker]

On 5/15/2018 at 5:24 PM, chiangrai said:

O.k I get the message.

It seems very clear that you don't.

 

there are 3 possible wires (excluding 3 phase)

1)line/live/hot

2)neutral 

3)earth

 

in Thailand the possible wiring colours are

1) red, black, blue, yellow, brown, pink, white, grey, green, green/yellow.

2) red, black, blue, yellow, brown, pink, white, grey, green, green/yellow.

3) red, black, blue, yellow, brown, pink, white, grey, green, green/yellow, plain copper.

 

As you don't know how to check which colour is line, neutral or earth it is not a good idea to make a terminal deadly mistake.

[mogandave]

Could also have (I think) 415V with two hots and a ground. All our resistance welders are wired like this.

[Crossy]

10 hours ago, mogandave said:

Could also have (I think) 415V with two hots and a ground. All our resistance welders are wired like this.

It's 380V phase-phase with a 220V phase-neutral, 415V would be the "old" UK standard with 240V phase-neutral.