Temporary wires on our land

[advancebooking]

Last year we purchased land. A few months ago builders started doing the prison walls and a carport for us. They needed power and the builder

arranged a white wire (small copper wire) which he hooked up to the neighbours supply and ran the white wire on

top of wooden poles. A week or so after that we applied for our own digital meter in my wifes name. 

 

A welding guy turned up and plugged in his extension cord into the plug on my land. It didnt have the 2 fork prong thing. His cord

only had the wires so he stuck that into the white power plug under my little wooden house.  Then the neighbor came running out

of his house. He heard a cracking sound and the plug ceased to work. 

 

Then the sparkie came out and did something there at the digital meters. Suddenly there was huge smoke and we were all a bit 

scared. Later he said there was a nail or something causing that problem but unsure actually

 

So the power is restored using the same white (small copper) wire and no issues since

 

The neighbour is sending us messages as he is worried about a fire catching on his house which is right next to the pole where the 2 digital meters

are. He wants us to upgrade the system 'to PEA standards'. The same sparkie told me today he can change it all to a black wire and

its aluminium NOT copper. He said the black copper wire is very expensive and maybe someone can steel it. 

 

Is the black aluminium wire safe and is it up to PEA standards???  He has quoted me 40k which includes numerous concrete posts. He said the 

wooden ones are no good when theres big storms etc. 

 

When we finally get a house build does it mean that PEA will install new poles and new wires anyway?

thanks

<post edit: I have zero electrical knowledge but suppose this is evident by my lack of literacy on this issue>

 

 

 

 

[simon43]

Lol, maybe your welding guy is the same idiot (my Thai BIL) who did exactly the same thing with his arc-welder 🙂

 

That's all that is left of the PEA temporary builder's supply plastic box and switch - the whole lot caught fire...

 

https://<URL Automatically Removed>.com/construction-in-thailand/96835-building-mini-resort-phuket-country-resort-2.html

 

Those temporary building supplies are not intended to supply the high current required by an arc-welder! 

 

Your current white wire uses copper!  It makes no difference if you change the colour of the outside plastic insulation.

 

The only thing you need to do is to 'shout' at your welding guy and tell him that the temporary electricity supply cannot supply enough current for his arc-welder.

 

[Crossy]

@advancebooking

Get your own temporary meter from PEA ASAP.

 

PEA only install the meter, anything between the meter and the house is your problem, so get your pole-man to put the poles where you intend running the cables to the house. He may as well install the proper sized cables (check the PEA requirements) for your permanent meter at the same time.

 

Aluminium cable is much cheaper than copper and less likely to wander off in the night, but you must use one size larger than the copper would be. Aluminium also needs special care at terminations to avoid poor connections leading to fizzing and conflagration.

 

Have you done any sort of prospective load calculation to determine how large a supply you need?

 

OK that's a rhetorical question - Alternative question, how big is the planned house? Pool? Cooking appliances (electric or gas)? Water heaters? Man-cave with big power tools? Potential for an EV?

[advancebooking]

On 3/23/2024 at 6:36 AM, Crossy said:

Aluminium also needs special care at terminations to avoid poor connections leading to fizzing and conflagration.

Hi. Thanks for your reply. I want to tell the technician about this but he doesnt speak English. If I try to translate this in google it will not work. I wanted to know if you or your partner could write thai script so that I can instruct him to be mindful of this. 

 

Also, my post above might not be clear but we already have the digital meter. Still unsure what caused that smoke issue that scared the neighbors but the sparkie tells me that it was a nail or something. 

 

On 3/23/2024 at 6:36 AM, Crossy said:

OK that's a rhetorical question - Alternative question, how big is the planned house? Pool? Cooking appliances (electric or gas)? Water heaters? Man-cave with big power tools? Potential for an EV?

Its only a small carport with room and ensuite bathroom. Spotlight out the front, 4 round lights. EV charger. Wires for automatic gate motor. 

 

Inside the room power plugs everywhere for appliances and tv. Air con plug in the wall. Breaker for shower outside the door. Safety cut unit in the room with 8 breakers. In the bathroom hot water system and a plug on the wall for a fan. 

 

What size aluminium wire on the concrete poles would you suggest?

thanks

[Crossy]

That you have an EVSE (EV charger) means you will need a 30/100 supply (the installers insist). The digital meter is already suitable.

 

You're probably going to need 35 or 50mm² aluminium cable, but do verify with your contractor and PEA as the rules vary by location.

 

How far would the cable run be from the meter to the house, you say it needs "numerous" poles? Need to verify volt-drop.

 

For your connections, I would tell your sparks to attach a length of 25mm² copper cable to the end of the aluminium and keep the joint outside the house, properly taped up with self-amalgamating tape it will be weatherproof.

 

Use a bi-metal splice of appropriate sizes, something like this: -

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/bimetal-al25cu16-sqmm-i5052044639-s21361692389.html