Proposed Home Wiring System

[necronx99]

I'm planning on building a getaway in Nakhon Sawon shortly and you guys are giving me nightmares about being fried the first time i take a shower.

Antone know a good contractor in the area?

[regedit]

Just curious - will you be putting your sockets on ring or radial circuits ?

[Crossy]

Just curious - will you be putting your sockets on ring or radial circuits ?

Radials. Rings are peculiarly British phenomenon so would cause confusion to local sparkies and have no advantages due to having unfused plugtops. The overcurrent protection for the plugtop is the radial breaker so anything over a 20A breaker is a potential fire issue, none of those 32A breakers on 2.5mm rings like we have back home.

[necronx99]

Crossy, I'm bringing a container to LOS from Australia, is there anything you reccomend I would need or should have done to the wiring of my build that cannot be sourced in Thailand and I should consider purchasing here instead?

As I will be bringing all AU appliances a bunch of indoor and outdoor AU domestic wall sockets is on my list.

Edited January 9, 2012 by necronx99

[Crossy]

Crossy, I'm bringing a container to LOS from Australia, is there anything you reccomend I would need or should have done to the wiring of my build that cannot be sourced in Thailand and I should consider purchasing here instead?

As I will be bringing all AU appliances a bunch of indoor and outdoor AU domestic wall sockets is on my list.

To be honest, you should be able to get 99% of what you need here, particularly if it's a small build. I couldn't find Henley blocks here so brought some from the UK but unless you have a large installation with multiple consumer units you won't be needing them.

If you're bringing Aussie outlets make sure you bring the back boxes too. If you intend using the (much) cheaper Aluminium cable for the run from the pole to your home bring some of the proper Cu/Al crimp terminals, it's something that seems difficult to source.

[necronx99]

Crossy, I'm bringing a container to LOS from Australia, is there anything you reccomend I would need or should have done to the wiring of my build that cannot be sourced in Thailand and I should consider purchasing here instead?

As I will be bringing all AU appliances a bunch of indoor and outdoor AU domestic wall sockets is on my list.

To be honest, you should be able to get 99% of what you need here, particularly if it's a small build. I couldn't find Henley blocks here so brought some from the UK but unless you have a large installation with multiple consumer units you won't be needing them.

If you're bringing Aussie outlets make sure you bring the back boxes too. If you intend using the (much) cheaper Aluminium cable for the run from the pole to your home bring some of the proper Cu/Al crimp terminals, it's something that seems difficult to source.

Thanks Crossy, it's a modest country house, so I guess the outlets will do me then. From the way you guys have been talking about the local work I was thinking I would have to get a sparky prefab a whole harness here and take it with me!

[Crossy]

Thanks Crossy, it's a modest country house, so I guess the outlets will do me then. From the way you guys have been talking about the local work I was thinking I would have to get a sparky prefab a whole harness here and take it with me!

Like I said, most of the kit is available, but (and it's sometimes a big but), getting the local sparks to actually use the right stuff can be a challenge.

I'm not going to let my sparks use wire-nuts (as I Brit I just don't like them) and have bought a lot of Wago connectors for use instead. I now have to introduce these simple push fit connectors gently to the sparks, should be interesting.

[Ackybang]

Hello Crossy, and everyone else - found this post very helpful. Presumably it's all in by now - what was your resolve, given people's input - was there much of a change to your original plan ? Found no updated diagram. I looked for some of your 'deliberate' mistakes, but don't want to make a fool of myself.

Have finished my electrical layout design - am at the stage of going to buy everything for fitting - probably by myself, predominantly.

Is your incomer just a manual, screw on the wall knife throw switch - or is there a better option available ?

Is there anyway of having a genset that kicks in automatically when needed, with automatic / magnetic switch gear - or is this impossible / too expensive to resolve ?

Could you tell me, did you stick with the 30 mA front end rcbo's on every box in the end - is that sufficient protection, or 'lethal', as one poster put it ? Could budgetary convenience actually work against practical convenience, turning everything off, when maybe only one thing is faulty - and does it make faulty appliance deduction more of a pain ? Is this inconvenience nominal, in real use ? If most appliances are new, presumably shouldn't have too many trips ? Would it be prudent for me to install separate 10 mA rcbos on any outside connections, aswell as feeds for bath pumps (that have a bespoke system fitted) / all bathroom circuits ? Should I put bathroom extractor fans, and main water pump on rcbos ?

I am going to split circuits over at least 2 cu's, my boxes will have surge / lightning protectors in them also, as I'm not running a ups system for delicate equipment, (- my leds will be on dimmable transformers, compatible with standard triac dimmers / ac voltage -), and we do get massive electrical storms here periodically - these take up 2 channel spaces each (square D - around 1,800 baht each).

In the end, were there any circuits (fridge, etc) that you didn't have on an rcbo, or is everything protected by them now - and did you just increase the amperage on the breaker for certain appliances, to avoid nuisance trips ?

Is it advisable to alternate lighting / socket circuits between boxes, in case one box trips ? Is it also okay to have many heavy appliances in one box (aircon / heaters / oven) - or would you split the loads evenly between boxes - after allowing for diversity / average usage ?

Regarding radial circuits - can I, and is it safe to use wago connectors, and run a drop down from a 3 wire overhead feed (that would terminate at the last box) for every double socket, on any particular radial circuit, rather than looping in and out of every socket, (using much more wire and having 6 wires in every conduit - all the diagrams I've seen do it this way - is there a reason for this ?) Also, could you please PM me the contact email for Wago connectors, as advised in your other post.

My lounge area is greater than 50 m2, and my sockets (all double) are greater than seven - should I split the sockets onto two circuits, or not bother ?

I'm going to wall mount flat tvs in 3 rooms for connection to independent gaming / entertainment systems - any idea where to source data connection plates for common pattress box sizes here ( R/W/Y + HDMI x 1-2 connection ) (possible speaker connection plates also) ? - had no joy in the merchants here, apart from normal tv coaxial outlets.

I'm running dedicated wiring for washing machine / dryer / oven / fridge in the kitchen - is one extra circuit for 4-5 double sockets, and one for cooker hood / built in microwave sufficient - or would you divide these sockets and appliances up evenly between the 2 circuits ?

Apparently, I should earth the stainless kitchen sink, and have sockets at least 2 meters away from it ? What's your take on sockets in a bathroom - much conflicting information on the net about this topic. Bathroom / kitchen light fittings - is proper IP rating an issue in reality, and are these fittings obtainable easily here ?

Lastly (yes, I know - sorry), is one earthing rod enough, or would you loop in another, in another corner of the house as a backup also ? (I've heard, if the ground dries out too much - the rods lose there effectiveness to ground properly - or is this an old wive's tale ?) - Or would you specifically earth any appliance on it's own rod ? (For instance - I have consistently received annoying low dose shocks over the Years, by washers / dryers - even when they're earthed through the plug). Would a 4mm earth core from the cu to ground, and 2mm on all circuits be enough for the whole house ?

Thanks a lot for any help / advice, mate - or anyone else that might lend a helping hand to answer one or two of so many questions.

[Crossy]

Hi Acky, big post, I'll try to answer all, forgive me if my ageing alcohol soaked brain misses something

Incomer is a regular 50A 2-pole MCB as required by PEA for a 15/45 meter.

No problem with an auto-start generator, contact forum sponsor Genset, there are a couple of threads too. Ours is now semi-automatic, manual start but stops the genset when the mains returns (all by my own fair hand).

We stuck with the 30mA RCDs for each box, with an unprotected 10A MCB for the fridge and freezer. No issues with nuisance trips, yet!

We have 100kA incoming lighting protection, with quality plug in arrestors as backup on sensitive kit.

Radials with droppers (Wago connectors) is exactly how we did it. I'll dig out the Wago chap's contact, when I'm in the office.

You're unlikely to get anywhere near 20A on a lounge circuit, I wouldn't bother with more than one circuit except for UPS outlets.

Good luck sourcing special faceplates, Haco supposedly do them but not seen in any suppliers outlets.

We have a circuit for washer and dryer, one for the fridge and freezer and two general purpose kitchen circuits, only the washer dryer circuit gets anywhere near loaded when the washer is heating and the dryer is drying.

Earthing (actually bonding) the sink would not be required in the UK unless it's got metallic pipework, in fact it could introduce a hazard, don't bother. We have outlets in the bathrooms over the sinks, protected by the 30mA RCDs, I may add 10mA RCD outlets on the bathroom used by visitors.

A single 1.8m earth rod should be sufficient, bond it to the building re-bar for extra (Ufer effect) grounding, all appliances should be earthed by the common point to avoid possible potential differences between an appliance and 'real' ground (you). Run at least 6mm² (10mm² is better) from the earth bar in your board to the rod (mainly for mechanical strength). A 1.5mm2 earth conductor is fine on all circuits up to 20A.

If you're getting tingles from 'grounded' equipment check the ground really is, well, ground.

[Ackybang]

Thanks for your reply, Crossy - much appreciated, and respect for taking it on single handedly, all the more remarkable if you were inebriated - or perhaps it helps to dull the pain of such posts ?

Did a bit of digging, if it might come in handy for anyone.

Haco : DESCRIPTION PART No.

Video socket module (rca) : W8201V0

Audio socket module (rca) : W8201A0

HDMI : W8201HDMI

All clip-ins,and compatible with their range of boxes / face plates.

Unlike most of there parts, which come in packs of 10/100 - these are orderable singularily, so shouldn't be a problem for a retailer - I will have a go next time I'm in the city.

I think I got confused about your incomer, as the rcbos I've seen are 63 amp incomers in there own right, apparently (square D) - so is this first stage necessary, and could I just use an standard throw switch as an isolator ?

Just to clarify, mate - would you be inclined to split the heavy appliances, and lighting / socket circuits evenly over two boxes, or doesn't it matter ?

When you used the wago connectors, is it necessary to tape them up also, as there'll be three together in close proximity, or is it not an issue ( I seem to remember from your post, that there is a test area at the back of them, so presumably exposed wire ends ) ?

Many thanks again, and good day to you, sir - you are a very charitable man.