Electric

[mack01]

Im in the process of building a house and would like to know who supplies the Electric Meter. GF is saying I have to buy but not sure where to buy. I want a 15(45) Amp and I need cables to run to the consumer unit. Are these owner bought?

Can anyone tell me where I buy the meter and cables and also the spec of the cable I require, I can't check with the rest of the village because there all on 5(15) Amps and I dont trust the shops advice.

[electau]

Metering is the responsibility of the PEA/MEA. You do not buy the meter. you pay a connection fee to the PEA/MEA. 15/45 for the average residential installation, 5/15 for small installations.

You will need to calculate your max demand in amps.

The consumers mains size can then be calculated from the metering point to your main switchboard.

　

Edited March 18, 2012 by electau

[Crossy]

Electau is spot on, meter remains the property of MEA/PEA and a connection charge is levied.

Wiring from the meter to your house is your responsibility.

[mack01]

I have the a typical Square D box with a 63 Amp Main Breaker in my CU should I be running 10mm2 cable to the meter and can anyone give me a complete spec on the cable available in Thailand.

[Crossy]

How far is the CU from the meter? 10mm is the absolute smallest you should be running, 16mm would be better (but depends on distance).

Are you running overhead, underground or a combination? THW is typically used for overhead supplies http://www.bangkokcable.com/catalog/BCC_CATALOG/THWEN.HTML mounted on insulators.

[prefabs]

I have the a typical Square D box with a 63 Amp Main Breaker in my CU should I be running 10mm2 cable to the meter and can anyone give me a complete spec on the cable available in Thailand.

These figures are about 6 weeks old, but should give you an idea. We changed from a 5/15 to a 15/45 meter, so you an treat this as you would for a new installation.

Survey/check, installation of meter, removal of old meter 4500 baht from PEA Kamphaeng Phet. (3 trips at 120km/round trip)

2 new 25mm sq. lines from meter to house (Aluminium) 11baht per metre, installation depending on distance, I suppose.

Copper would be 16mm sq, but nearest was in Nakhon Sawan at 5900 baht for 100metres. 25mm Aluminium was suggested by the installer(2 PEA guys working on the side)

Safe T Cut 63A 3600 baht installed by same guys who did a nice job

Forget what I paid them but they also came twice.

[mack01]

I will be installing overhead, about a 30m run.

[Crossy]

I will be installing overhead, about a 30m run.

16mm² copper or 25mm² aluminium is the stuff for you. Your local sparks should be able to source cable and the necessary accessories.

[prefabs]

I will be installing overhead, about a 30m run.

Once again, cable is cheap. The guys who were doing the installation advised me to buy aluminium 25mm, 100 metres was 1100 baht. They didn't have any bigger than 10mm copper in the shop where I was advised to buy it. Saw 16mm later in Nakhon Sawan Global House for 5900 per 100m.

[DisainaM]

16mm² copper or 25mm² aluminium is the stuff for you. Your local sparks should be able to source cable and the necessary accessories.

hello Crossy,

I have a problem, my overhead cable (4 lines, 3 phase, 100 m) had been stolen, when I was out, a couple of days.

When the house was build, the builder placed 16 mm2 copper, there was only the water heater, the electric cooker, water pressure and pump, as the main electric consumer.

Now, a few years later, there are the 4 aircons, the tv and some stuff, as additional consumer.

When planning to replace the stolen cabel, I thought about NYY 4x35 mm2 underground, based on concrete around the house, it would be 120 m.

Does it make sense, to connect them to the 16mm2 cabel, under the roof, that is going to the CU / main breaker, or does it bring a fire risk under the roof ?

Do you think, its a good idea, not to take the expensive NYY 4x35 mm2 underground cabel, but to take a normal 4x35 mm2 cabel, that is placed into a massive garden hose, befor bringing it into the pvc pipe ?

Edited April 15, 2012 by DisainaM

[Crossy]

What size 3-phase meter do you have? It is this that will determine the maximum load and with that the cable size you need whether it is overhead or underground.

Either way, I would not use a normal PVC insulated cable underground, you will get water in the enclosure no matter how hard you try to keep it out and PVC is only water resistant not waterproof. NYY is the stuff for underground.

Assuming you have a meter smaller than a 15/45 then there's no problem splicing properly to the existing 16mm, how much extra NYY would it need to bring it all the way to the CU?

[DisainaM]

Assuming you have a meter smaller than a 15/45 then there's no problem splicing properly to the existing 16mm, how much extra NYY would it need to bring it all the way to the CU?

I think, it is a 15/45 meter, but I have to check.

The distance between the old overhead connection point at the house and the CU is about 8 m,

but the main problem is, it wouldn`t be easy, to exchange the cable, it could be necessary, to open the wall inside of the house,

to bring the cable to the main breaker.

Edited April 15, 2012 by DisainaM

[Crossy]

Assuming it is a 15/45 then you can use 120m of 4 core 25mm² NYY with no issues whatever.

I do wonder why it was determined that you needed 3-phase. Our new construction has a far larger load than you've detailed and we should be fine on a single phase 15/45.

[DisainaM]

Assuming it is a 15/45 then you can use 120m of 4 core 25mm² NYY with no issues whatever.

I do wonder why it was determined that you needed 3-phase. Our new construction has a far larger load than you've detailed and we should be fine on a single phase 15/45.

Now, I know, it is a 15/45, while the cabel, connected to the meter, is a 16 mm.

So, it wouldn't make sense, to have anything else, than 16 mm to the house, right ?

Today, I checked a global house Rayong, but they only had a NYY 2 x 16 mm on 100 meter, for about 17.000 Baht.

[electau]

16sqmm copper minimum for a run of 30 metres and a max demand of 63A, voltage drop 3% from metering point to the main switchboard.

With a max demand of 45A one could use 10sqmm copper for 3% voltage drop.

This is for a single phase connection.

For a 3 phase and neutral supply the minimum size for a max demand of 45A or 63A per phase will be 10sqmm and 16sqmm copper.

Cables run underground should be installed in conduit or an equivalant enclosure and be thermoplastic insulated and sheathed (PVC/PVC).

If you use Aluminium conductor you will have to increase the size from 16sqmm to 25sqmm for the same ratings

Edited May 13, 2012 by electau

[DisainaM]

16sqmm copper minimum for a run of 30 metres and a max demand of 63A, voltage drop 3% from metering point to the main switchboard. With a max demand of 45A one could use 10sqmm copper for 3% voltage drop. This is for a single phase connection. For a 3 phase and neutral supply the minimum size for a max demand of 45A or 63A per phase will be 10sqmm and 16sqmm copper. Cables run underground should be installed in conduit or an equivalant enclosure and be thermoplastic insulated and sheathed (PVC/PVC). If you use Aluminium conductor you will have to increase the size from 16sqmm to 25sqmm for the same ratings

as I could see, the Gun Fai Fa is using 16 mm2 Aluminium,

One problem, aluminium cabel is not so expensive, but there ist no special underground aluminium cabel with the name NYY.

Using 4 x singel aluminium cabel for underground could be a sollution, but as far as I know, aluminium is getting pretty hot, and if the cabels are very close together, there could be a problem.

So the standart copper cabel 4 x singel cabel in 16 mm2 (100 m roll) is costing about 3.200 Bt,

ok, nobody would check, if 4 singel cabels would come out of the underground, and would be connected with the meter,

don`t know, anybody did this,

but 100 m with 4 singel 16 mm2 copper is 12.800 Bt ./. 100 m NYYY 16 mm2 is 31.000 Bt,

( 100 m with 4 singel 19 mm2 aluminium is about 4.600 Bt)

as far, as I know.

So, taking a NYYY cabel is pretty much of a deal,

if thiefs are cutting again the new cabel at the meter,

connecting it to their pick up,

and doing a rip off.

[electau]

The code NYY is an American cable code which is equivalant to the IEC/AS PVC/PVC cable Thai Standards voltage rating 750VAC temp 70C.

Edited May 17, 2012 by electau

[Crossy]

At least BKK cable seems consistent with their coding http://www.bangkokca...LOG/NYY2EN.HTML it's Cu not Al mind.

I believe that PEA does not permit Al cable underground which could explain the distinct lack of UG qualified Al cable in Thailand.

[mack01]

As an update the Local PEA said I had to instal 25mm Alu cable as it was better than 16mm copper. I insisted it was the same and said I wanted to install copper, there reply was that it had to be 25mm Alu or they would not connect me. So I did what the said and save money as it was cheaper anyway.

Just goes to show, it doesnt matter whats correct you have to do what the Local PEA tells you.

Also when the guys came to connect me they trie to tell me the 25mm was too small, that I had to use PVC coduate in the roof space and I had to pay them extra to connet up my consumer unit, which I had already done. I won this one after I said that I had already confirmed all this with ther boss.

[Crossy]

Conduit on the tails in the roof space section would be smart, you have no service fuse to protect the cables (and your home from the subsequent fire) in the event of a rodent induced short.

PEAs own guidance book says 10mm² for a 5/15, 16mm² for a 15/45 (which is what we have, PEA supplied the cable and poles) and 35mm² for a 30/100 (all copper).