Simple Wiring

[chiangrai]

hi,

i'm doing some very simple wiring in the house.

changing sockets(power points) and moving light switches.

so first i took apart what was there already.

thet wire was not like anything i've seen before,it was solid,

like a thin copper rod not like the woven fibers i've seen in europe.

do you know what i mean.so now i need to buy,

1-some more of it,

2-some conectors,

3-new sockets and switches thet will go with it.

i thought i might post here to save me some confusion in the hardware store.

thanks in advance

[chiangrai]

i forgot to mention that one wire is black and one is grey.

the black seems to be live,

so,any body know can i buy the above or can i use normal wire and fitting

with this stuf,

[Pib]

That was solid core wire which is pretty standard for household wiring. Usually the stranded wiring like you found is used in environment where the wire will be/could be bent/moved frequently....like an extension cord...the wiring used in power cords for household appliances, etc. You can get solid or stranded core wire, switches, connectors at any hardware store like HomePro.

And regarding the color of the wires, you might see anything in Thailand since they seem to follow various standards...or follow no standards at all. In the U.S., black is the hot/live wire, white/greyish is the neutral wire, and green the Earth/Safety wire. But as mentioned, this is Thailand and you just might see anything.

Edited October 27, 2012 by Pib

[Meisgq]

What are you doing wiring your house if you've never seen solid copper core cable?

[Sydneycraig]

Um what are you doing wiring your house if you are not an electrician?!

[stoneyboy]

This is the do it yourself,not the do yourself in thread is it not.

Best leave the wires to one of the many local Thai sparkys.

[Crossy]

As with others, I am concerned that you appear to have little or no knowledge of building wiring.

It's not rocket science, but it's also not something you should be contemplating DIYing with zero knowledge. Have a look here http://www.diynot.com/pages/el/ for DIY tips. IMPORTANT, that is a UK centric site, Thailand does not use ring finals so ignore all reference to such and only use the information for radials. This site may also be useful http://www.crossy.co.uk/wiring/

Be particularly careful that you get the correct size and type of cable for the circuits you are working on. If you have single core wires they MUST be run in trunking or conduit, the cable with several cores and an overall PVC sheath can be run unprotected but be wary of the local wildlife which can take a fancy to the insulation.

Do please come back with further questions, we don't want to read about you getting zapped.

[chiangrai]

don't worry guys,

i'm just changing an electric socket that takes 3 plugs to one that takes more.

then there is a light swich that i want to move,so i'm going to put a conector on it,

a lenght of wire and screw it back on the wall.

i want to learn this because every room i have ever rented in thailand doesn't have enough

sockets and the light swiches are not near the bed.

but thanks for all your concern and advice.

[wayned]

If you are going to cahnge the 3 plug socket to one that has more, you better check that the breaker (fuse) and wire size running to the existing socket is capable of handling the additional current that you will be drawing by installing and using a 15 socket fixture in its place. Instant flame out!

[electau]

My advice from your post is to get the job done by a local electrician, the owner may arrange for it for you.

[lopburi3]

Actually believe if this is a person from a 120 volt country they may not have ever seen single conductor wire being used on outlets as most home wiring is multi conductor due to the requirement for twice the size making single conductor too stiff.

[chiangrai]

what is there already is a 3 plug socket with an extension lead and another 3 plugs pluged into that.

all i'm doing is changing the 3 plug socket for a 6 plug socket.

i will be running the same amount of plugs.

i really aprechiate everybodys concern and advice though.if there is confusion this time i will take your

advice and get an elactrician.

[electau]

One thinks that you are referring to multi outlet power boards with long lead for each room, run from an existing outlet.