New refrigerator earthing. I'm in disbelief

[wayned]

Most of the3 to 2 pin adapter plugs, cheater plugs", in the US are rubber and have a standoff when and external ground can be connected. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheater_plug

[mmh8]

I've not seen an official adaptor that goes that way, however I've modified a couple of 3-pin adaptors to bring out the earth to a pigtail so the trailing earth can be hooked to it.

I thought I saw it on one of your info. sites. Hmm, any chance of a photo please, I guess it is the reverse of what is shown above in the wiki link

[PaullyW]

Really very scary the whole idea that so many of us to sort of shooting into the dark with a topic so important and potential deadly such as electrics. Shows exactly how undeveloped Thailand is.

Be a great idea for a properly trained Farang or several to start a business to handle this type of installation for other non-Thais who actually care about their safety in this regard.

All the disparate posts with bits and pieces are not so useful when we're dealing with something important like this.

After reading through this thread, I have very little idea exactly what I'm supposed to do to confirm or deny if my family is at increased risk for electrocution. It is something very common in Thailand

[masuk]

I've recently had my own little mini-saga with a bench top oven.

I had the cooking temperature higher than usual, 220C. Next day I was bare feet as usual on the tiled floor, when I touched the oven and got well and truly zapped.

Turns out that the cable at the back of the stove was touching the metal outer, became rather hot and melted both the outer and the inner insulating material, exposing the live wire and touching the oven.

In any modern country, the current would have run to earth and blown the fuse or tripped the circuit breaker before the event. As it happened, when I was zapped, the Earth Leakage Unit immediately closed down.

I would say that it's unusual to have an ELD in most Thai homes, and I can be thankful this place has one.

For the newcomer, be warned. Nothing is earthed, and it's unlikely that the plug you get with your appliance will fit the power outlet in your kitchen. There are at least five types of plugs attached to electrical items on sale, and you might be lucky and get one that fits, but then, is the outlet earthed? Not b...y likely.

I wonder if there is such a thing as a building code for this country, and electrical standards for domestic housing.

[Forkinhades]

Yes there is a code, but TiT, and nobody adheres to it.

Thankfully your earth leakage device worked.

Have a look at the pinned thread it is a very good read.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/693630-how-to-make-your-thai-electrical-system-safe/

[masuk]

Thanks. just read the pinned article.

However, as we farangs cannot own a house, must we assume that the landlord has been conscientious, protecting the new farang or Thai family moving in, and the house is safe, including of course, one or two smoke detectors.?

I'm not holding my breath. The last house I rented in Maejo, had no earthing at all, so I paid for a sparky to come and install a few earthed 3-pin outlets in the kitchen. This guy was so neat and the cabling all professionally installed, but it was a one-off.

The next guy to do some wiring in the city was, in a nutshell, a total slob. He fitted 3 pin outlets, ran two core cable to them, and after he'd left, no earthing! These guys need to be watched!

[lopburi3]

Most of the3 to 2 pin adapter plugs, cheater plugs", in the US are rubber and have a standoff when and external ground can be connected. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheater_plug

Actually that external tab connected to the center screw of a normal two pin outlet cover - the metal box in US has been grounded for at least 60 years (I did as a child - first by metal conduit and later by dedicated wire) and the cover screw would then provide the ground path for electric allowing a three pin plug to be converted to two pins and the pigtail or tab which grounded at center cover screw.

[thomasteve]

I've recently had my own little mini-saga with a bench top oven.

I had the cooking temperature higher than usual, 220C. Next day I was bare feet as usual on the tiled floor, when I touched the oven and got well and truly zapped.

Turns out that the cable at the back of the stove was touching the metal outer, became rather hot and melted both the outer and the inner insulating material, exposing the live wire and touching the oven.

In any modern country, the current would have run to earth and blown the fuse or tripped the circuit breaker before the event. As it happened, when I was zapped, the Earth Leakage Unit immediately closed down.

I would say that it's unusual to have an ELD in most Thai homes, and I can be thankful this place has one.

For the newcomer, be warned. Nothing is earthed, and it's unlikely that the plug you get with your appliance will fit the power outlet in your kitchen. There are at least five types of plugs attached to electrical items on sale, and you might be lucky and get one that fits, but then, is the outlet earthed? Not b...y likely.

I wonder if there is such a thing as a building code for this country, and electrical standards for domestic housing.

The cable should be a heat-resistant type or the metal enclosure should not get that hot if it was a reputable brand of table oven manufactured to comply with international safety requirements.

Beware of similar low cost appliances where it can happen eg. rice-cookers, kettles, irons etc.

Edited March 16, 2014 by thomasteve

[topt]

Really very scary the whole idea that so many of us to sort of shooting into the dark with a topic so important and potential deadly such as electrics. Shows exactly how undeveloped Thailand is.

Be a great idea for a properly trained Farang or several to start a business to handle this type of installation for other non-Thais who actually care about their safety in this regard.

All the disparate posts with bits and pieces are not so useful when we're dealing with something important like this.

After reading through this thread, I have very little idea exactly what I'm supposed to do to confirm or deny if my family is at increased risk for electrocution. It is something very common in Thailand

I feel exactly the same and bet that there are many others in the same boat.

I like your idea but one problem would be knowing that the "properly trained" individual was actually properly trained......

I have read many threads talking about the importance of earthing and "earth rods". In a house how would you know if there was one and where it is?

[mmh8]

When I was looking around for a suitable RCD to install I noticed some devices had a thin green and yellow wire attached, presumably they were not proper RCD's but older ELCB's and to be avoided, especially if you don't have any earth connection fitted to connect up that green/yellow wire ?

Don't worry.

They will be real RCDs, some have an additional functional earth, it is supposed to improve detection reliability in the event of a N-E fault. They still work correctly with that G/Y tail unconnected.

Nobody is still making voltage operated ELCBs, they are too expensive and unreliable.

That's quite a statement for Thailand.

One of the few countries still promoting chrysotile asbestos as a 'safe' reinforcement building materials. thats right, those corrugated cement roofing tiles you see so popular here probably contain asbestos and when the builders last came and broke them they released the dust into your home. they are not worried since the Thai health office or whatever it is claimed there is no scientific evidence of its danger ( not that it would make a blind bit of difference to obtaining cheap bulding materials). I assume they refer to tests carried out in Thailand since the rest of the world ( maybe Philipines not) have found some correlation between lung cancers and asbestos.

are you sure about the noboby? if the economics of production are that bad then I guess not even here, but what about the spare parts left floating around the market? they must be used up somewhere

[masuk]

When I was looking around for a suitable RCD to install I noticed some devices had a thin green and yellow wire attached, presumably they were not proper RCD's but older ELCB's and to be avoided, especially if you don't have any earth connection fitted to connect up that green/yellow wire ?

Don't worry.

They will be real RCDs, some have an additional functional earth, it is supposed to improve detection reliability in the event of a N-E fault. They still work correctly with that G/Y tail unconnected.

Nobody is still making voltage operated ELCBs, they are too expensive and unreliable.

That's quite a statement for Thailand.

One of the few countries still promoting chrysotile asbestos as a 'safe' reinforcement building materials. thats right, those corrugated cement roofing tiles you see so popular here probably contain asbestos and when the builders last came and broke them they released the dust into your home. they are not worried since the Thai health office or whatever it is claimed there is no scientific evidence of its danger ( not that it would make a blind bit of difference to obtaining cheap bulding materials). I assume they refer to tests carried out in Thailand since the rest of the world ( maybe Philipines not) have found some correlation between lung cancers and asbestos.

are you sure about the noboby? if the economics of production are that bad then I guess not even here, but what about the spare parts left floating around the market? they must be used up somewhere

In Australia, if an old building is suspected of having ANY asbetos, the removal squad comes in dressed like astronauts, masks, respirators - the works.

The asbestos manufacturers of old, know asbestos caused lung cancer and have paid large amounts in compensation. Even family members got it from their husband's/father's clothing.

I understand that simliar roofing tiles and sheeting is manufactured nowadays with fibre glass.

It is TOTALLY proven that asbestos fibres cause mesothelioma (spelling?)

[mmh8]

indeed, not sure about proven, but very high correlation. you try telling that to health minister in thailand, where chyrostile asbestos is still promoted. That means any panels that you or I would usually -foollishly- assume is safe for use in the home, is not to be trusted. that is from the big companies too, not just uncle joe on the corner in his little supply store.

just google it, I think it was the end of last year last time I read about Thailands amazing statement about no scientific evdeidence

I had major problems during a house extension when I was telling inteligent people not to let that stuff get broken, I come back home and its in pieces , the excuse being we are not professionals doing this everyday. the buggers3

[masuk]

Same where I was in Java: A whole heap of it was broken up and used to fill pot holes in the gravel road in front of the house. Most males die there in their 50s due to the stuff they smoke, so I suppose stastically, asbestosos deaths dont' show up.

[kovaltech]

I recently purchased a new fridge and it came with a 2 prong plug but also had about 3 meters of ground wire in a drawer that was provided to earth the appliance. There was a grounding screw on the back of the appliance frame which I connected one end to and the other end got a hardwire connection to the green ground wire in the J-box for the fridge. All ground wires in my home run back to a ground bar on the breaker box and then on to a copper grounding rod buried 2m into the earth.

I was a little shocked myself that this very expensive 19.4cubic foot fridge did not simple come from the factory with a standard three prong plug. I get that not all outlets in Thailand are grounded, but I would have thought on a top model fridge they would assume that the house the fridge is being installed in has grounded outlets not the other way around.

Minor incovience to me to make it right but not a big deal and the parts to make it right were supplied just a bit of extra labor and thought to get it done.

The rules in Thailand are "slightly" different then on other places on the globe...

This system, as provided, is used very common in Thailand, since the majority of the purchasing clients are still living in "old system" houses. The future dough is looking bright ;-)

Still, they offer solutions to different situations, you'll always will be able to find the proper connection - cord - plugs that fit your needs.

But do not forget,... Thailand has TIS and his own adaptions...

[EmptyHead]

I just got a new fridge. It came with a 2 pin plug. It also cam with and earth wire for the chasis. The instructions state to connect the earth wore to a nearby metal pipe of bury it 250mm in the ground.

Of course, neither of these are options for us, so i will buy a 3 pin plug and incorparate the earth into that with the 2 other cores.

That should be ok, shouldn't it? And it doesn't matter which way round the 2 other cores go does it? (with regards to live a neutral, cos it was a 2 pin plug anyway)

Thanks

[Crossy]

Yes, that will be just fine, if the wires are colour coded put them on the correct terminals for correctness' sake, otherwise polarity doesn't matter.

Do ensure that your 3-pin outlets really are grounded, does your installation have an RCD (Safe-T-Cut)? If not one would be a wise investment.

[EmptyHead]

Yes, that will be just fine, if the wires are colour coded put them on the correct terminals for correctness' sake, otherwise polarity doesn't matter.

Do ensure that your 3-pin outlets really are grounded, does your installation have an RCD (Safe-T-Cut)? If not one would be a wise investment.

Thanks for the help! Our mainswitch has an RCD attached.

Here's a pic

[delgarcon]

things haven't changed. Just bought a samsung fridge, 2 pin + wire to connect to the fridge and bury|

Edited October 30, 2019 by delgarcon
old post

[Rimmer]

Topic is five years old

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