RichCor Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 A thought, what's on the other side of the wall? Any possibility of running the cable the other side then straight through into the heater? It does indeed look to be grounded I'm with Crossy on this idea. What's on the opposite wall? If the opposite side wall is workable, then use that side to cut a channel in the wall and drill a pass-through to cable into the back of the water heater. You could even cover the newly-cut channel with a heavy metal strip before replastering or refinishing the wall after the work is completed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunPer Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 OP, It look like a fairly normal Thai job - all my water heaters are mounted with a panel to cover wires, as heaters comes in different size and shape, and with various positions for cable inlet - important is a proper earth connection (3 wires to heater) with a long ground-spear; and a safety switch that normally all water heaters have (ELD, ELF, ECLB or...), but best if also one included in the heater's circuit breaker. The close-up photos however seem like it's not a very nice looking work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayned Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 I guess that I would have to disagree with all of you. There is absolutely nothing wrong with using the wire channel with the snap on cover if finished correctly, which it wasn't. The reason that the sparky didn't put the channel flush with the ceiling and did it the way that he did it was most likely because of the above ceiling joists. You could get a plastic electric box with a solid cover to cover the hole and rework the installation to make it look better, but redoing the whole installation to put a channel in the wall is ridiculous. I have now lived in my house for 17 years which I built myself. I used the external channels for all of the electrical installation even though I had bought the conduit to bury in the wall. I think that it looks OK and it is functional. I've added and modified circuits without having to try to "fish" new wires through conduit in the wall, I painted it the match the wall and didn't rely on the double faced tape to hold it as I put screws and anchors about every 40cm. I've never had one fall off due to moisture. The wiring looks OK as long as the other end is properly terminated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyberfarang Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 Compared to my hot water heater shower control box the OP`s wiring looks like a perfect job. We just have an internal electrical wire and earth wire running from the ceiling, down the wall secured with those metal clips to the shower control box. The problem I see for the OP`s job is the gap between the ceiling and the plastic tube where the wires run down. Condensation from steam could enter the square plastic tube from the top and run down directly into the electrical parts of the shower control box. It should either be a conduit inside the wall or the square plastic tube should go above the ceiling not below it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacko45k Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 There is definitely something wrong, there is no shower head! Of course wiring should be behind the tiles, preferably, but that would require a lot more effort and some re-tiling work. As many have said the device should be earthed. Other than that, well I have certainly seen worse, and some flexible conduit at the top would have been an idea, and extending the conduit behind the heater. The other issue is that these adhesive conduits tend to come unstuck, particularly in the hot and humid environment of a bathroom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uptoyoumyfriend Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 when i had my new house wired in chiang mai,the electric company had to sign of on it to connect permanent service. they didn't because the ground was missing,so the contractor had to redo the entire house /add a third wire connected to a long copper rod in the ground different outlets etc. he hated that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emanphoto Posted January 10, 2016 Author Share Posted January 10, 2016 Electrician is here today so I'll see about getting pic with the cover off. I don't know jack about these things. The point about why is it in the corner is a good one as the original heater was centered and powered thru the wall. The other side of the wall is a bedroom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emanphoto Posted January 10, 2016 Author Share Posted January 10, 2016 I hope these are helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crossy Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 Yup, looks like you have at least got a ground wire which hopefully is connected to a rod somewhere What happens to those cables when they enter the attic space? Singles must be protected from the attentions of the local wildlife by running in conduit or trunking, not trailing naked across the top of the ceiling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emanphoto Posted January 10, 2016 Author Share Posted January 10, 2016 I'll take a look tomorrow. Ceiling access panel is in that bathroom as well. The electrical has been completely redone and afaik is all in pipe up there. It was not when we started this. There had been rats etc up there but I didn't hear of any chewed wire tho. Guess that's why the place is still standing. [emoji1] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emanphoto Posted January 17, 2016 Author Share Posted January 17, 2016 Here's a peek in the 2nd floor ceiling. Shooting toward the shower connection would involve turning round on this POS ladder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emanphoto Posted January 17, 2016 Author Share Posted January 17, 2016 Ok I manned up and shot the other direction. The lead there is what goes to the shower heater. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crossy Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 Well the shower stuff doesn't look too bad by Thai standards As to the other wiring, I do see rather too much naked singles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgjackson69 Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 The OP is concerned with the safety (and the aesthetics) of an electrical installation in his new home. So keeping in the interests of safety, and with all due respect to the well intended responders, may I suggest that it would be in the interest of safety, that the responders identify their electrical installation qualifications along with their advise. I, personnaly, would seek out the advice of a Thailand qualified electctrical installer to inspect and advise on this issue. (I say Thai qualified, as electrical regulations vary from place to place). To practice what I preach: I hold a Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering...but not Thai. Much better to be safe than sorry. A self-taught person with electrical wiring experience is just as credible, or more so, than an Electrical Engineering degree, unless said EE also has household wiring experience. By the same token, a person holding a degree in Mechanical Engineering does not necessarily know anything about repairing a car. To the above poster's point, agreed that safety is the primary concern when dealing with electrical wiring. Secondarily, the aesthetics are important as well. Looking at many of the wiring jobs done here, especially 'up-country', neither of these considerations seem to be held in much regard. I am not a professional electrician, but I know enough to get the job done correctly, and am honest enough with myself to seek help when I am not sure about something. I have a nephew here who is a pretty good electrician (when he is sober)...I pay him well and supervise his work for aesthetics, and buy him some whiskey after the job is done. I am making ready to rewire the house we are in now. The wiring below the ceiling is all good, surface mounted wiring neatly done with recessed boxes for switches and outlets. I will be redoing the above-ceiling wiring and replacing the single fuse and cut-off switch with a multiple-breaker service panel. Between myself, the nephew, and the advice I can get from some knowledgeable folks here (Crossy and some others), I am confident that I can get the job done in a safe and effective manner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forkinhades Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 ^^ perhaps you could start a new thread with your project? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forkinhades Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 Back to op. Yeah quite good for thai standards. More important is final connections and size of cable used, and where does the earth wire go? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgjackson69 Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 ^^ perhaps you could start a new thread with your project? When I get the project going I will certainly have some questions. I will try to get some photos of the existing wiring and some "as-I-go" photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KunMatt Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 Ok I manned up and shot the other direction. The lead there is what goes to the shower heater. ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect1453005769.129319.jpgImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect1453005745.682047.jpg This is way better than the wiring in the house I had built that I mentioned earlier on in this thread. I have no conduit in the attic, only wires running across the boards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emanphoto Posted January 21, 2016 Author Share Posted January 21, 2016 Thank you all so much for all your input! There is indeed a joist or whatever that caused him to have the wires coming out of the ceiling the way they are. Now the trick is for him to find a way to cover the exposed wires and prevent water from entering that conduit as others have mentioned. He doesn't know how and we're pretty useless in making any suggestions. The flexible conduit mentioned sounds like a good idea although a round flexible and the existing square won't exactly match. Wife doesn't want to have a channel cut so making the present situation safe and workable is what we're after. Any products you guys can suggest are much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emanphoto Posted January 21, 2016 Author Share Posted January 21, 2016 Back to op. Yeah quite good for thai standards. More important is final connections and size of cable used, and where does the earth wire go? Outside into the ground. Earlier post illustrates that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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