Electrical question

[AlexO]

Glen is a top bloke. He has just arrived.
By the way he’s a sparky.

I have 4 rods for lightning protection as high metal roof and metal frame house.
Plus 1 main rod deep down, 2 meter, for the main incoming board.


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Always good to keep your house system and lightning protection grounding systems separate. There are some serious amounts of energy in a lightning strike that you don't want to be in any way connected to your domestic system.
Don't believe me ask Tamanda.

[tamada]

Alex. Your first offering on this thread was full of good advice. Nobody argued or said it was wrong or was "waffle" or suggested you didn't have a clue. So instead of going back to your sabbatical as promised, why are all your multi-colored toys suddenly out of the pram?

It's not really about anyone pretending to know more than anyone else is it Alex? Nothing to do with being a "retired electrical engineer and Project Manager" or bad advice or dangerous practices either.

Its simply that "last word" wild hair of yours that, after months of self-induced flounce, is still there where it's always been, right up your arse.

[AlexO]

Alex. Your first offering on this thread was full of good advice. Nobody argued or said it was wrong or was "waffle" or suggested you didn't have a clue. So instead of going back to your sabbatical as promised, why are all your multi-colored toys suddenly out of the pram?

It's not really about anyone pretending to know more than anyone else is it Alex? Nothing to do with being a "retired electrical engineer and Project Manager" or bad advice or dangerous practices either.

Its simply that "last word" wild hair of yours that, after months of self-induced flounce, is still there where it's always been, right up your arse.

Oh Dear Tam
Just proved what everyone knows, a wee dog with a bone mentality. "I am never wrong as long as I have the last word". Have really enjoyed the break from the 3 toilet tissues and will give you and your wipes all the freedom you want to spoil what used to be an informative web site into a wee outlet for your version of what is right and your political vomit. Have a nice sleep. Cheers. PS My lack of hair has never been referred to as wild, maybe 40 years ago before I was dog ----.

[tamada]

<last word redacted>

[Khun Paul]

When talking about earthing etc, following on from many, all the electrics in my home and kitchen building aprt from have breakers also go through Safety T Cut on both boards. Some sockets are grounded seperatly especially those for the office and workshop .

Any fluctuation results in the safety T Cut switching off, rarely a problem and as both buildings have separate power cables from the input breaker of 100 amps, then rarely does the Kitchen one go off.

BTW the Safety T Cut does not switch off when PEA cut power for whatever reason, but does go off if Voltage anomalies occur ( rare ) .

[sometimewoodworker]

BTW the Safety T Cut does not switch off when PEA cut power for whatever reason, but does go off if Voltage anomalies occur ( rare ) .

The reason is quite simple, there is no fault to trip it. That there is a PEA power cut is not a fault in your circuit so nothing will trip.

If there is an imbalance in the neutral / line current, that is a fault so an instant trip.
If there is a short circuit, that’s a fault so an instant trip.
If there is an overload in the circuit, that’s a fault so eventually a trip.

[AlexO]

Jon
If you do the calculation and you end up over 45 amps (I think you will) its not a problem PEA do 100 amp meters. It just costs a little more than the 45 amp meter (this size is suitable for 10kW load only).
Cheers

[tamada]

You know what thought did.

<last word redacted>

[AlexO]

Pathetic Tamanda, really pathetic.
Jon
Sorry that your serious question was highjacked by the UM Troll. Hope you stay safe.
Cheers

[Bandung_Dero]

Jon
If you do the calculation and you end up over 45 amps (I think you will) its not a problem PEA do 100 amp meters. It just costs a little more than the 45 amp meter (this size is suitable for 10kW load only).
Cheers

FFS, wot are you on about? Jon, the OP, mentioned an average home《 20 metres from the meter. Look at the calcs = 10mm2 is overkill. PEA uses 6mm2 to the meter must tell you something!!!!!!

As any half ased electrician knows the sizing of cct breakers is determined to protect the cable NOT the installation!

[Potamoi]

Hey DM,

Can you please tell the group what size meter and Consumer Unit panel main breaker you are planning to install? It may cut down some of the speculation and under/over rating numbers the good people on this forum are attempting to help you with (as well as some colourful discussion).

My motto is when it's even close, to upsize but hey, that's how I roll...

[Khun Paul]

Oh boy the children are out to play it seems.
Bottom line DM, Minimum 16 mm copper thick plastic sheathed wire , up size if you feel it would be safer. Copst is really irrelevant as SAFETY can never be compromised .
Earthin g a must for some things, but ensure you have agood safety cut off .
After that the world is your Oyster as one said, always work it out and then upsize so in the future any changes you may make requiring electricity will not be compromised !!

[sometimewoodworker]

Just a FWIW
the meters 5/15, 15/45, 30/100 and the newer 5/100, do not have much to do with the higher number being a limit, the analogy meters can all happily supply much more than the rated current. 150% is all the time 175% is most of the time, I don’t know if the 5/100 is the same but can see no reason for it to be different.

The rated supply size is the range where the meter is guaranteed to be accurate, over the rated current it may not be accurate but you can bet that it will be in favour of the PEA if it’s out

[AlexO]

Jon
If you do the calculation and you end up over 45 amps (I think you will) its not a problem PEA do 100 amp meters. It just costs a little more than the 45 amp meter (this size is suitable for 10kW load only).
Cheers

FFS, wot are you on about? Jon, the OP, mentioned an average home《 20 metres from the meter. Look at the calcs = 10mm2 is overkill. PEA uses 6mm2 to the meter must tell you something!!!!!!

As any half ased electrician knows the sizing of cct breakers is determined to protect the cable NOT the installation!

I am on about knowing how to calculate a cable size suitable for a specific load, not just guessing and hoping the cable is Ok for the load. A 10mm copper cable is suitable (without adding a volts drop factor) for a maximum of 62amps. This equates to a max load of 13.5kW before a commencement of a gradual breakdown of the insulation over time depending on how much the overload is. The calculation I described is the normal calc any engineer/ electrician is supposed to carry out in determining the size of a supply cable whether it is a final circuit or a supply to a distribution board. Load dictates the cable size, not a guess, but a calculation based on actual load requirements. JP's 16mm copper cable will probably be closer to the real answer but your comment about half ased electricians is true but if the cable is not capable of safely carrying the required load then it is useless, understand?? PEA dont use 6mm connections to the meter as standard they use a size commensurate with the meter capacity that the customer has requested.

[tamada]

As suggested by myself about three pages ago, 16mm will suffice and allow for any overages with the standard appliances that DM's installing in his normal-sized house.

Thanks for your invaluable input Alex. I hope your retirement is going well.

Jon, Sorry that this one grew arms and legs. If you want to see my City & Guilds certificates, just ask. Hope you stay safe.
Cheers.

[AlexO]

DM's build doesn't have any room for such expansion so the online sizing table linked below (also recommended by Thailand's electrical guru), serves to bolster the handy "Aussie rules" wire-sizing chart posted earlier. If you select single-phase, 45 A (for the PEA meter rating), a 10 m run to cover DM's best guesstimate and "conduit on a wall or trunking" (like at DM's new place), it offers 10mm.

https://www.doncastercables.com/technical-help/

Ruling out aluminium because it can be more trouble than it is worth (and the PEA probably wouldn't touch it), the 10mm copper that his builder suggests (and also works for BD) would be the acceptable minimum. Personally (based on personal experience) and in alignment with a few fellow members here, the 16mm copper would be the optimum gauge, just in case DM gets that karaoke machine or wants to provide power for the yacht when it's moored at the jetty out back.

Based on a guess. Do you base where oil and gas is on a guess or do you do take more scientific approach. Completely wrong about PEA and AL cable as well. What does your C&G's tell you about Jons actual load requirements or would it not be better to ask Jon?

[Drunk Monkey]

As suggested by myself about three pages ago, 16mm will suffice and allow for any overages with the standard appliances that DM's installing in his normal-sized house.

Thanks for your invaluable input Alex. I hope your retirement is going well.

Jon, Sorry that this one grew arms and legs. If you want to see my City & Guilds certificates, just ask. Hope you stay safe.
Cheers.

Indeed lots to chew on re my final decision ... 16mm is fav .. thread certainly did get a bit straggly Tam rather like the unshaven hairy lass at the swimming baths.

thanks to all

DM

[Barney]

Got a date for the balloons to be hung?


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[Drunk Monkey]

Got a date for the balloons to be hung?


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16mm it is then ......

Na no balloons Barney, i will be having 3 strippers (mixed genders) wagyu steak and draft imported beverages though i cannot confirm the date yet as still saucing and testing all 3 prior to the main event.

seriously .. place finished over the next few days ..

DM

[deankham]

Hope you are going for Low smoke zero halogen cables just in case you got the size way too small......only joking, I know nowt, just remember working with a Tunnel engineer who never shut up about LSZH cables.

16mm2 sounds like a good number to me