Housing and You…Electrical wiring and what can go wrong

Sep 22, 2013 News

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By Leonard Gildarie
I do believe that quite a few critical things are overlooked in the process of building a home. And these can prove disastrous in the long run and costly, if not deadly. I am speaking specifically about wiring.
But before we examine this particular issue this week, a number of things must be acknowledged. Most Guyanese I know and have spoken with desperately want a piece of land and a “shed” over their head. It is what I have repeatedly called part of “the Guyanese dream”.

The demand for contractors coupled with the urgency to have the home completed in the shortest possible time have both placed pressure on the homeowners, with quality being the sacrificial lamb.
Along the way, little thought is in place for the final touches like bathroom, painting, kitchen and even fence…in most cases because the monies budgeted may have been mismanaged or just simply not enough because of expensive materials, cost overruns or design changes. We will have to return to design changes and its impact on your budget at a later date.
Recently, during a forum held by the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) to talk about its performance last year and for the first half of 2013, the important issue of wiring was raised. A male customer wanted to know why GPL can’t do more to minimize house fires. He also complained that so-called electricians were using the licences of colleagues to do work, a big danger to the home owner, as that licenced contractor has no idea what kind of work went into the home.
The power company made it clear its mandate stops at the meter. Everything else in the home falls under the jurisdiction of the Government Electrical Inspectorate (GEI).
Recently the Government spearheaded a meeting with electricians to talk about new measures that have been adopted and which homes will have to adhere to.
Involved in the meeting was Horace Williams, Head of the Hinterland Electrification Unit (HEU), the entity that is responsible for planning and implementing electrification and other energy projects in interior communities. While GEI has the responsibility for wiring standards and regulations, Williams’ department has been lending support in promoting the standards and regulations. This is because prior to the establishment of the HEI in 2011, the division was a project unit within the Office of the Prime Minister, implementing the Unserved Areas Electrification Programme (UAEP). One component of the UAEP was to develop new wiring standard regulations.

Certificate of Inspection
Speaking to Kaieteur News, Williams made it clear that GPL or other utilities are not responsible for the internal wiring of premises. It is the responsibility of the GEI to inspect and certify such wiring in accordance with the existing standards.
“The utilities usually require the certificate of inspection before establishing an electricity supply to any building or premises. Grounding is an important aspect of electrical installations in general; it provides some protection against electric shocks,” he emphasized.
Grounding requirements can vary based on several factors, including the type of soil where the electrical system is being installed. The person designing the electrical system has to determine what type of grounding is appropriate.
However, under the new standards, the installer has to use at least an eight-foot long by 5/8 inches diameter copper, copper-coated or similar ground rod, when grounding an electrical system. There are other requirements that the installer has to comply with.
“That is why it is important that any person carrying out electrical installations should be a licenced electrical contractor. Guyana has adopted the National Electrical Code (NEC), which was developed in the USA, as the standard for electrical installations,” Williams noted.
Basically, two types of wiring systems are use for electrical installation of residential buildings in Guyana. These include the multi-conductor, PVC-insulated flat cable system and the PVC-insulated single cable with conduit. The second system is what is being promoted by the GEI when the building is a concrete structure.
The conduits, usually of PVC, are embedded about two inches deep in the concrete block walls where cables are to be installed. The cables are then installed in the conduits, and the walls are covered with about half-inch thick mortar.
“With this system, persons are less likely to encounter and damage a cable if they drill any wall for the purpose of hanging pictures, paintings or other decorations. With this method of wiring, the cables are likely to be 2 inches or more inside the wall,” the official explained.
With the flat cable system in a concrete building, the cables are clipped to the surface of the concrete block walls. As such, when the half-inch thick mortar is applied to the walls, the cables are only covered with about quarter-inch of the mortar as the cables themselves are about quarter inch thick.
Williams warned that this system puts the cables at a higher risk of being damaged, and exposes persons to electric shocks, should any of the walls be drilled for any purpose.

Protection
“The GEI is therefore encouraging builders to use the single cable with conduit when wiring a concrete building. The flat cable system should be used for surface wiring, which is common in the wooden buildings.”
Single cables should not be run in ceiling or anywhere without using conduit, trunking or other suitable methods for protecting the cables from mechanical or other damage.
This particular one is what I am worried about. Many homeowners, to cut costs, run the wires in the ceiling without the conduits. More than anything else, I fear rats. But leaks too from the roof over time can be even more worrisome. This will invariably lead to problems. You may have to replace the wiring in 10 years if the house does not burn down.
Without showing a preference to any brands of wiring, I must point out that cheap is not always good. Speak to the electrician about choosing the right electrical wires.
Williams also said that main switches or main circuit breakers should not be installed in bathrooms, toilets or over staircases.
“They should be accessible, and installed at a height where the switch handle is not more than 6.5 feet high from the floor or platform. Another important thing to note is that the ordinary power receptacle (outlet) cannot be installed within six feet of a water source such as a sink. It has to be installed beyond six feet from any edge of the sink, otherwise it has to be a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). The GFCI offers superior protection against electric shock in high risk areas such as wet locations.
In erecting a new building, or rewiring an existing building, the owner should first engage a licenced electrical contractor.
If it is a large residential or a commercial building, then the contractor is required to submit the electrical design to the GEI before he/she commences any installation works.
“The GEI would examine the design and make chances where necessary in keeping with the standards. The contractor will then be given permission to proceed with the installation according to the approved design. After completing the installation, the contractor will apply to the GEI for an inspection of the installation,” the official said.
GEI will inspect and test the installation for compliance with the design and the standards.
“If the installation meets all the requirements, the GEI will issue the contractor with a certificate of inspection for the building. The owner of the building can then use that certificate to apply to the utility (GPL) for electricity service.
For small residential buildings, it is not necessary for the contractor to submit a design to the GEI before commencing installation work. He/she, however, has to follow every other aspect of the procedure.
Now, again because of the problems with GPL in especially new housing schemes with power spikes, low voltage, rats and other factors, I am urging that new measures be followed to the letter. While I have fire insurance, there are many new homes built with the life savings of Guyanese that are without. Imagine losing your multi-million-dollar home to a fire caused by an avoidable problem with wiring.
Next week, we will examine this important issue a little more.
Enjoy the weekend and don’t forget to drop your comments as usual to [email protected].

 

 

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