About The 220 Volts...

[Tukaram (Tim)]

Ok, I wasn't sure where to put this.  So this might be a good enough sub-forum?

 

I have done A/C work the last 25 years and am comfortable around electrical - having worked single and 3 phase, 110, 220, 460, and even frequency drives that bastardize 460/3 AC into some Frankenstein variable DC.

 

I am renting a small house and will not be doing a lot of work on it.  My girlfriend already said that she wants to move at the end of our 1 year lease.  But I am confused about our electrical system.  Her uncle is an electrician at the local school so I almost trust his work (just almost...)  I asked him when we got here if the 220 was one 220 and a neutral or two 110's.  He said 220 and neutral.  But we have no conduit and no ground so I can never tell which is the hot or neutral.

 

One of the things that bothers me about the PI electrical (out here in Oton, anyway) is no ground.  And there is not a single breaker in the house.  The hot leg goes into the top of a knife switch and is jumped between the two lugs.  (he says that gives us 2 circuits, but you notice I said knife switch and not breaker)  All the hots are jumped higgledy-piggledy from those 2 hots (the same wire still).  It really just looks like a bunch of extension cords to me - and they have never heard of wire nuts, it is all twisted and taped.

So is that the common practice here? If this were my house house I would rip it all out and start over.   If I ever build my own house I will have to use a breaker box, a ground and a real 220 system ha ha  :tiphat:

 

 

 

 

[Medic Mike]

Ok, I wasn't sure where to put this.  So this might be a good enough sub-forum?

 

I have done A/C work the last 25 years and am comfortable around electrical - having worked single and 3 phase, 110, 220, 460, and even frequency drives that bast---ize 460/3 AC into some Frankenstein variable DC.

 

I am renting a small house and will not be doing a lot of work on it.  My girlfriend already said that she wants to move at the end of our 1 year lease.  But I am confused about our electrical system.  Her uncle is an electrician at the local school so I almost trust his work (just almost...)  I asked him when we got here if the 220 was one 220 and a neutral or two 110's.  He said 220 and neutral.  But we have no conduit and no ground so I can never tell which is the hot or neutral.

 

One of the things that bothers me about the PI electrical (out here in Oton, anyway) is no ground.  And there is not a single breaker in the house.  The hot leg goes into the top of a knife switch and is jumped between the two lugs.  (he says that gives us 2 circuits, but you notice I said knife switch and not breaker)  All the hots are jumped higgledy-piggledy from those 2 hots (the same wire still).  It really just looks like a bunch of extension cords to me - and they have never heard of wire nuts, it is all twisted and taped.

So is that the common practice here? If this were my house house I would rip it all out and start over.   If I ever build my own house I will have to use a breaker box, a ground and a real 220 system ha ha  :tiphat:

 

hmmmmmm....sounds like a bit of a hosh posh system.

[Americano]

That is what you would call Jerry rigged in the US. Most houses in the Philippines at least have a breaker box, but don't expect a ground wire going to Earth ground. Very few have that. The ground wire could be a few kilometers away.  The way to know if a wire is hot is to hold it in one hand while touching a water pipe with your other hand.

Edited August 10, 2013 by MikeB
REMOVED - watch the racial slurs

[Tukaram (Tim)]

No good - our water pipe is plastic  :p  

[Call me bubba]

So is that the common practice here?

If this were my house house I would rip it all out and start over. If I ever build my own house I will have to use a breaker box, a ground and a real 220 system ha ha :tiphat:

Can i ask who you are renting the house from?

when i moved in to my "new"house it was the old style PULL OUT FUSES, and with my electrical devices

even w/ 2 different surge/power restriction units, I was able to convince my landlord to let me install the switch breakers

if he would pay for the labor, i had a book on electrical wiring to back up my request, as it would be a win win situation.

 

My point i am trying to make, YES its XXXX ed up. aka jerry rigged,

why not set a small budget of under a $100 maybe 125$ (perhaps even less) to improve the place so the next "renters"

will have a better electrical services/wiring  . You said that you have been around electrical for many years

why not share your time & experience to make another persons life better,

 

yes some people may say its Not our/my/your business to impose our ways or views on others ,

BUT this is an SAFETY ISSUE, and you do have FREE TIME(not necessary free money)

and knowledge of how things should be.

Who knows you may make new friends who will learn from your "work" and improve their lives too.  

 

Sort of a "play it forward" :cheers:

[Bruce]

Well, in the US you can buy a cheap tester that senses the electricity in a single wire with a small light. I assume there is similar in Manila.

 

However, Mr. I-have-done-ac-work-for 25-years, Any modern digital tester which uses color coded leads (1 red 1 black) AND if hooked up into the correct plug ins (if detachable) (black into the common plug in) if you test and the wires are not on the correct ones, a NEGATIVE (-) sign appears. If you reverse the testing to the other wires, then no negative sign appears. The red lead is now touching the hot wire.

 

If you have the cheap non digital meter, same thing. If the red lead is on the neutral, then the meter goes to the LEFT, reverse the leads and the meter reads normally. Then you know which lead is hot. ALSO many Pinoys wire the switches to break the neutral instead of the HOT wire based on misapplied amp draw logic for the switch.

 

No need to thank me, as if you kill yourself by accident, that means 1 less person who reasonably tolerates me! :hystery: So I would rather you not kill yourself!

[robert k]

From what I hear getting 220 would be amazing, most people say they get less, possibly as low as 180v and a few I have seen say they get over 250v.

I guess breaking the neutral works until whatever it is finds an acceptable ground which could be you. :) 

[Bruce]

I guess breaking the neutral works until whatever it is finds an acceptable ground which could be you.

 

I do know know if stats are kept, and certainly not out on the provinces, but electrocution MUST be way up there in the causes of death in the Philippines.

[jpbago]

My house is 220V + or - with 2 wires, no ground. From the meter, 2 wires come in to a breaker box with no separate switch. From the first 60 amp breaker, feeds go off to the other 30 amp breakers. There are no inspections done during house construction. All the good electricians work as OFWs. 2 wires cost less than 3 wires.

My nephew, an electrician by trade, was zapped off a pole and fell 5 meters to the ground. They have no safety equipment.

[Tukaram (Tim)]

All the good electricians work as OFWs.

Boy ain't that the truth!

 

As for repairs on the rent house... we already added running water, a cr, and a laundry room (all for rent credits) so I am done working on the house. 

 

I do have a inductive tester (the glowing light) but if you get withing 6 inches of the outlet it glows.  So it doesn't matter which terminal you try for...  This house, and all the others I have seen are electrical nightmares. 

 

And people should use higgledy-piggledy more.  I just like that word.

 

 

~Edit~

I just checked - I was pretty sure... My fluke only shows +- on DC.  Not AC.

Edited August 11, 2013 by Tuka Ram