Replaced some outlets

[Dave Hounddriver]

7 hours ago, Mike J said:

 Can someone explain to me why all wire runs, receptacles, etc. are not grounded.

No.  But I can now explain to you why everyone uses Bamboo ladders   Sorry you got buzzed. 

[fototek1]

Our electrical and most I have seen in the Philippines is poorly done and just wrong according to Western standards. No outlet boxes, no ground, undersized wire, crappy outlets and crappy switches. You already know all of this. I've even heard of people putting in proper grounding and then realizing they had a poor ground because someone stole the ground rods that gets pounded into the ground. 

I have a strong international electrical background and was very surprised when I saw the work the electrician did on our place. My FIL owns the construction company and its his best electrician. When/If we build another place I will live there and General contract the entire build myself and possibly do much of the work. I already sent many electrical supplies and tools there over the years. Everyone is or knows an expert in the Philippines when they think you have money  

[Viking]

I am pretty sure that the quality of the stuff here, is generally speaking not the best but today I thought of another possible reason to why the outlets break so often. At least in our place, the appliances are always connected and disconnected by unplugging the cord from the outlets. Doing this my save some sensitive appliances if there is a brownout but it is probably harder on the outlets. Back in Sweden we almost never unplug anything and I never had any problems. But here it may be different. 

[Tommy T.]

On 1/20/2023 at 5:20 PM, Mike J said:

Crap!  When we had work done on the deck a year or so back I had them run wire where we could add an additional flood light.  So I ordered a light from lazada and was doing the install.  Made sure the switch controlling the light was in the off position.  Got bit, buzzed clear to the elbow.  WTH - get out my voltage meter and I have current between the incoming line and my aluminum ladder that I am standing on.  Try the switch in both directions, no difference.  Ended up killing the power to the house and finishing the install.  Why in the world do they not wire houses with 12/2 plus a ground.   Can someone explain to me why all wire runs, receptacles, etc. are not grounded.  It just does not seem safe to me.  What am I missing?  Any electricians in the forum that can tell me why the code here does not require grounded circuits?  I really would like to know, maybe I am doing something wrong? 

Mike... If you have a voltmeter... check each side of the outlet or wires independently - as in connect one side to the meter and the other to the true ground - dirt or rock. Then do the same with the other side. If each reads 110 volts+/-, then you have the same situation we have here in Davao. Here, they run 110 volts through each side, not 220 volts through one side with return to the other. It's a crazy system but this entire area here is wired that way. No wonder so many of my LEDs glow in the dark when switched off... That means you have power through both sides no matter what. The switch will just disconnect one side, but not the other. With two lights here, the only way to shut them off entirely was to install two switches - one from each side. I am not sure if anyone in Philippines has heard of double pull, double throw switches. Even if they have them, the house may be wired - as is ours, I learned - with one wire running through the switch and the other direct from the panel...

Otherwise, many or all of your electrical wiring is just connected by wires twisted together and wrapped with electrical tape - both inside a building or outside. This appears to be standard procedure here. When it rains, many of our outside lights glow at about half power illumination. I have found many connections on or under ground that are wired this way. It provides a field day, also, for ants which seem to infiltrate wiring conduits, outlets and switch boxes.

We have an electric gate for the driveway. A few weeks ago, it stopped working. I had a techy come out (a very talented and fair techy) to check it out. When he opened the motor enclosure his first words were, "Oh my God!!" He said it was infested with ants. So I gave him some Baygon and he sprayed it thoroughly. Then he cleaned out all the carcasses and the system. Apparently, the ants had shorted out a capacitor that starts the electric motor. So he replaced the capacitor a week later and advised me to spray Baygon regularly around the enclosure to slow down or stop the ant incursions...

Maybe this will help?

Edited January 24, 2023 by Tommy T.

[hk blues]

2 hours ago, Viking said:

I am pretty sure that the quality of the stuff here, is generally speaking not the best but today I thought of another possible reason to why the outlets break so often. At least in our place, the appliances are always connected and disconnected by unplugging the cord from the outlets. Doing this my save some sensitive appliances if there is a brownout but it is probably harder on the outlets. Back in Sweden we almost never unplug anything and I never had any problems. But here it may be different. 

Yep. In the UK we never unplugged stuff from the outlet unless we were going on holiday.  Also, most outlets had an on/off switch so there was no need to unplug stuff, or at least less need.  Here, it's rare to see switched outlets.  For sure, pulling plugs in and out will have a detrimental effect on the outlets over time, especially if they are not properly fixed to the walls.  

Edited January 24, 2023 by hk blues

[hk blues]

I don't know why all countries don't standardise at 220V with 3-pin plugs and drive on the left.  

[GeoffH]

2 hours ago, hk blues said:

I don't know why all countries don't standardise at 220V with 3-pin plugs and drive on the left.  

 

Yeah but which 3-pin plug?  

 

Surely not those blocky UK ones?  

[jimeve]

4 hours ago, GeoffH said:

 

Yeah but which 3-pin plug?  

 

Surely not those blocky UK ones?  

Not those quirky ozzy ones either