Adding an earth to a 15th floor 20 year old condo.

[najomtiensun 48]

Hi there hoping one of you knowledgeable fellows can help us. We have a 15th floor 20 year old condo that doesn't have an earth. There is a relatively new fuse box with separately rated breakers and several different circuits on it. I have never used the shower even though it works as I have a fear of electricity and Thai bathrooms. So we bought a new shower from Powerbuy and the staff came to fit it today. They had one look at it and said we need an earth. 

 

Now I know the best and most expensive solution would be to rewire the condo - but that's not going to happen. Looking in the corridor I can see there is a metal water pipe which would make a relatively easy path for an bonded earth wire to go from there and add a third wire to the shower without too much trouble. Obviously I will get the best electrician I can find to  it so my question is ; 

 

Is this easily and safely doable from what I have outlined. And secondly can anybody recommend a good and affordable electrician in Jomtien who would be suitable and what would be reasonable price for the job. Many thanks in advance for any help that could be offered. 

[Crossy 27,793]

Older condos are always going to be fun.

 

Are you sure there's no earth in your distribution board? Could you post a photo with the lid off so we can be sure (care please).

 

A metal pipe is likely to be a good earth but don't use the fire pipe and it would be best to make any connection inside your unit or you may attract the wrath of the condo management.

 

If there's any building steel that's accessible that would also be a good bet.

 

You may find the condo have a "recommended" (use is required) sparks so the office is a good place to start.

[bankruatsteve 1,825]

You need to check if the metal pipe actually makes a ground connection.  If so, that would be a good source of earth.  Another option would be to see if there is exposed structural steel as that is also good earth.

[najomtiensun 48]

Many thanks for your quick replies sounds like one to have a word with the office. Here's a couple of photos.

 

 

Edited January 15 by najomtiensun

[Dumbastheycome 5,700]

I'm sure Crossy would appreciate a photo of the switch board  with the cover removed to  view internals

[bankruatsteve 1,825]

10 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Could you post a photo with the lid off

 

[Crossy 27,793]

Is that pipe available inside the condo?

 

Also, is this a rental unit or yours?

 

And, of course a photo of the board with the cover off (care please).

[najomtiensun 48]

5 minutes ago, bankruatsteve said:

 

Cheers here you go ....

[najomtiensun 48]

2 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Is that pipe available inside the condo?

 

Also, is this a rental unit or yours?

 

And, of course a photo of the board with the cover off (care please).

We are the owners - the pipe is outside the unit in the corridor. 

[xylophone 12,011]

The only problem you could have if you use a metal water pipe, is what happened decades ago in the UK when metal water pipes were used as earths.......very often some of the pipes, or part of the pipe network were replaced with plastic pipes and fittings, so you didn't have an earth in effect.

 

The other thing was that if many people had used the same metal pipe as an earth, then if there was minor leakage to earth over time, using that pipe, then it would corrode the pipe and you would get a water leak.
 

[Dumbastheycome 5,700]

OOPs! Earth bar  quite  naked !

[najomtiensun 48]

1 minute ago, xylophone said:

The only problem you could have if you use a metal water pipe, is what happened decades ago in the UK when metal water pipes were used as earths.......very often some of the pipes, or part of the pipe network were replaced with plastic pipes and fittings, so you didn't have an earth in effect.

 

The other thing was that if many people had used the same metal pipe as an earth, then if there was minor leakage to earth over time, using that pipe, then it would corrode the pipe and you would get a water leak.
 

So being on the 15th floor sounds fairly problematic. We were getting used to having cold showers and we could take the unit back if it all proves undoable. 

[Crossy 27,793]

1 minute ago, Dumbastheycome said:

OOPs! Earth bar  quite  naked !

 

Yeah, that's a shame, I've seen units that take an earth to the board then no further.

 

Task A is to talk to the condo management to see if they have a sparks available, then get him to look at the issue. 

 

The risk of corrosion to the pipe is small with AC, a DC current is a whole different ball game (there can be significant problems with DC traction railways), but as noted earlier if they replace the pipe with plastic ...

 

I would also think about adding earth-leakage protection to that board.

[najomtiensun 48]

1 minute ago, Crossy said:

 

Yeah, that's a shame, I've seen units that take an earth to the board then no further.

 

Task A is to talk to the condo management to see if they have a sparks available, then get him to look at the issue. 

 

The risk of corrosion to the pipe is small with AC, a DC current is a whole different ball game (there can be significant problems with DC traction railways), but as noted earlier if they replace the pipe with plastic ...

 

I would also think about adding earth-leakage protection to that board.

Many thanks for all your help. I will do as you suggest and update the thread when I have a response. 

[xylophone 12,011]

4 minutes ago, najomtiensun said:

So being on the 15th floor sounds fairly problematic. We were getting used to having cold showers and we could take the unit back if it all proves undoable. 

Just a suggestion, and possibly something to think about....... if the service duct outside of your condo goes all the way to the ground, which it did in many older condominium structures, then you could feed a good-sized earth wire through it to the actual ground, probably where the water pipes enter the building and do something from that perspective.