Our House Construction

[Reboot]

7 hours ago, i am bob said:

Made me wonder...  There are a few outlets here that are made to be grounded so I checked the easiest one...  It has a ground wire leading off from the outlet and is clamped to a pipe...  A plastic pipe!!!

LOL what? Need a few feet of rebar!

 

[intrepid]

14 hours ago, Jake said:

The 60 hertz dance from 115 or 220VAC is an unpleasant reminder that I was stupid again.  As far as the electrical grid within your home, I think it would be imperative to have that 2 meter grounding rod to capture any electrical spikes and shunt it to ground immediately.  For example, a lightning strike nearby could wipe out your critical electronics devices (TV, computers, stereo system) if you don't have earth ground.  Additionally, I would have this unit plugged in to feed those high ticket items:

  about 70 bucks from Amazon.  

https://www.amazon.com/ELC-TR-2000-Voltage-Regulator-Transformer/dp/B00MCWSYWA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489684374&sr=8-1&keywords=voltage+stabilizers

Regarding safety glasses, I use them all the time even while driving.  Those amber yellow ones really cuts down the intensity of approaching headlights.  They even have bifocals. 

 

Jake, you are so right on all accounts!  As for the AVR, I sent two with my shipment.  The first is a 2500w Transformer/AVR for use with the TV/sound system and the other electronics that go with it, DVD, sing alongand... The other is  a 5000w Transformer /AVR for my workshop power tools.  Come on September!  I want to stop paying rent and have more space.

[OnMyWay]

19 hours ago, Jake said:

The 60 hertz dance from 115 or 220VAC is an unpleasant reminder that I was stupid again.  As far as the electrical grid within your home, I think it would be imperative to have that 2 meter grounding rod to capture any electrical spikes and shunt it to ground immediately.  For example, a lightning strike nearby could wipe out your critical electronics devices (TV, computers, stereo system) if you don't have earth ground.  Additionally, I would have this unit plugged in to feed those high ticket items:

  about 70 bucks from Amazon.  

https://www.amazon.com/ELC-TR-2000-Voltage-Regulator-Transformer/dp/B00MCWSYWA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489684374&sr=8-1&keywords=voltage+stabilizers

Regarding safety glasses, I use them all the time even while driving.  Those amber yellow ones really cuts down the intensity of approaching headlights.  They even have bifocals. 

 

Veering slightly off topic, is there such a thing as a "whole house" AVR that is practical to use?  As mentioned in other posts, I think my voltage is high and/or fluctuates, thus my LED lights are failing.

[intrepid]

29 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

Veering slightly off topic, is there such a thing as a "whole house" AVR that is practical to use?  As mentioned in other posts, I think my voltage is high and/or fluctuates, thus my LED lights are failing.

Yes there are.  I could not locate the link now but the ones I bought while still in the US also offered whole house AVR.

[Jake]

4 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

Veering slightly off topic, is there such a thing as a "whole house" AVR that is practical to use?  As mentioned in other posts, I think my voltage is high and/or fluctuates, thus my LED lights are failing.

Hmm.....a whole house auto voltage regulator sounds expensive.  Its' function, as you may know, only regulates incoming 220VAC and then feeds it to all the outlets.  If you home does have earth ground (or they claim it to be), I would verify that 3rd prong myself.  You may have a ground but it's dirty (has small amount of AC voltages behaving like a floating ground or has electrical spikes or noise -- a good solid ground should be zero volts and no spikes).  Try relocating those suspected LED's to another room.  Or relocate known good LED to the suspected outlet or room. Each LED has a mini-circuit board that converts the 220VAC to DC and it may be overworked or being overloaded.  

Good luck and don't forget to configure my doghouse for 10K watts of stable power, OK?  

 

[OnMyWay]

4 hours ago, Jake said:

Its' function, as you may know, only regulates incoming 220VAC and then feeds it to all the outlets.

Yeah, and my problem is, my cheapie Chinese multi-tester is telling me that incoming is 240!  I have only tested wall outlets.

[OnMyWay]

On 3/16/2017 at 5:46 PM, intrepid said:

Don, I'm not sure but I would be inclined to run a ground wire out the window to a earth ground rod

You mean to that only open dirt area underneath the bathroom window, on my lanai,  that I just cemented in yesterday?  

[OnMyWay]

4 hours ago, Jake said:

You may have a ground but it's dirty (has small amount of AC voltages behaving like a floating ground or has electrical spikes or noise -- a good solid ground should be zero volts and no spikes).

Jake, how would I do this with a multi-meter?  Testing ACV, one test lead touching the ground and the other touching??? 

[Gerald Glatt]

Jake..10K for air-con aaand a very large fridge for SMB for you and an old trooper?

[Jake]

1 hour ago, OnMyWay said:

Jake, how would I do this with a multi-meter?  Testing ACV, one test lead touching the ground and the other touching??? 

First, let's do a visual check.  Turn off the circuit breaker to a room, unscrew and pull out the outlet from the wall with wires attached. You should have 3 wires attached to every outlet: hot, neutral and ground. If you don't have any wire attached to the ground connector of the outlet......stop and start cussing.  You home is not wired for earth ground. Check the other outlets and use the P word to cuss some more. 

If you do have a wire attached to ground -- bare copper wire to green screw, then let's continue with the meter.  Color of wires may be different for 220vac application in PI.

 

Set the multimeter to read AC in the range above 220vac, like 300 or 400. The outlet you choose should be located near a metal strap or pipe (within the reach of your test leads, like in the kitchen or CR).  We will assume the metal piping is earth ground.  Turn circuit breaker back on and measure between ground connector of the outlet and metal piping.  You may need another set of hands if you don't have alligator clips.  It should be a steady zero volts reading, indicating a good earth ground.  If it reads even a few volts AC, then you have a floating ground.  Either the piping is not really earth ground or the wiring for ground to any or all outlets needs to be checked for corrosion or loose connection.  Check the main breaker to house and turn it off.  Take resistance reading between ground connection of the box to the grounding rod.  It should read zero ohms.  

By the way, 240VAC is still OK for main input to your home.  It will vary throughout the day but having voltage spikes is undesirable.  Please be careful -- have someone standby at main breaker to shut off the juice.  The 60 hertz dance is not fun at all....he, he.