Earthing technology is an essential element of the electrical installation, which is often overlooked by many. It protects you against the risk of electrocution and other potential electrical problems in your home. The earth electrode is a device that can channel the fault current to earth and automatically cut the electrical installation to ensure the safety of people.
After the installation of the earth electrode, it is necessary to check its resistance with an ohm meter. It must be less than 100 Ohms for a general 500mA differential circuit breaker. The installation must provide a safety function against the risk of electrocution in case of insulation fault. It establishes a permanent contact between the terrestrial mass and the metallic mass of a device.
Earthing technology must also reduce the electric fields emitted by the various electrical consumers present in the houses. The official standard NF C15-100 stipulates that the earth electrode must have a maximum resistance of 100 ohms when the installation is equipped with a 500 mA differential circuit breaker. The recommendations for a quality ground also stipulate a resistance lower than 50 Ohms for other installations.
Concretely, the lower the resistance of the grounding, the better, because the different electric fields are better discharged to the ground. Exposure to electrical current is therefore less and building occupants are better protected. Indeed, the lack of grounding can cause significant electric fields, sleep disorders, nervousness, irritability and headaches.
Installing a grounding stake
The grounding stake must be planted in the ground up to 2 meters deep (1.5 meters minimum and 2.5 centimeters in diameter). The ground and the terminal strip: one end of the cable is buried and connected to the earth stake while the other end is connected to the bar inside your home. The main conductor must be connected between the bar and the electrical panel. This is how protective conductors control your appliances. Switch on the residual current circuit breaker, which will trip momentarily in case of malfunction.
There are two ways to ground an electrical circuit: the underground method (the least common): the electrical conductors are buried horizontally. The ground stake method (the most common): plant one or more vertical stakes and connect everything together. The process requires a mass, wire stripper, electrician’s screwdriver and a hammer drill. Some of the supplies for the project include earth wire, ground rod, earth clamp, ICTA sheath and IRL rapid setting mortar tube.
Before handling any repair work, switch off key equipment and the main circuit breaker. Check the power of the electrical circuits and the installation must comply with the electrical standard NF C 15-100.
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