There are tons of safety concerns to be taken into consideration while doing electrical work in a house. We might all have that one-time experience of a slight shock from an electrical appliance. This is nothing but an earthing problem, which we cannot overlook when constructing or renovating a property. Though this is a common electrical problem, diagnosing and resolving it earlier can ensure you and your property remain safe.
Being unaware of its consequences typically causes various costly problems. In this comprehensive guide, you’ll get to explore how to solve earthing problems and preventive measures to avoid them in the future. Keep reading to learn such useful tips.
How to Solve Earthing Problems in a House
Before diving into troubleshooting, it is paramount to be educated about what earthing is and how to resolve it safely. Earthing problems involve checking various conditions such as the grounding conductor, bonding connections, and grounding rod. If you are unaware of such parameters, consult or hire a qualified electrician for assistance.
Common Earthing Problems, Their Causes and Solutions
Corrosion
Corrosion is the biggest issue that happens with earthing components due to their constant exposure to chemicals, moisture and other environmental elements. When earthing strips start to corrode, they become less conductive and require immediate repair. To fix this issue, conducting regular inspections is essential. You can also try using anti-corrosive materials.
Insufficient Earthing Depth
One of the common and frequent problems is inadequate earthing depth. If the earthing strips are not installed at the required minimum depth, they will not work properly, especially in dry places and rocky soil conditions where the soil is not conductive. It is recommended to avoid burying these components at very shallow levels. However, the depth level can vary for different soil types and electrical systems.
Oxidation
With time, the oxidation of copper strips is unavoidable. It gradually decreases the efficiency and working function of the earthing system. To avoid the problems related to oxidation, it is best to polish the copper earthing strips on a routine basis. It acts as a protective layer on the strips and reduces the contact of air and moisture content over the surface.
Physical Damages
Earthing strips are required to resist physical dangers from construction work, accidental collision, soil movements or because of continuous usage. These dangers can influence the conductive properties and make the strips less effective. Therefore, performing regular inspections is mandatory to identify any signs of damages. This can help you repair or replace damaged components before they become completely ineffective.
How to Spot Earthing Issues
Here’s a step-by-step guide provided for your reference. You can check out this point to handle issues efficiently.
Safety is a Priority
- Cut down the circuit before inspecting or working on the earthing system.
- You are advised to use essential PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) before touching any conductors. This includes safety glasses and insulated gloves. Additionally, proper grounding system prevents the creation of dangerous voltages that lead to fires, shocks, or other hazards.
Conduct Visual Inspection
- Check for loose or broken connections with equipment chassis, electrical panels, earthing rods, and busbars.
- Ensure the earth conductors are properly sized and free from any significant damage.
- Verify the bonding of the earth system with pipes, structural steel, and metallic enclosures. Melted insulation and discoloration are signs of overheating, which typically indicates overload or high resistance.
Inspect Earth Resistance
Use an earth resistance tester to evaluate the effectiveness of the earthing system. To measure the resistance of an earth loop, you can choose either the fall-of-potential method or a clamp-on earth tester.
- Fall-of-potential method: While connecting the tester’s testimonials, like P1, C1, P2, and C2, to the earth electrode, the auxiliary electrodes will pass into the ground at certain distances. It helps measure the earth loop resistance accurately.
- Clamp-on Earth Tester: It is a feasible option for multi-earthed systems where disconnecting the earth electrode is complicated.
Check for Resistance and Continuity
- A multimeter is the right tool to identify the low-resistance paths and bonding between connections.
- Check whether all metallic parts are bonded to the earth system with very low resistance.
- Ensure that the resistance between earth points is low, typically less than 1 ohm.
Methods to Upgrade an Earthing System
Based on the type of electrical problem, you can take appropriate actions. Herewith, the common issues are explained with solutions that can help you handle problems efficiently.
- Corroded Ground Rod: If you find any corroded connections, disassemble and clean them thoroughly. To ensure further protection, apply anti-corrosion grease or paste and reassemble them properly.
- Loose Connections: Loose or broken connections are hazardous, which need to be inspected often to avoid serious earthing problems. You need to double-check the bonding between the grounding system and components like metal pipes, HVAC systems, and others.
- Poorly Sized Earth Conductors: Refer to local electrical codes to ensure the minimum required size of earth conductors. It is advisable to upgrade or replace undersized conductors to avoid severe earthing issues.
- High Resistance: It resists the smooth flow of fault currents into the ground, leading to crucial problems like electrical shock or damaged appliances. Therefore, maintaining low resistance is a key to ensuring a safe system. It can be achieved by optimising the physical characteristics of the components, like using thicker, shorter wires made of silver or copper with high conductivity.
- Improper Ground Rod Depth: The ground rod should be driven to the adequate depth to increase the contact area with the soil. If it is insufficient, you can either deepen the depth or install additional earth rods.
- Re-test and Document: Re-testing is important after making repairs to confirm the issues are completely solved and the system meets the required specifications. Keeping a record of all those actions taken will help you for future reference. Ensure you include the date of maintenance, measurements, and other significant changes made.
Preventive Measures to Avoid Future Earthing Issues
Being aware of possibly occurring earthing issues prevents you from various hazardous accidents. Here are some of the crucial preventive measures to avoid future earthing issues:
- Professional Design and Installation: When it is a new building, you need to pay close attention to electrical design and installation. Always hire a certified or professional electrical engineer or contractor to handle your electrical work according to the determined earthing standards and local soil conditions.
- Choose High-Quality Materials: Using quality resources is a key to stopping the occurrence of a range of earthing issues. Be cautious in the selection of GI pipes/plates, chemical earthing electrodes, copper-bonded steel rods, bimetallic connectors, etc.
- Proper Earth Pit Construction: The depth of earth rods should approximately be 2.5 to 3 meters or more. Ensure the rods are driven into the sufficient depth to stay permanently in moist soil. The installation of a traditional pit needs periodical water pouring to maintain constant moisture content.
- Robust Connection and Bonding: Check whether all exposed metallic parts maintain a robust interconnection to the main earthing system. You should conduct periodical inspections of appliances, conduits, gas pipes, water pipes, switchboards, and all other components to actively prevent house earthing problems and costly repairs.
- Regular Maintenance: The whole earthing system should be inspected often, preferably every 1–2 years. Consult a qualified electrician to evaluate and suggest possible changes to maintain a safe, reliable, and healthy earthing system.
On the Whole
The healthiness of an earthing system is crucial to safeguard your home, family, and overall investment. Prioritise grounding works while dealing with new construction or renovation work. It not only elevates the reliability and electrical safety measures for your home, but also reduces the cost of repair and maintenance in the future. Hire experts like Brick & Bolt to ensure that your house is constructed with safety given utmost priority!