Costa Rica Real Estate – Get Your Wiring In Order.

Looking at the new Electricity Code that came into force in June, 2005

Seven months have passed since the new Electricity Code Regulations were published, but only now in June have they come into force. They will control all electric cable installations in new construction throughout the country.

The objectives were set out by the Federated College of Architects and Engineers (CFIA) and according to its president, Rodrigo Acuña, “regulating electrical installations is obvious in residential and commercial construction for safety reasons.”

Acuña believes that the new rules are essential because most fires in the country are caused by poor electric cable installation.

“Some people are more concerned to have the best finish and the finest furniture in their homes and they don’t pay attention to the electric connections.”

The regulations will link professional practices to technical and scientific advances, and the quality of construction work will improve because of these new standards.

The Regulations published last November go beyond design. The consultants responsible for inspecting and supervising electrical installations will have to provide a connection order guaranteeing that any new installation has met with all design requirements and complied with the codes and regulations.

Although the Regulations only recently came into force, many professionals have already begun applying them.

The main changes in the new Regulations refer to amendments and improvements to several clauses so as to directly apply the Electricity Code, and two tables with additional technical information for projects with, or without, transformers, which must be followed by the builders.

The Regulations also have provisions to classify projects according to size: from small houses to housing projects and tall buildings. Importance is placed on plans including full information on electrical installations.

The new Regulations, according to Acuña, will be strictly enforced, with every application being checked whatever its size, for incomplete or incorrect information. These will be rejected without exception.

The recommendations of these Regulations are based on the North American system since the majority of Costa Rica’s domestic electrical appliances and building tools come from the USA.

For more information on the provisions of the Regulations, you can visit the Spanish language website of the Federated College of Architects and Engineers (CFIA).

Our thanks to our friends at La Nacion – Costa Rica’s largest Spanish circulation newspaper for their permission to use their article in English.

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Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.