Construction in Costa Rica. Some potentially dangerous electrical problems

Electric outlets are installed to enable our appliances, lamps, computer equipment, etc to work for our convenience.

In most new construction, three prong electrical outlets are visible to the average person and if they have been properly connected with three wires, your electrical devices will provide years of convenience. However, in older, inexpensive housing, two prong electrical outlets are common and do not provide protection for your electronics.




I’ll explain in simple terms what’s really supposed to be going on inside the electrical conduit of your walls, ceilings and floors and provide what I consider the most cost effective method to properly ground your electrical devices.




Electrical wiring travels from the electrical breaker panel through electrical tubes (conduit) to the outlets, with stops at on/off switches along the way. For electrical systems to function up to modern day standards, three wires need to be installed inside the conduit.




For an outlet to function, one wire is installed from the breaker panel to deliver electricity to the outlet, while the second wire returns the electricity from the outlet back to the panel. The process of the electricity being delivered to the final electrical outlet and then returning back to the breaker panel is referred to as an electrical “circuit”.









In quality construction, we install a third wire to ground the circuit. If this grounding wire is not connected to copper grounding rods, installed in the soil outside the building, the electrical circuit will not protect your electrical devices.




The least expensive method to ground electrical installations with only two wires connecting the outlets is to install three prong plugs and a third electrical wire connected to a minimum of two copper grounding rods in the soil outside the building.




This installation can be accomplished by drilling a hole in the wall behind the electrical outlet box in order for the new wire to pass outside and be connected to the grounding rods. You can ground the electrical outlets only at the locations where you want to connect your valuable electrical equipment, eliminating the need to re-wire the entire building.




Most structures with only two wire electrical installations have small conduit installed in the walls, ceilings and floors. This makes adding a third wire nearly impossible because there is not sufficient space in the small conduit to pull three wires. Therefore, most inexpensive construction will become very expensive if the purchaser intends to remodel and upgrade to modern construction standards.




The most common problems in existing homes in Costa Rica are the result of the original owner/contractor wanting to spend a little as possible to complete the construction. The desire to build as cheap as possible results in various problems that render some structures uninhabitable by North American standards.









For instance, in inexpensive housing, you may find that the lights dim when the hot water heater is working. Many times, low voltage can cause the heaters not to function properly and the water output not to reach the proper temperature. Additionally, insufficient electrical current damages computer, appliances and most equipment.

If you’re living in an older home, inadequate electrical wiring and breakers are the most common problem. If you have a newer home, built to higher standards, and you’re experiencing low voltage related problems, have an experienced electrician check the amperage of the breakers that supply the electricity to your hot water heater and appliances.




Near bathtubs and sinks, you should already have or install GFI receptacles. GFI stands for ground fault interrupter. These outlets, which are standard in North America and most of the real world, are extremely sensitive and installed, or should be installed, close to water outlets. A GFI outlet can save lives, as it will trip (turn off) much like a circuit breaker, if it detects more power coming into the hot wire than in leaving through the neutral wire.









For instance, if you accidentally touch a suicide shower while you’re bathing, you’ll be shocked. With the typical Latino electrical wiring and your suicide shower connected directly to an ungrounded electrical outlet, the power would continue to pass through the water and your wet, ungrounded body. In all likelihood, you would be electrocuted.




However, if your suicide shower were wired into a GFI receptacle, the device would sense the lack of electricity returning to pass through the neutral (since it was passing through your body instead) and trip, thus cutting the electrical current to the suicide shower and saving your life.




Next time you’re taking a nice warm shower; think about how much you’ve taken for granted all your life in the real world. Be safe, not sorry!









Written by Tom Rosenberger of CostaRicaHomebuilder.com With more than 25 years of homebuilding experience, 15 of which have been in Costa Rica, construction consultant Tom Rosenberger knows the ins and outs of building and remodeling a home in the Central Valley area of Costa Rica.

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.