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On Wednesday, February 15, 2012 a new electric code was officially decreed in La Gaceta, the official newspaper of Costa Rica. The new decree requires electrical professionals to abide by the new code that was approved by the Colegio Federado de Ingenieros y de Arquitectos.
The new regulations apply to all new dwellings as well as modifications made to any existing structures. All buildings that accommodate more than 100 people, including schools, hospitals and public auditoriums are now required to be inspected every five years.
Since there’s no standardized system of inspections required in Costa Rica, as is customary in other countries, nor any system of permitting by municipalities of those who make changes to existing electrical systems, it’s wise to have someone who has years of experience with Costa Rican construction problems inspect any dwelling that you might be considering to purchase, before you finalize the sale. That way, you’ll know what you’re getting yourself into before you end up having to spend a fortune to repair or replace antiquated construction installations.
That all depends on the budget of the owner. Installing only two electric cables costs less than to install the additional cable to ground the circuits.
Sounds like cheap money compared to getting fried due to a ground fault having nowhere to go except through the body. There’s a reason that grounding is almost universal in the industrialized world.
Another issue is soil type; some are less conductive than others to grounding. A rod might not be enough. Sometimes a mat or grid is required and that can run into some major moola.
A report from the Fire Marshall of Costa Rica indicates that in 2011 there were a total of 881 fire emergencies registered and 228 were investigated. Of the fires investigated, 98 occurred as a result of faulty electric installations. Of the 98 cases, 64% were due to short circuits in plugs and light fixtures. The remaining fires were a result of the presence of flammable liquids and other materials such as matches, cigarettes or candles. http://www.nacion.com/2012-02-18/ElPais/aval-de-ingenieros-electricos-sera-obligatorio-en-nuevas-construcciones.aspx
We recommend all our home-buyers to change the whole Electric in Tico Homes, we have not seen one single Tico Home so far that had a decent electric installation.
The quality of electrical devices (switches, receptacles, etc) I’ve seen in CR is quite “cheesy” compared to UL listed stuff in the US. Is it foolish to consider shipping down the good stuff for a construction project? Is it subject to the same import duties as personal possessions, are can it skate through (if US made) under CAFTA? 😉
The Cutler Hammer and Square D electrical components that are sold here are manufactured to international standards. The switches and outlets available here are 1st world quality. I wouldn’t consider importing anything to CR based on the hassles in the aduana and lack of guarantees.
Echoing what Tom says immediately above, yesterday morning the electrical installation in our guest house failed. The electrician found a faulty main circuit breaker in the box immediately under the meter beside the road. The breaker he removed is labeled “UL” (Underwriters Laboratory), so I think it’s safe to assume that it does, indeed, meet recognized standards.
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