Residents of some 60 to 70 per cent of older homes face possible electrocution due to the age of the power supply switch, which fails to work – and the lack of a neutral earth, Philenews reports.
This is what experts told the House Refugees Committee, adding that the problem is bigger in older electrical installations.
Indicative is the recent random inspection in the state’s Makarios III refugee settlement in Kamares, Larnaca, by the Electromechanical Service.
It revealed that three of the 18 facilities inspected had to be replaced urgently due to this danger.
Based on this conclusion and given that the 305 units in the settlement were built during the same period, the number of hazardous facilities is around 55.
Cyprus Scientific and Technical Chamber’s electrical mechanical engineer, Thomas Mita, told Philenews that the percentage of houses with old facilities and consequently similar problems ranges between 60% -70%.
And that if a time limit was to be set on what ‘old facilities’ means, then it could be said that the premises built before 2004 should be checked to see if their power supply switch works and if the grounding is neutral.
The process of connecting neutral point of 3-phase system to earth (i.e. soil) either directly or through some circuit element is called neutral grounding. Neutral grounding provides protection to persons and equipment.
This is rather vague, are we talking about safety trip switches such as RCCBs or ELCBs? which disconnect the supply automatically when someone comes into contact with a live conductor or the insulation of a device is faulty?
Hi Gerry. I agree it is rather vague. I think it refers to potential problems in distribution boxes and the main earth. (I wouldn’t be surprised if older properties still have the old type of fuses.)
I took delivery of my home in 2004 and have a main distribution box three smaller distribution boxes. Before the electricity authority would connect me to the supply they came and checked that everything was OK. (I was advised not to fit dimmer switches until after they’d completed their checks.)