Discuss Main Breaker box Wiring in the Electrical Forum area at ElectriciansForums.net

Welcome to ElectriciansForums.net - The American Electrical Advice Forum
Head straight to the main forums to chat by click here:   American Electrical Advice Forum

BillB123

DIY
Reaction score
3
Hello Gentlemen
Great Forum!
Newbie to this place, not sure if am posting my question in the right section.
I am attaching a pic showing wiring to the 220-240V main panel, my question
is this the correct way of making these connections?
I do feel something is missing here as I am confused with these
colors, as well as why one wire goes into the breakers. why no white wires?
also, I see 5 green wires into 5 breakers but only 1 green wire grounded.
Thank you all
Main Breaker box Wiring panel - EletriciansForums.net
 
That is the most astonishingly bad example of cable colours being apparently applied at random! Are you from Saudi Arabia as the flag indicated?

The main feed looks like the old UK colours (red/yellow/blue for phase L1/L2/L3 of a three phase supply) in which case the black to lower-right strip would be neutral.

Normally one would hope for an earth as well (green pre-1977 UK, green/yellow striped after), but the strip lower left (I'm guessing is bonded to the metal chassis) seems very bare!

Otherwise the circuits wired in to the breakers/fuses (can't really tell) appear to be randomly chosen!
 
Last edited:
Buzzlightyear thank you for the feedback, much appreciated; my thanks go to PC1966 as well, and yes I am an expat working in Saudi Arabia. Where I come from it is white, black, and bare ground, red on 3 ways. I heard a little sound coming out of this box so I'd decided to take a look at it ...this is what I have found. Not surprised at all since most if not all "so-called electricians" here are not properly licensed and I am being polite to them!
 
I would advise extreme care in a place like that!

From a very limited experience of wiring in Egypt:
  • you cannot depend on the cable colour to tell you its status (live or not)
  • switches are sometime put in the neutral path (not live, as required here)
  • few or no earths at all
The very dry climate helps reduce accidents a little :(

You should always assume electricity is deadly, and properly test that a system is dead before working on it (proper voltage tester, not a neon screwdriver or non-contact tester) in all places, but this just add a whole extra degree of danger on top of the usual.
 
I assume they are all power circuits so would be interesting to see some of the socket outlet colours/connections.
 
PC1966: I am way over my head with safety. In fact, I have not heard this word here for a long time, I missed it.


Westword10 thanks and there you go:
Note: these boxes in the bathroom with a shower, the sink is located no more than 16" from these 3 boxes, so much for GFIs :oops: but again as PC1966 said:
they believe the very dry climate helps reduce [bathrooms] accidents a little o_O

Main Breaker box Wiring outlet - EletriciansForums.net

This is the wiring on the left side switch: blue wire is turning black? cooked? yeah
Main Breaker box Wiring wirin - EletriciansForums.net
 
What is behind the socket as there are no earths at the switch but it may not need one.
 
Edit; It appear the Saudi version of Bs7671/IEC60304 is SBC401; SBC_2018 - https://www.sbc.gov.sa/En/Feedback/Pages/SBC_2018.aspx
Well that says conductors should be identified by colours according to IEC60445, but that means nothing if there is nobody making the local sparks actually follow it!

From the free preview section it looks very much as if they are aligning to the UK regs in general layout (thankfully though we don't have photos of big-wigs included), and probably makes sense if historically they started with UK style rules.
 
Last edited:
Must have been a nightmare to connect with so many different colours, tho it must have saved quite a bit of time not pulling in or connecting any earth wires. I assume the existing cables could be used to pull new ones in if required? The wiring is surprisingly tidily arranged considering how shoddy everything else is.
 
I agree with you Freddo considering the property size, a tiny one-bedroom apartment. Just imagine if that wiring was for a large bi-level one family house?
[automerge]1589478522[/automerge]
Yes looks like any colour will do .nothing connected in earth bar and all 30 amp fuses so no chance of nuisance tripping :)
That's scary, isn't it?:)
 
I agree with you Freddo considering the property size, a tiny one-bedroom apartment. Just imagine if that wiring was for a large bi-level one family house?
[automerge]1589478522[/automerge]

That's scary, isn't it?:)
Yes very scary the best option is to turned the main switch of at the bottom
 
Agreed.
While on this 3 Phase box is there DIY video/instruction on running an independent 110-120V line? To accommodate a coffee maker and electric shaver made in the US; without using a voltage converter. I believe they run on 60Hz
 
Agreed.
While on this 3 Phase box is there DIY video/instruction on running an independent 110-120V line? To accommodate a coffee maker and electric shaver made in the US; without using a voltage converter. I believe they run on 60Hz
With European style three-phase you have 230V L-N and 400V L-L so if you need 110V then it will need a transformer.

If you are really unlucky and actually need 60Hz (say for something using a synchronous motor for precise speed) you have an even bigger problem, but usually all that matters is getting the volts right.

Cheapest transformers are auto-transformers, basically a tapped winding. They do not provide isolation and if they have L & N swapped due to incompetent wiring then your 110V supply will actually be at 230V above ground. Usually insulation is fine for that, but if you have any concerns then look for an isolation transformer.

Even then you might have issues, as the UK style of 110V supply used for building sites (yellow connectors) is actually 55-0-55V (a bit like your 110-0-110 for 220V appliances in the USA) and that has the 0V earthed - which you clearly do not have!
 
With European style three-phase you have 230V L-N and 400V L-L so if you need 110V then it will need a transformer.

If you are really unlucky and actually need 60Hz (say for something using a synchronous motor for precise speed) you have an even bigger problem, but usually all that matters is getting the volts right.

Cheapest transformers are auto-transformers, basically a tapped winding. They do not provide isolation and if they have L & N swapped due to incompetent wiring then your 110V supply will actually be at 230V above ground. Usually insulation is fine for that, but if you have any concerns then look for an isolation transformer.

Even then you might have issues, as the UK style of 110V supply used for building sites (yellow connectors) is actually 55-0-55V (a bit like your 110-0-110 for 220V appliances in the USA) and that has the 0V earthed - which you clearly do not have!

Thank you for this awesome reply! Definitely the best of its type on the web. Very helpful. Very informative.
 
Thank you for this awesome reply! Definitely the best of its type on the web. Very helpful. Very informative.
Glad to be of help :)

For shavers you will find most of the dual voltage types are isolated, so they should be safe even if you have incompetent wiring (but I would avoid metal plate styles). An example of what I mean is this:
https://www.screwflix..com/p/mk-logic-plus-2-gang-dual-voltage-shaver-socket-115-230v-white/55378

But many other brands also do the same. You are looking for the "double-wound isolating transformer" aspect covered by BS EN 61558-2-5

For a coffee maker you will need a lot more power, as typically they draw 2-3kW, and you might find it simpler to buy a replacement coffee maker as it might be comparable to the cost of a good 230/110V isolation transformer. But if you have a few appliances and only need one high power one at a time you might find it worth setting up at 110V site transformer or similar and attaching a USA style set of sockets to run them off.
 

Reply to Main Breaker box Wiring in the Electrical Forum area at ElectriciansForums.net

OFFICIAL SPONSORS

Electrical Goods - Electrical Tools - Brand Names Electrician Courses Green Electrical Goods PCB Way Electrical Goods - Electrical Tools - Brand Names Pushfit Wire Connectors Electric Underfloor Heating Electrician Courses
These Official Forum Sponsors May Provide Discounts to Regular Forum Members - If you would like to sponsor us then CLICK HERE and post a thread with who you are, and we'll send you some stats etc

Electrical Forum

Welcome to the Electrical Forum at ElectriciansForums.net. The friendliest electrical forum online. General electrical questions and answers can be found in the electrical forum.
This website was designed, optimised and is hosted by Untold Media. Operating under the name Untold Media since 2001.
Back
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website. For the best site experience please disable your AdBlocker.

I've Disabled AdBlock