electricity in the Philippines

[harry80020]

Posted by: rayhigh
« on: May 15, 2014, 01:07:50 PM »

 
Hey all,

We are going to start putting up a mixed commercial/residential structure in Eastern Samar later this year.

Does anyone know if I can use electrical outlets purchased in the USA and use them on a 220v system? The quality of the ones I can buy in the states seems better, if they will work on 220 without problems.

Thanks



American style 110 volt receptacles will work fine on Philippine 220 so long as you don't exceed the ampere rating of the receptacle, they're what the Philippinos use.  If you want top quality receptacles, see if you can find "hospital grade", but they are expensive.  In the USA plugs & receptacles have different socket configurations for the different voltage & ampere ratings of the circuit.  Even the cheapest 110 volt equipment in the USA has to be safe up to 300 volts, check the voltage rating on your light duty lamp cords, it's written on the insulation. 

[harry80020]

Hi Mr Harry

I appreciate your insight on electricity and am current building a home in Angeles City MetroGate.

The home is about 80% complete and the builder has recommended we have dual outlets with 110 and 220.

In your opinion, is this a good practice?  Is it more efficient to run appliances on 110 vs 220?

My wife (a Filipina) will be visiting Jan 2015 to stock-up on appliances, should she buy 110 or 220?

Thank you for your reply
Humberto (Bert) Ruiz


 


Dear Humberto,

    110 volt appliances and 220 volt appliances both have the same efficiency.  The only thing that is different is you can use smaller wire for 220 volts.  The only problem with having dual voltage in the Philippines is that they use the same receptacle for both voltages, so it is easy to plug something into the wrong voltage.

Best always,

Harry.

[cvgtpc1]

The only problem with having dual voltage in the Philippines is that they use the same receptacle for both voltages, so it is easy to plug something into the wrong voltage.

I definitely agree with that.  Our place in AC had dual voltage with the same outlet type and an in-law blew a US 110v TV plugging it into the wrong outlet.

[trevor]

Here in the province of North Luzon they have the two wire system. They have a ground wire at the utility pole. This ground wire is tied to the bare wire coming into the residence. When we built our house one year ago I had the electrician add one ground rod at the other utility pole at the front of our property where the meter is located. This ground is tied to the supply power ground (bare) wire. The wire is then piped underground to our house about 40 meters from that pole. We add another ground rod at the side of the house where the entrance junction box is located. This extra ground wire is added to the main breaker box on a separate buss bar. All the outlets are of the universal three wire system. All outlets are tied to ground on the extra ground buss in the main breaker box. So far we have no problem with tingling when we hold the fridge or range standing with bare feet on the tile floor.
Also we purchased our own transformer from the utility company. 25 KVA capacity. Utility company should supply the proper service but as we all know this is the Ph. Tried to get the TV cable company to give us service but they want us to purchase the wire coming to our house. Their wiring is not yet up to our area. Is about 1/2 a mile further down the road. I am sure if we went for that then they would later tap off the wire we supply to feed their other customers. Tried to talk to their boss but the guy does not want to talk to me. So far we are using the satellite dish.

Trevor.

[David690]

Hi Harry

The last post in this thread is very old.  Just wondering if you are still active on the forum, as I would like to discus the electrical wiring on the house I am building.

Thanks,
David

[Lee2]

Hi Harry

The last post in this thread is very old.  Just wondering if you are still active on the forum, as I would like to discus the electrical wiring on the house I am building.

Thanks,
David

Hi David, welcome to the forum. I sent Harry a private message asking him to check back in to reply to your post, I have not seen him around for a while so I hope he comes back on and replies to you.
Lee

[David690]

Hi David, welcome to the forum. I sent Harry a private message asking him to check back in to reply to your post, I have not seen him around for a while so I hope he comes back on and replies to you.
Lee

Thanks Lee

[David690]

Hi Lee

I'm guessing that you haven't heard anything from Harry.

Thanks,
David

[Lee2]

Hi Lee

I'm guessing that you haven't heard anything from Harry.

Thanks,
David

Yes, sadly no reply. Some people use a special email address for forums, rather than their main email address, thus they never get the message or rarely look at that email address, maybe he will look at it one of these days. I was not on this forum for a while after the first software change happened, as I found that software very hard to use. I too use to disappear for many months when I was busy with other things, lets hope he is okay and that someday he will come back on.

[Gray Wolf]

Hi Lee

I'm guessing that you haven't heard anything from Harry.

Thanks,
David

David,

You might try contacting Harry at his email address:  hdtoken@msn.com
I'm not certain it's still valid as I haven't seen any activity from him for quite a while, either here on the forum or on the Yahoo Group. Hope he responds to you personally.

[David690]

There appears to me to be some misinformation being given or assumed about the Philippine electrical standards.  It might help to discuss the two primary residential electrical systems worldwide -- The US system, and virtually everybody else, which we will call the European system.  The Philippine system is generally half an American system – without the grounding required for 110 volt outlets.

US SYSTM
The US system provides 220 volt electrical service to every residential house.  The electrical feed consists of two hot feed wires.  Each feed wire is 110 volts measured to ground.  But the two feed wires are 180 degrees out of phase with each other.  Across the two feed wires, you get 220 volts because the wires are opposite polarity.  That makes the US residential system a 110 volt, two-phase system. 

These two hot feed wires connect to two separate hot busses in the circuit breaker box.  There is a third neutral bus for the neutral and ground wires.  The US circuit breaker box is always grounded.  The US circuit breaker box is designed so that a 110 volt circuit connects to a single circuit breaker, while a 220 volt circuit connects through two circuit breakers.  The US breaker box design connects adjacent circuit breakers to a separate hot bus, which allows the 220 volt circuit breaker pair to be connected as a double-pole – that is, they can be thrown open or closed simultaneously.      

Few US household appliances actually use 220 volts.  However central air conditioning compressor motors, and shop tools with electrical motors often do use 220 volts.  Other appliances that plug into a 220 volt receptacle, such as an electric oven or an automatic clothes dryer, may actually just run two separate 110 volt circuits within the appliance. 

The US system literally uses the ground as part of the electrical circuit.  You don\'t feel it, but a ground connection is essential to the US electrical system -- you cannot get 110 volts without connecting to ground.  The neutral buss, and the circuit breaker box itself, are always connected to ground using a heavy copper wire attached to a copper rod driven at least 18 inches into the soil.  

US wiring inside the house consist of three wires – a hot wire through the circuit breaker, a neutral wire connected to the neutral buss, and a ground safety wire connected to the circuit breaker box.  If a metal conduit is used, it may substitute for third safety ground wire.  Both the US neutral wire, and the ground safety wires are connected to ground, but they serve different purposes.  The neutral wire completes the appliance circuit from the hot feed wire, thru the appliance circuit, and then to ground and back to the generator.  The safety ground wire, on the other hand, never connects to the hot feed wire except by accident.  Its purpose is to drain off any electrical leakage from the appliance to the exterior of the appliance that a human may touch.  The safety ground wire utilizes the third prong on a three prong receptacle, which prevents your electrocution should the appliance casing inadvertently become electrically hot through a short. 


EUROPEAN SYSTEM
The European system also provides 220 volt service to residences -- but through a single hot feed wire.  The single feed wire is 220 volts measured to ground.  If there is a second feed wire to a European house, it is a neutral wire – not hot unless an appliance is turned on.  Inside the “European” house, there may be two wires – one hot and one neutral.  But outside the house, the neutral may just go to ground, because most localities on the European system consider it too expensive to run a neutral wire all the way back to the generator when the ground will accomplish the same thing at no cost.  Europeans do not use 110 volt appliances, and you cannot get 110 volts out of the European system.  If you need 110 volts, you must use a transformer. 

PHILIPPINE SYSTEM
I can’t speak for all areas in the Philippines, but the localities I have been to use the American two-phase service – consisting of two hot 110 volt wires 180 degrees out of phase with each other.  Both these hot feed wires connect to the main generator. The circuit breaker box has no neutral buss and does not normally connect to ground.  That works in the Philippines because only 220 volt appliances are sold there. 

However, because the service is 110 volt two phase, two circuit breakers are necessary for every household circuit. The breaker box is designed so adjacent circuit breakers connect to separate busses.  Every circuit breaker must be part of a double-pole pair – to be thrown open or closed simultaneously.  However, it is very easy for the connector bar to fall off, and if only one circuit breaker is turned off, the appliance will still be hot to ground – possibly through your body – so always make sure to throw circuit breaker switches in pairs. 

There are always two hot wires to every electrical outlet.  Each side of the electrical outlet is hot.  There are no neutral wires, and a safety ground wire is not employed.  The circuit box itself may not be grounded.

EUROPEAN EXPATS bringing European appliance only face the consternation of having to plug into a US-style two blade outlet that normally is a 110 volt outlet.  The US-style three-prong plug is also only used in grounded 110 volt circuits in the US and the third prong is useless on a normal Philippine electrical circuit. Other than having to use a plug adapter, European appliances work just fine in the Philippines.  

AMERICAN EXPATS bringing 110 volt appliances into the Philippines must either use a 110 volt transformer, or modify the house circuit to tap into the 110 volt service.  It is all too easy to plug your 110 volt appliance into what looks to the American as a normal 110 volt outlet, but in the Philippines is a 220 volt outlet – with the consequence of a fried American appliance.  110 volt transformers are widely available in the Philippines, and relatively cheap. 

If you bring American 220 volt appliances, such as electric water heaters, air conditioners, ovens, or ranges, you have to be careful.  Many of these may plug into a 220 volt outlet in the US, but their internal wiring is only designed to use 110 volts.  Also, all 220 volt circuits in the US use a three-prong plug, with the third prong serving as neutral and safety ground.  Philippine 220 volt circuits are not grounded, and for that reason, your American 220 volt appliances may not work, and may be fried. 

MODYFYING THE FILIPINO HOUSE CIRCUIT.
All one has to do to get 110 volts out of the Filipino system is add in the missing pieces – a neutral buss in the circuit breaker box, ground the neutral buss physically to the earth with a thick wire connected to a copper rod driven at least 18 inches into the soil, remove one of the hot wires running to the selected outlet and replace it with neutral wire from the neutral bus – viola, you have 110 volt service.  If you are going to install three-prong plugs, then you should also run a separate bare wire from the neutral bus to the third prong receptacle (for the round pin on the plug.)

Note that every 220 volt circuit you convert yields two 110 volt outlets, as a 110 volt outlet only has one circuit breaker and one hot wire to it.

If you are smart, you will also want to replace all your flat blade 220 volt outlets with the round pin European outlet.  Then you never have to ever worry about inadvertently plugging your 110 volt appliance into a 220 volt outlet and frying the appliance.

I hope this clears up the confusion.

Hi Doctor M

Thank you for your post, but where I was clear before (at least I believed that I was), I am confused now.
My understanding of the 220v 2 wire supply in Philippines was as described by Harry, i.e. a live feed plus a neutral feed, with neutral being grounded inside your house.  That clearly runs contrary to your explanation.

Unfortunately, Harry has not been seen for quite a while, so I do not expect to see any response from him on this.
Anybody else on here with a clear understanding on the Philippines electric supply.

David

[hitekcountry]

From what I’ve seen there are two hot wires both are switched at the breaker/fuse box. There is no neutral feed and/or no ground wire from power pole to house. Also in trying to measure the voltage on each leg it appears as though the system floats to ground.

The two places where I was able to get a close look at the wiring were old houses and may not represent up to date installations.

[Lee2]

Our Cebu City condo only has a two wires system too.

[lost_in_samoa]

That clearly runs contrary to your explanation

Harry schooled me back in the day when I was first setting up our solar system.  Harry if your out there I can't thank you enough.

So I will pass on the understanding he gave me.

The term "neutral" as it is used here in the RP is contrary to what other countries use.  If you meter out a neutral line here you will get voltage on it. 

So its just terminology that you need to adjust to.  Kinda like you cannot find "Velcro" any where.  But there is lots of "Magic Tape".

If you walk  your lines back to the power pole you will find a big oil transformer.  that transformer usually has 3 or 4 taps on it.  Usually two of those taps feed your house extension.  One of the other taps, usually not connected to anything, will be the center of the transformer winding between the taps that feed your house.  That center tap is 0 volts in respect to the Leg 1 and Leg 2 feeds to your house.

The main problem is that users are not given access to a center tap feed so you can't just go between L1 or L2 to a ground bond neutral.  Direct short to ground.  You will let the magic blue smoke out of all of the appliances, and start Divisoria on fire ..... again.

So what most people have is two wires 180 out of phase.  Between them you measure 240 vdc.  Keeping that in mind, every time you goof with electricity here you need to remember that even with the switch off one line is still hot.  Unless you installed Double pole single throw switches.

What we do is use a large auto transformer.  That lets me create a neutral, (still cant bond it to ground).  Using that neutral We can now power 120 devices off of either Neu -> L1 or Neu -> L2.


Hope that helps.

[trevor]

Well apparently some of us home owners here have a different voltage supply set up. I can only speak for myself and what i have here in our home in North Luzon. We have the two wire system and 220 VAC. only. This consist of one bare wire and one insulated wire coming from the pole. The bare wire is also grounded at the pole on the street. We have no option to lower the voltage except by utilising a step down transformer. That is if we want to use 110 VAC in side our home to power 110 VAC appliances.
We have to work with what what the utility company supply.
What i did was added one extra ground wire by inserting a six foot grounded rod into the earth. Actually two six foot ground rods.
This grounded wire was added to a ground buss inside the main breaker box. I used all three pin outlets and the whole house is wired with the extra ground wire. With this set up i could use ground faults GFI. inside the kitchen and bathrooms.
Also no more tingling (mini shocks) when i touch the refrigerator or the range if i am barefooted, which is how i walk inside the house. Everyone else use fit flop inside the house.
When we were building the house the roofers who did the steel trusts complained about the welder not working because of the low supply voltage, voltage was from 180 to 200 VAC. So we purchased our own transformer from Novelco which they installed on the pole and we got a steady supply of 230VAC. Over here in the province one transformer supply many homes, resulting in a voltage drop.