I wonder if Canada has an extradition treaty with England.
I was expecting a few snide comments...OK, so let me clear a few things up: No, I'm not a contractor and I don't have a license and I will NOT be receiving any money for any work I do. I'm volunteering at the lodge and just trying to help out because their electrical installation at this stage is definitely NOT safe. Up to this point they’ve had “cowboys” do all their wiring who didn’t have any qualifications whatsoever. Needless to say things weren’t wired as per the BC code and the installation is, to say the least, dangerous (open joints, no grounding, no GFI protection). A lot of the wiring was done by the owner himself to try and cut costs. I would imagine that they would take responsibility for the original wiring although if I can get into any trouble trying to help out (thanks for the advice) I'll rather stand aside. At least I can try and advise them as to what to do - hopefully with your help. They have a licensed electrician coming to fit the new battery bank so maybe they can get him to wire everything else as per the BC code. The lodge is very remote and only accessible via a float plane or boat therefore we will need to buy all the material before the time.
Sounds like a robust grounding system needs to be established and everything needs to be bonded to it.
Hey Larry thank you very much for your positive input, it is much appreciated.
1) Are the hulls of the structures metallic?
No they are not. The lodge is built on top of large wooden fir logs and there are no metallic structures like railings.
2) Can metallic plates be installed if the hulls are not metal?
Please explain. Can one get special "grounding" plates that can be dropped into the water and used as the main ground? If so I'm sure they can install them.
3) Bond all accessible metal to the metal plates or hull.
Ok
4) Remember corrosion protection such as zinc or other sacrificial anodes.
Good tip, thanks
5) Bond the "neutral" of the inverter outputs to the powewr house grounding system.
Ok
6) Keep the insulated neutral and ground separated from each other from this point on.
Ok
7) Each structure is now connected to the power house with an insulated 4 conductor cable and connector.
Ok
8) All metallic systems on each structure are bonded to its' floating structures "ground" system.
Ok
9) The "ground" wire of the 4 conductor cable is securely connected to the floating structure "ground" system at the first point possible.
Ok
10) Use a 2 pole disconnect between the fuses and the connector that feeds each separate structure at the power house. You do not want to change fuses with the load still attached.
Ok
11) Use appropriate fixtures, connector, cabling, etc. for the environmental conditions.
Ok. Many thanks for the advice
You need a BC Contractors license to get a permit and you need a permit. You did not say you are a contractor.
Hey mikesh thanks for your reply. The lodge has been running for many years now without any earthing or GFI protection and my guess is that with money being tight they will not be able to afford a licensed electrician to do all the wiring. So do I just turn a blind eye and walk away especially knowing that they have young kids playing around? It is a difficult one...
Where does the boat gets its power? I understand this group of floating buildings is not fed from shore.
It is not a boat but rather a wooden lodge built on top of large floating logs. The power is generated by a generator which charges a bank of batteries. Additional power is generated by solar panels.
Bonding will deal with fault currents but the system does need to be grounded and you should seek advice from a boat builder as to how it is done on a boat. Zinc anodes are common to protect boats from galvanic corrosion especially where metal hulls are involved.
As they don't have a metal hull or any other metal involved I guess one could install metal plates, as mentioned by LarryC?
The requirements for GFCI devices is the same as a land locked building Outside plugs within 2.5 meters of the water on the buildings keeping in mind that GFCI outlets on the exterior of buildings are not required if the building is not a dwelling unit. Might still be a very good idea. Outlets within 5 feet of sinks are required to be GFCI protected.
Any Freeze protection may require GFI (not gfci) protection too.
Generally i can't think why a floating building needs any more GFCI outlets or protection than a dry land building
All the buildings are dwelling units which are used either for the guests, hosts or volunteers. All outside outlets would be within 2.5m of the water. There are outlets within 5 feet of sinks in the kitchen which are currently not protected and there might be some outside but within 5 ft of some of the bathrooms as well. Do those need GFI protection? Each building has its own bathroom. Do the lighting circuits need GFI protection (they do as per the new 17th edition in England)?
