ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade Non-US Electrical Systems & Trades Ground wire in Brazil

Hi Marcio,

I was thinking about your shower problem a short while ago and was wondering if you'd got it sorted out.

Roadie,
Welcome to the forum. There are quite a few of us international members here now from various places.

Maybe if you have time you could start a new thread with some general notes about the way things are done in Brazil. I'm sure it would prove interesting, as I for one am always fascinated in how systems are set up in other countries.

Oh by the way,

If you want to see what a 3-prong Brazilian wall socket looks like, check it out here:
http://www.kropla.com/brazil_power.htm

It looks like a single-type American outlet (5-15) that can also accept Europlug (2 round pin) plugs in addition to the normal 3-pin American grounded plugs.

I think these outlets might also take 2-amp British Standard 546 plugs (really tiny suckers), but not the 5-amp (a bit larger) variety.

Neat configuration -- would be awesome if we could have these in the States for dual-voltage appliances!

--
Sven

Here is another view of a Brazilian socket when not in the wall box.
http://www.internationalconfig.com/icc6.asp?item=85110

Other way around Sven. The British 2-pin 5A plugs are very similar to the "Euro" plug, except that the pins are slightly larger in diameter, spaced very slightly closer together, and are a fraction shorter.

This type of combination outlet, minus the grounding connection, is sometimes found on our dual-voltage shaver outlets. British shavers still come fitted with the 2-prong 5A plug.

As you say, the 2A plug is really tiny. I'll see if I can dig out some of these over the weekend and post some pics in another thread for comparison.


[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 08-21-2002).]

The voltage here in Belo Horizonte is 127. Yes Pauluk I am contracting with an electritian who seems to be knowgeable. He will do what we decided, a third wire from the neutral in the electric shower conneting directed to the entrance frame neutral. But, intersting, when I told him that of the neutral of the two line where the shower neutral is conected now brakes somewhere this becomes dangerous he said NO, this will not become dangerous, NOTHING will happen except that the shower will not work... I insisted that it was dangerous and he was SURE that it wasn't...
Well, will do the work in the next few days.

Sounds as though some Brazilian electricians need a little more theoretical training!

Glad you're getting it sorted out.

So glad I found the ECN. I had enormous help here and I am on the say of being able to enjoy my showers in Brazil without worries...

Many thanks!

I would have thought that a GFCI/
RCD, would be the first piece of equipment
fitted to an electrode-boiler type heater,
used in a damp area, regardless of how
the supply was connected.

I don't know about NZ, but all the instant electric showers I've ever seen are regular heating elements, not electrode type.

Thanks to you all, especially Paul. I know have my three electric showers in Belo Horizonte, Brazil connected to the ground bar in the main entrance electric frame.

I am having happu showers...