Electric situation

Electric situation

Whilst a couple of recent letters have addressed a concern (whether founded or not) about the effects of electro magnetic fields from high voltage transmission lines may I comment on a far more dangerous electrical situation that is ignored daily?

I'm talking about the practice of producing metal framed electrical appliances without an earth conductor. This is contrary to all rulings, including the Indonesian Electrical Wiring Rulebook, and yet the shops are full of washing machines, refrigerators, pressure pumps and voltage regulators with only a two wire supply cable.

It is interesting to note that most of the items are of Japan origin, if not manufacture. Perhaps this helps explain their healthy balance of payments, as every metal framed appliance that is produced without an earth connection saves the manufacturer the cost of the additional conductor in the mains cable (a 50 percent increase in mains cable cost) plus the additional pin on the molded plug and the crimp connection and termination point on the appliance itself.

A fault of active wire to frame on these types of appliances leaves the user as the return path to ground for the fault current. Great for the manufacturers' budgets but not too good for the consumers' bodies. Maybe the manufacturers feel that the consumer has only to invert the appliance plug in the wall socket and the fault then becomes neutral to frame, no more shock. It's all too easy, isn't it?

If the manufacturers and the inspecting authorities are not prepared to exercise any responsibility maybe there is a consumer group out there that could take up the issue?

GEORGE GORING

Bogor, West Java