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INFORMATION SHEET

Training: Code:
Course: NDCE, NDA & NDWE
Module: Electrical Installation – Building Prepared by: Zilinsangeyo Afan
Service Date of execution:
Sub-Module: Earthing
Title (detail): Earthing, Earthing system,
Regs.
Earthing – the act of connecting the exposed conductive parts of an installation
to the main protective earthing terminal of the installation. OR
Earthing or grounding of equipment refers to the effectual connection to the
general mass of earth by means of an earth electrode or a metal conductor.

Reasons for earthing

 To maintain the potential at any part of the system at a definite value
with respect to earth.(To maintain the line voltage constant (the neutral
of every transformer is earthed)

 To minimize the danger of life and property.(To save human life and
livestock from danger of shock or death) and also To protect large
buildings from atmospheric lightening.

 To allow current to flow to earth in event of a fault so that the protective gear
will operate to isolate the fault circuit.

 To make sure that in event of a fault, apparatus normally “dead” cannot

reach a dangerous potential in respect to earth. (earthing is normally taken
as o or no volt). In otherwise to protect all machines fed from overhead
lines from lightening.

Terms used in earthing

Earth – the conductive mass of the earth whose electrical potential is taken as
zero.

Bonding conductor – a protective conductor providing equipotential bonding.

Bonding – the linking together of the exposed or extraneous metal parts of an

electrical installation.

Circuit protective conductor (CPC) – a protective conductor connecting

exposed conductive parts of equipment to the main earthing terminal.
This is the green and yellow insulated conductor in twin and earth cable.

Exposed conductive parts – this is the metalwork of an electrical appliance or

the trunking and conduit of an electrical system which can be touched because
they are not normally live, but which may become live under fault conditions.

Extraneous conductive parts – this is the structural steelwork of a building

and other service pipes such as gas, water, radiators and sinks. They do not form
a part of the electrical installation but may introduce a potential, generally earth
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potential, to the electrical installation.

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Shock protection – protection from electric shock is provided by basic

protection and fault protection.

Basic protection – this is provided by the insulation of live parts in

accordance with Section 416 of the IEE Regulations.

Fault protection – this is provided by protective equipotential bonding and

automatic disconnection of the supply (by a fuse or MCB) in accordance with
IEE Regulations

Protective equipotential bonding – this is equipotential bonding for the

purpose of safety
Earth electrode/rod- This is the conductor which is in contact with the
general mass of earth
Types of Earth Electrode
The following types of earth electrode are recognized:
(i) earth rods or pipes
(ii) earth tapes or wires
(iii)earth plates
(iv) underground structural metalwork embedded in foundations
(v) welded metal reinforcement of concrete embedded in the earth
(excluding pre-stressed concrete)
(vi) lead sheaths and metal coverings of cables, which must meet the
following conditions:
Earth electrode resistance- This is the resistance of the earth
electrode to the general mass of the earth.
Earth lead/ earthing conductor- This is a final conductor by which a
connection is made between the consumer‟s earth terminal and the earth
electrode/rod.

Main earth terminal- This is usually formed at the consumer‟s circuit, at

protective conductor, bonding conductor.
The type of earth electrode be used will depend on the nature of the soil in
which it is installed.

Also soil temperature has an effect on its resistivity.

In some cases the chemical equipment of the soil may be used to improve on
the conductivity e.g Sodium chloride, Sodium carbonate, and Crushed charcoal.

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Earth leakage Trip

This is a device which automatically trips the consumer‟s circuit breaker
when an earth-leakage current flows through it.
There are two types of earth leakage trip;
Current operated earth leakage circuit
breaker/RCD Voltage operated earth leakage
circuit breaker

An RCD is a type of circuit breaker that continuously compares the current in

the phase and neutral conductors of the circuit. The currents in a healthy circuit
will be equal, but in a circuit that develops a fault, some current will flow to
earth and the phase and neutral currents will no longer balance. The RCD
detects the imbalance and disconnects the circuit.

Applications
Used where the product of the operating current in ampere and earth
loop impedance in ohms does not exceed 40V
Voltage operated earth leakage circuit breaker

Under abnormal conditions (fault) the current leaks through the frame work to
earth via tripping coils. The operating coil/tripping coils sets up a magnetic field
(becomes energized) which trips off the switch and thereby making the circuit
dead.
The test switch is required so that the unit can be tested at frequent intervals
making sure that the continuity of earth path is maintained and to ensure that
the operation of the unit is satisfactory.
Applications
Used when the product of its operating current times the impedance exceeds
40V or where voltage of the protected metal raises to 240v and above.

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Earth fault loop impedance

Circuit protection should operate in the event of a fault to earth. The speed
of operation of the protective device is of extreme importance and will
depend on the impedance of the earth fault loop path.

Shows the path. Starting at the point of the fault, the path comprises

Earthing systems

A System in connection to earthing is an electrical arrangement

consisting of a single source of electrical energy and an installation
For certain purposes of the regulations, types of system are identified as
follows. Depending upon the relationship of the source
The exposed- conductive parts of the installation to earth.

Types of earthing methods (systems)

There are several earthing systems namely
1. TN- system Which has three versions i.e. T-N-C system, T-N-S system and
T-N-C-S system
2. TT- system
3. IT- system
First letter- Relationship of power
system to Earth T-direct connection of one
point to Earth.
I- All live parts isolated from Earth, or one point connected to Earth through a
High impedance
Second letter- Relationship of the exposed-conductive-parts of the
installation to Earth
T- direct electrical connection of the exposed-conductive-parts to the
earth, independently of the earthing of any point of the power system.
N- direct electrical connection of exposed-conductive-parts to the earthed point
of the power system
Subsequent letter(s) if any
S- protective function provided by a conductor separate from thr neutral
conductor or the earthed line conductor
C- neutral and protective functions combined in a single conductor (PEN
conductor)

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The supply earth

Arrangements are indicated by the first letter, where „T‟ means one or more
points of the supply are directly connected to the earthed and „I‟ means that the
supply is not earthed or one point is earthed through a fault limiting impedance.

The Installation earthing

Arrangements are indicated by the second letter where „T‟ means the
exposed conductive parts are connected directly to earth and „N‟ means the
exposed conductive parts are connected directly to the earthed point of the
source of electrical supply

The earthed supply conductor

Arrangements are indicated by the third letter where „S‟ means separate
neutral and protective conductor and „C‟ means that neutral and protective
conductors and combined in a single conductor

TN- system
A system having one or more points of the source of energy directly earthed
and exposed conductive parts of the installation being connected to that point
by protective conductors. There are three versions of TN-system i.e. T-N-C
system, T-N-S system and T-N-C-S system.

TN-C System
This is a system in which the neutral and protective functions are combined
in a single conductor throughout the system

TN-S System
This is a system having separate neutral and protective conductors throughout
the system.

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I.E.E regulation
All exposed conductive parts of the installation will be connected by
protective conductors to the main earthing terminal of the installation and
that in turn will be connected to the earth point of the supply authority.

TT System
This is a system having one point of the source of energy directly earthed,
the exposed conductive part of the installation being connected to earth
electrode electrically independent of the earth electrode of the source.

IT System
This is a system having no direct connection between live parts and earth,
the exposed conductive parts of the electrical installation being earthed

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TN-C-S System
This is a system in which neutral and protective functions are combined in a
single conductor (PEN) in part of the system. This type of distribution is also
known as PME

I.E.E regulation
All exposed conductive parts of the installation will be connected by protective
conductors to the main earthing terminal of the installation. The earthing lead
provided by the consumer will be connected by the supply authority to the
neutral or PEN conductor of the supply (Protective Multiple Earthing system).
PEN conductor is a conductor combining the functions of both protective
conductor and neutral conductor

Advantages of PME
There is low impedance path for a fault current to flow via neutral conductor.

The impedance to earth is low even although individual earth impedances may
be high because of many earth connections that are made parallel.

Disadvantages of PME
A shock risk may arise if any earthed metal work associated with the system
bonded to neutral conductor is broken.

Earth currents may be circulated between the earth electrodes

causing interference with telephone system.

IEE Regulation for Earthing

I.E.E regulation states that every item of apparatus and every conductor shall be
prevented from giving rise to earth-leakage currents by all insulated
construction, by double insulation, by isolation or by earthing of exposed metal
parts.

I.E.E regulation states that extraneous fixed metal work which cannot be
effectively segregated from the metal work of an installation should be bonded
to earth continuity conductor. This includes baths, exposed metal pipes,
accessible structural steel work etc.

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I.E.E regulation states that a consumer’s earthing terminal to which the earth
continuity conductor shall be connected near to the consumer’s terminal.

Regulation requires the consumer’s earthing terminal to be bonded to the metal

work of public gas and water services as near as possible to their points of entry
into the premises.

The earthing electrode should be situated at a place at least 1.5 meters away
from the building (outside) whose installation system is being earthed.

The earth wire should be of the same material as that of the earth electrode used

I.E.E regulation states that the cross sectional area of every copper earthing
lead shall not be less than the largest associated current carrying conductor.
Or
The size of earth conductor as a general rule should not be less than half of
the section of the line conductor.

Loose earth and charcoal salt mixture should be filled round the earth electrode
for effective earthing

The earth wire connected to the electrode shall not be necessarily run along to
the whole wiring system. All the earth wire running along the sub-circuits
should be terminated and hooked firmly from the earthing terminal at the
consumer’s control unit.
All the joints in the earth wire should be firmly made

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