Building Services

Earthing
• Earthing means connecting any non-current carrying conductor part of an
electrical system with general mass of earth in such a manner that there is an
immediate discharge of electrical energy to the earth in the event of electrical
potential developed at that part of the system.
• For example, metallic frame work of electrical appliances, metallic covering of
electrical cables, the earth terminal of three pin socket outlets, neutral point of
single phase and three phase supply systems must be properly earthed.
• Earthing is done to ensure that no current carrying part of the system rises to be
potential beyond its normal value, no non-current carrying conducting part of a
system rises to a potential beyond earth potential that is zero.
• Proper earthing also helps to avoid electrical shock to the human beings also to
avoid the chance of fire hazard due to leakage current through unwanted path.
Need for Earthing
• To protect human lives as well as provide safety to electrical devices and
appliances from leakage current.

• To keep voltage as constant in the healthy phase (If fault occurs on any one phase).

• To Protect Electric system and buildings form lighting.

• To serve as a return conductor in electric traction system and communication.

• To avoid the risk of fire in electrical installation systems.

Components of Earthing System
A complete electrical earthing system
consists on the following basic components.

• Earth Continuity Conductor

• Earthing Lead
• Earth Electrode
Earth Continuity Conductor or
Earth Wire
That part of the earthing system which
interconnects the overall metallic parts of
electrical installation e.g. conduit, ducts,
boxes, metallic shells of the switches,
distribution boards, Switches, fuses,
Regulating and controlling devices, metallic
parts of electrical machines such as, motors,
generators, transformers and the metallic
framework where electrical devices and
components are installed is known as earth
wire or earth continuity conductor as shown
in the above fig.
Earthing Lead
The conductor wire connected between
earth continuity conductor and earth
electrode or earth plate is called earthing
joint or “Earthing lead”. The point where
earth continuity conductor and earth
electrode meet is known as “connecting
point” as shown in the above fig.

Earthing lead is the final part of the earthing

system which is connected to the earth
electrode (which is underground) through
earth connecting point.
Earth Electrode
A metallic electrode or plate which is buried
in the earth (underground) and it is the last
part of the electrical earthing system. In
simple words, the final underground
metallic (plate) part of the earthing system
which is connected with earthing lead is
called earth plate or earth electrode.

A metallic plate, pipe or rode can be used as

an earth electrode which has very low
resistance and carry the fault current safely
towards ground (earth).
Specification
• The earthing electrode should be situated at least 1.5m away from the building
(outside) whose installation system is being earthed.
• The earth wire should be of same material as that of earth electrode used.
• The cross sectional area of the Earth Continuity Conductor should not be less than
the half of the cross sectional area of the thickest wire used in the electrical
wiring installation.
• Loose earth and coal salt mixture should be filled around the earth electrode for
effective earthing.
• The earth wire for connected to the earth electrode shall not be necessarily run
along the whole wiring system. All the earth wire run along the sub circuits should
terminate and hooked firmly at the main board and from where the main earth
wires should be run to the main electrode.
• All the joints of the earth wire should be firmly done with nut bolts of the same
materials as of earth wire.
Grid Station
• The power carried over the extra high voltage lines must be
changed to low voltage before it can be used in Homes or
Industries.
• This occurs in several stages in a grid station, also known as
switch yards.
• Electricity is delivered to sub stations to either change the
voltage level of the power or to provide the switching point
for a number of transmission lines.
Placing of electrical equipment