EARTHING:

LESSON OUTCOME:
At the end; the leaner will be able
1.to explain the importance of earthing
2.To explain various terms used in earthing
3.To know what should be earthed.
 Earthing
Is the connection of the equipment to the general
mass of the earth.

A conductor or metallic part is said to be earthed

when it is effectively connected to the general
mass of earth by a metal plate; rod; or
galvanized pipe.
• The basic reason for earthing is to prevent or
minimise the risk of shock to human beings and
livestock.
• The reason for having properly earthed
metalwork in an installation is to provide a low-
resistance discharge path for earth- leakage
currents which would otherwise prove injurious
or fatal to any person touching the metal- work
associated with a faulty circuit.

• The prevention of electric shock in all

installations is a matter which has been
subjected to close attention.
 Necessity of earthing
1.To prevent the person from danger of shock.
2.To avoid fire hazards due to fault current.
3.To protect equipment & installation from
damage due to excess current.

Earth connection provides low path for the flow of

fault current which will blow off the fuse or trip
the CB and hence disconnect the supply.
 What is to be earthed ?
1. All metal work of wiring system ( other than
current carrying parts ) e.g. Conduit, trunking
catenary wire, cable sheath, armour e.t.c.
Excemption are clips, screws, short length of
metallic pipes used for wall / ceiling crossing,
lighting fitting of incandescent lamps installed
at certain safe height.

2.Exposed metal work of all apparatus e.g. body

of motor, switch gear, e.t.c.
3. One point (earth terminal ) of every 3 pin
socket outlet.

4. One point of secondary winding of a

transformer.
In order to prevent danger from leakage
current in place where are exposes
water pipes wet surface such as bath,
kitchen, laundry e.t.c
Special requirements are needed.
1.Use insulated type of B.C holder and totally enclosed
fittings
2.Provide the control and fittings out of reach person in
contact with a shower or bath.
3.No provision should be made for portable appliances
to be used inside the bathrooms except electric shaver
4. All metal pipe, metallic tanks, sinks e.t.c. should be
bounded by earth continuity conductor and earth.
 Methods (types of earth electrode)
1. One or more hard drawn copper rod driven
vertically into the ground

2. Bare copper conductor plate or strips buried in

the ground.

3. Galvanized pipe or plate buried in the ground.

4. Earth-fault loop impedance.

 Earthing terms:
1. Earth:- A connection of an equipment to the
general mass of the earth by means of an
earth electrode.
2. Earthing lead:- the last conductor connecting
the earth continuity conductor of an
installation to earth electrode or other earthing
system.
3. Earth electrode:- A conductor or group of
conductors in initiate contact with, and
providing an electrical connection to an earth
electrode.
4. Earth Continuity conductor (ECC) or Circuit
protective conductor (CPC) :- A protective
conductor connecting exposed conductive parts
of the equipment to the main earthing.

5. Earth resistance:- The ohmic resistance

between an earth electrode system and the
general mass of the earth.

In case of a consumer’s earth, earthing lead, and

the resistance is the sum of resistance of
consumer’s CPC and the earthing lead and the
resistance of the earth electrode to the general
mass of earth.
 Protection against earth-leakage
currents
Electric shock
• IEE Regulation 130-04-01 (in Part 1) states:
'Where metalwork of electrical equipment, other
than current-carrying conductors, may become
charged with electricity in such a manner as to
cause danger:
(i) the metalwork shall be connected with earth in such
a manner as will cause discharge of electrical
energy without danger, or
(ii) other equally effective precautions shall be taken to
prevent danger.
Fault voltage earth leakage circuit breaker
Automatic protection
Earth-leakage and earth-fault protection are
methods of protection arranged to disconnect the
supply automatically from an installation or circuit
when the earth-leakage or earth-fault currents
exceed predetermined values.
Similarly, the protection is offered when the voltage
between protected metalwork of the installation and
earth rises above a predetermined value.
Such a system may be made to operate more rapidly
and at lower values of leakage or fault current than
one depending on overcurrent protective devices such
as fuses, thermal trips, etc.
• Automatic protection is there- fore used where
the impedance of the earth-fault loop limits the
current flowing in it to a value less than three
times the current rating of the fuse or one-and-
a-half times the overcurrent setting of the
circuit-breaker.
• Earth-leakage or earth-fault protection is
generally effected by means of a device
known as an earth-leakage circuit-breaker
(ELCB), now known as a residual current
device (RCD).
• The fault-voltage earth-leakage circuit-
breaker was a popular method of achieving
protection against small earth-leakage
currents,
Residual current device.
• This device consists of a transformer having opposed
windings which carry the incoming and outgoing
current of the load.
• In a healthy circuit, where the values of current in
the windings are equal, the magnetic effects cancel
out in the transformer core. A fault causes an out-
of-balance circuit condition and creates an effective
magnetic flux in the core which links with the
turns of a secondary winding and induces an e.m.f.
in it. The secondary winding is permanently connected
to the trip coil of the circuit-breaker. to
When the circulating current reaches a
predetermined value, it is sufficient to pull out
the release latch to open the main contacts
which are normally held closed against strong
pressure springs.

In contrast to the fault-voltage ELCB, this type

can be used to provide discriminative protection
for individual circuits.
Circuit diagram of a residual-current earth-
leakage circuit breaker.
 Earthing tests
Briefly, the tests are designed to ensure that the
earthing arrangements for a particular
installation are effective and will considerably
reduce the risk resulting in the occurrence of
dangerous shock conditions should an earth-
leakage current (either through faulty insulation
or from a direct live to earth) arise.

The recommended tests include:

1.Continuity of ring final circuit conductors,
particularly the circuit protective conductor.
2. Continuity of all protective conductors,
including main and supplementary
equipotential bonding.
3. Earth-electrode resistance.
4. Earth-fault loop impedance.
5. Operation of residual current devices and
fault-voltage operated protective devices.

• In addition, the visual inspection of the

installation earthing arrangements should be
carried out to ensure that everything is in
order.
 PRACTICAL EXICISES
Task to be performed:

How to find the appropriate area

(grounding area) for earth
electrode connection
END