Sunday, October 23, 2011

Damai Gayana @ Lighting

Being positioned around the equator - Malaysia's financial and business centre - Kuala Lumpur is well known for heavy downpour which often coupled with thunder lighting.

Damai Gayana, having being located at higher elevation, lighting strike is quite common, hence affecting ELCB (Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker) during thunder lighting.
 
A good read/understanding about ELCB can be found in the following link;
 
 
I have also attached information on ELCB
 
Generally, ELCB trips during heavy thunderstorm is "good" since it protects "Electric and Electronic" appliances installed and connected to wiring system within our residences. Having said that, nuisance trips can be a "headache" especially when we are out of town.
  
Some ELCBs do not respond to rectified fault current. This issue is the same in principle with ELCBs and RCDs, but ELCBs are on average much older and specs have improved considerably over the years, so an old ELCB is more likely to have some uncommon fault current waveform that it will not respond to.
 
With any mechanical device, failures occur, and ELCBs should ideally be tested periodically to ensure they still work. If either of the earth wires become disconnected from the ELCB, it will no longer trip and the installation will often no longer be properly earthed.
 
For testing the ELCB all one need to do is to "test" your ELCB. Go to your store-room and look for the ELCB. You will find a "pushbutton", written "Test". Push that and the power supply to entire house SHALL trip.
 
If it works, then you ELCB are perfectly working fine and your resident is protected. In the event, it doesn't work then you may contact your electrician to get it checked.
  
As residents of DG, we are somewhat gifted to live at higher elevation hence getting a bit of fresh air.
 
However, we can readily see the extent of "Housing" development which is taking place just across our Park (i.e Taman). Not long ago, there was a breaktaking view of a small hill just beside Road 8/1C, but recent development had almost "carved" half of the hill and remaning now is another half. I was made aware that the Developer paid "penalty" fees to DOE (Department of Environment Malaysia) to pursue with the planned development.
 
Now, coming back to "Nature", of course it is common for lighting to attack the "highest/tallest" matter. In this instance, it could be either hill, skyscrapers, water tanks, etc, etc. This is why, we often see, "lighting protectors/pole" installed high up within buildings, water tanks, golf courses, etc.
 
Given the fact, DG Housing Park is located high up, chances of lighting strikes are quite common. I am pretty sure we all have seen this and I have personnel seen lighting strikes near our Park, while I was driving up to my residence - lately during heavy thunderstorm.
 
The sad news nothing can be done, since housing development and "hill" exacavation is not within our control and means.
 
As DG Residents, we can of course do one thing which is as follows;
 
- Persuade Mahajaya to install "lighting protector/pole" within our Park. Usually one lighting protector can cover 5 square km (i.e. depending on type), which means we need at least 3-4 lighting protectors to be installed within our taman. Most importantly, near swimming pool and children playground. I am not saying that, we allow our kids to play when it rains but do not forget that lighting do not only strike when it rains. Lighting can also happen during bright daylight day without any pre-warning.
 
However, the above certainly depends on equal "voice" from all DG residents. Lets see, fingers crossed.

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Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
I do it for you everything I do.