Electrical Wiring in our Dominican House

I am not being a smarty here when I say good luck with that. I haven't found an electrician here that is truly qualified. All of them basically just "pull wire". No training whatsoever. I hope you find someone good. Possibly an expat electrician that works in Puerto Plata.

I have found a couple but they are in Santo Domingo.

Maybe an electrical engineer is a better bet?

Not sure what you're trying to find out , when you mean blown, do you mean tripe's the

main breaker, or did the power fry your appliances motors…. If you mean the main breaker iit could be underrated compared to the power supply coming in it will blow, could also be the wire size coming from the street into the house that can't hold the current and making the main blow , maybe it's just an old breaker and needs replacing….. lm in Puerto P.    But leaving for NY today but I do have an electrician here that I let work on my house because I watch every step….🙄…and try to keep it American as much as possible w/what I can…not sure how far he drives to do work… but if you want to send me a general location through PM I could ask him if he travels… he lives by Jumbo in PP but I know he has traveled to Sosua for work

Tippj, great (helpful) response. Kudos 

We just found, through a friend, an electrician here in LT. He is Italian and apparently quite capable. So, they're out there.....

@Tippj

Thank you for your response, our property is in Los Maestro.

Rayo

Just a note.

Remember, you are in the Dominican Republic.

Anyone can call themselves an electrician. The Dominican Republic doesn't have a standardized, nationwide system for the licensing of electricians. any Tom, Dick, or Harry can call themselves one.

The other thing is to recognize that, here in the DR, the odds of any one person having the knowledge that would allow them to evaluate the qualifications of a person calling themselves an electrician approaches zero.  So, take any recommendations with a very big grain of salt.

That is why I suggested an electrical Engineer. If certified they are actually educated to some level.

You are absolutely right,  I make this joke all the time. If you have a hammer, you are a carpenter. If you have a wrench you are a plumber.  If you have scissors, you are a hairdresser!  Etc

Yeah the people doing electrical here are only educated by the person who taught them growing up and you have to remember 90% of the houses here only had lights and power for the basics, so it's understandable why they wouldn't understand the OHM's law  ( V = I • R ) one must remember that the electrician here probably never had to deal w/a 20 amp refrigerator / dishwasher/ microwave and of course a toaster….never mind the hairdryer  .

so w/that said  as I practiced being an electrician for 45 years in NY I finally found one that new the basics I could teach them from that point on  , and I still definitely watch them every step of the way as we go …. I'd do it myself but it's too hot for to b climbing up and down ladders drilling and putting up pipes racks….😂🤣.. b careful who you hire

My understanding of the Original Post is that Edenorte, the "electrical supply company", has caused the issue.  As in, they've either delivered too high a voltage, or had spikes that fried the electronics.  If that's the case, we're in the same boat and currently waiting for Protecom, the government agency who is supposed to deal with the Ede's, to make a ruling and sort us out.  Edenorte has instantly denied and closed our many complaints we've filed.  They know what the issue is, and have known for a while, and just don't want to make the repairs.  It could be @raymondlbest needs to follow the same process?  In person, file a "Verificacion de Medidor y Acometida".  If they react to that, great, hopefully the problem is resolved.  If not, you need to get their official response printed out and stamped, contact Protecom at [link moderated]/ and go through the process of opening an account so you can send them the info they need, a photo of the response from Edenorte included.  The claim will be "SOLICITUD NORMALIZACION SERVICIO POR PROBLEMAS DE TENSION".  So far, we are a couple of months into the claim with Protecom, and no action yet.

Best of luck!

Great reply.  The link will be approved shortly!

Uncle B

   Yer really don't know what caused the main from tripping unless you put an amp probe on the cable and measure how much is coming in and how much is being consumed by the customer…. It could have be that the old breakers in the panel were not tripping at the 80% consumption setting… people have to remember your 100amp main breaker in the panel is supposed to protect your house and contents , no matter what is being provided by the company I don't know where people live but anywhere near where you have salt air will corrode the bus bar in the panel as well as the breaker …I'm sure that's what the power company is going to tell you… good luck ⚡️

For what its worth I met our new Italian electrician yesterday. He appears to be fairly knowledgeable and careful with his work. Our issue is we have recessed lights in our dropped ceilings throughout the house. About every time I look up another light has failed. He inspected them and noted two issues: 1) the crappy lights themselves, and 2) they use the plastic nuts here to make connections, similar to what is used in the USA. They had 4 wires crammed into each nut, which I suspect was too small. He replaced these with the Wago connectors, and voila' the lights work. So, if you have similar failures check the connections themselves, and a volt meter will come in handy to determine if the circuit is getting adequate power, if at all.

I have always done a lot of house work, remodeling and such, but stayed away from electrical. I am simply not qualified, and well.....electricity. Being here I find myself expanding my horizons to sometimes uncomfortable places. I feel a need to be more self reliant here. If I can learn something and apply it, that is better than hiring somone local that THINKS they know what they are doing.

And a lot of those tools I sold in the US before coming here (didn't think I would need them) I am repurchasing. Just purchased a MIG welder and accoutrements for all the metal work I will need to do.

I feel I will be fixing things in this fairly new house as long as we live here. The quality of work is that poor. And sadly that appears to be normal here

@Tippj For us, we absolutely know what, or who, the problem is.  It's a brand new house, built extremely well.  The issue is we have from 155 V on a good day to 225 V on a bad day, coming in the neutral.  We've hired an Edenorte electrician who has confirmed it's Edenorte's problem, as well as the electrical subcontractor for our gated community, as well as our solar panel engineer, as well as our builder, and Edenorte has admitted that they know what the problem is, have given our community a quote to fix it, like they think it's OUR problem to resolve.  Not saying this is the problem that @raymondlbest is having, but it's worth looking into what is actually being delivered to the home.

@raymondlbest

   I wish you guys nothing but good luck , but I'm sure that you're location wouldn't be where the my Electrician would travel to…..if I were you  I would ask the guy in the hardware store ( ferreteria ) if they knew someone who came in regularly for electrical supplies , if he comes in regularly it means he's  busy , remember to go to one of the larger ferreteria not the mom and Pop ones….💡

@UncleBuck

      Yea you have an unusual and difficult situation , I would try and get the

( 3 amigos ) electric subcontractor, solar engineer , and builder to cover 25 percent of the cost each  for their lack of correcting it and with your communitys 25 percent have it fixed and then file a joint action lawsuit against the Edenorte …… it would probably make the case stronger w/ four plaintiffs in court, and you guys could hold back from soiling the other 3's reputation for future projects on social media, …good luck

Many thanks all.

ray Best

@RockyM Hi, I'm looking for a good electrician. I've been through three already and I'm not happy with any of them. Would you be willing to share the contact info of your Italian electrician?

Wow, this is a frustrating experience, having electrical issues like this. I dont think taking anyone to court here is going to work, because as UncleBuck already said in prior posts, he has done this before, and the more plaintifs there are, the more expensive it will become and the longer it will take. I dont think solving disputes through the court system this is a viable solution in this country. Best to spend your time and money finding other ways to solve this. I am not being a smarty pants either, just trying to save you some money.

Karin

@pglz  I am in Las Terrenas. I doubt he would go too far outside the area. If your are in or close to LT then PM me and I will see what I can do.

@RockyM Hi, I live in Terrenas

I had electrical issues at the last place I was renting. I was reading from outlet 98 V ~ 135 it was all over the place. I would run my AC unit and the wires in the wall started getting hot, so I would run it for a few hours to go to bed and set a timer. One day it was hot and I was angry cause I wanted to sleep well after working so I left it on the whole night by the morning the house stunk like burning plastic and the outlets had some black smoke. I shut the power off to my apartment on the main kill panel. I discovered the whole house at an improper gauge of wire that was done by the builder a "good" one. lesson 101 running wires, there is a formula to derive the gauge to be used ( thickness )https://www.insulatedcables.co.in/elect … 0150%2F30.

Honestly, in DR you will find few good services this is the true struggle of living here and the most annoying one which is a derivative of education in reality. Do as much as you can yourself, yeah it sucks sometimes but you're paying to get ripped off and re-do it again basically.

@T.DRRR

Hello, how are you?  I know and use a very good electrician/air conditioner specialist .  let me know if you need the contact

Best wishes,

Anna

I'm very lucky in that my wife daughter is married to a máster electrician who has his own company

I've watched/seen several of his projects around Moca, including the construction of his own house. He looked at my  electrical wiring Booker and altbough there are big differences in standards, he assurred me everything He does is above local requiements and safe. He is in great demanda and after 15 years in business is looking to build one or two apartament buildings and like off the rental income within the next 5 to 7 years. He's wiring our new house to the same standard He did his....and yes, we get a break on price....

@rgwsf sure you can send me that info thanks

@mocaman67 nice can you pass me his info please?

I hired a good electrician , but his biggest job was probably putting up a ceiling fan until he met me , we pulled out all the wire in the house and replaced it with #12 AWG and for the AC #10 , then ran a rack of pipes ( 6 pipes ) using Kindorf  and straps to secure it for new services ….. a lot of these guys are good at what they know but  most haven't been exposed to the modern world and remember there not educated with the electrical code they go by what worked for them in the past ,  remember a lot of these building were built before there was Ac's and blenders and the modern wash & drier ….. so they really need to be rewired , so yer can sleep at night

Even new houses here are not wired appropriately. If you wish to build here find someone you KNOW for a fact understands electrical services, not just pulling wire through walls.

    I had electrical issues at the last place I was renting. I was reading from outlet 98 V ~ 135 it was all over the place. I would run my AC unit and the wires in the wall started getting hot, so I would run it for a few hours to go to bed and set a timer. One day it was hot and I was angry cause I wanted to sleep well after working so I left it on the whole night by the morning the house stunk like burning plastic and the outlets had some black smoke. I shut the power off to my apartment on the main kill panel. I discovered the whole house at an improper gauge of wire that was done by the builder a "good" one. lesson 101 running wires, there is a formula to derive the gauge to be used ( thickness )https://www.insulatedcables.co.in/elect … 0150%2F30.

Honestly, in DR you will find few good services this is the true struggle of living here and the most annoying one which is a derivative of education in reality. Do as much as you can yourself, yeah it sucks sometimes but you're paying to get ripped off and re-do it again basically.
   

    -@T.DRRR.

yer know you might have the right size cable ( probably not ) but it could be wrong size breaker, probably not on a dedicated circuit  or maybe not grounded correctly

Good evening all, I am a retired US NAVY/USCG electricians with over 30 years of experience working on Naval, Industrial and House electrical installations.  I am currently renting an apartment in Puerto Plata, and like many of you have found issues with the electrical installation, from the meter installed by the power company to anything in the apartment.

As we all know there are several issues with anything and everything in the Dominican Republic, I read the DR Electrical code and it is pretty much the oldest standards out there.

Please note issues with house wiring and electrical installations are vast to say the least. That said there is an under power issue with the grid electrical system which in turn will damage many of the appliances. As you move to DR and decide to install appliances for a confortable living as it may be at the European or American standards you need to consider downsizing some of the electrical load.

Word of advise, On the island the breaker panel installed in your house is nothing more than a “switch box” (that is how they treat it), the wiring is undersize, the connections may or may not be made to any sort of standardize code.  Unless you have experience be careful doing work yourself.

To give you am example, from the meter installation I have 3 single wires that run the length of the property to be connected to my apartment. Those 3 wires are not protected and they have multiple connections.  My cistern water pump turns on by flipping the breaker, which also feeds the washer machine outlet.

As it has been pointed out, there is no training for technicians and an electrical engineer as it may have education y may not be the best technician….trust me on that one.

If you have issues don't hesitate to ask.  I'll be more than happy to lend a hand.