An electrician working on our security switch panel the Philippine electrical system is 230 volt 60 cycle, but beyond that fact there are big differences based on where you live. The distribution grid for areas served by electrical cooperatives is very different that that in Philippine cities. The rural electric cooperatives run a single hot wire to the transformer serving your house. This “single wire earth return system” or “multi-ground system” is described here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-wire_earth_return. From the transformer there will be two wires to your meter and then to your house and entrance panel, the 230 volt load or “hot” wire (black) and a neutral or ground wire.
In the Philippines, the load and neutral wires are generally run from outlet to panel box in plastic conduit. When embedded in the floor or block walls, the conduit is 25mm rigid plastic. In the space above the ceiling, the wires generally run in flexible plastic conduit. The Philippine system of running conduit can be pretty horrifying when you first see it. Basically the house, above the floor level, is built without much regard to electrical or plumbing runs. Then, when it comes time to run wires, channels are hacked into the hollow block to accommodate the electrical conduit. The house can look pretty massacred before the thick finishing coat covers all construction sins. We plan to try to neatly cut the conduit channels into the hollow block using a masonry blade in a 4″ angle grinder. The end result will be the same but we’ll just feel better with the neatness. Ideally conduit runs should be anticipated and conduit should be cast into beams so that the beams do not have to be cut later to accommodate the conduit running to the lighting and ceiling fans above the beams.
Generally, conduit for outlets is run in or under the floor before the floor is poured. On the other hand, conduit serving switches is run upwards through those channels in the hollow block, through the various beams (hopefully in conduit cast into the beams) into the “attic” area above the suspended ceiling where connections to lighting fixtures and ceiling fans are made.
