Domestic Electricity and Up-Grading to 3-Phase
The age of the property you are intending on buying will be an indicator of the state of the electrical installation in the property, as many older properties will not be compliant with current domestic property regulations.
When purchasing an older property, the potential buyer will often want to modernise the interior of the property and update such things as the kitchen which will include modern appliances, such as a fridge freezer, dishwasher and washing machine, as well as having air conditioning units installed in the bedrooms and living rooms, these items will put an enormous strain on an electrical system that was not intended for such a high level of consumption. Increasing the load on the existing electrical circuits if they are old may result in the circuit breakers tripping as the wiring overheats or in extreme cases fires.
I have often seen cases where there is no earth connection on the properties at all. Having an earth connection for the property is important as it keeps people safe by preventing electric shocks. It prevents damage to electrical appliances and devices by preventing excessive current from running through the circuit.
3-Phase Electricity Supply
Many properties will not have 3-phase electricity as they were built when single phase was the main supply in Spain especially in the countryside. 3-phase wiring has a greater load bearing capacity as well as being more efficient, it also includes an earth wire for greater safety.
If your property is in an urban area, transferring to a 3-phase supply should be relatively easy but if your property is in a rural location, transferring and upgrading to 3-phase can be more complicated and expensive.
The owner of the national grid Endesa will not bear the costs for extending the infrastructure to individual properties and so the cost of additional pylons and cables have to be borne by the property owner. If the nearest 3-phase substation is over several kilometres away the cost can be very high.
Urban properties should be sited relatively close to a substation and so upgrading is relatively easy and cheaper.
When upgrading to 3-phase electricity the main fuse box and fuses on the outside of the property will require changing as well as the principal fuse box and fuses on the inside of the property.
We at LT Construction employ in-house electricians and we can make the process as stress free and cost effective as possible.
We will visit your property and provide a free estimate of the costs involved in a general upgrade of your electrical system or transferring to 3-phase.