Energy
Designing an Electrical Installation Free of Electric Fields
Surely we all remember the famous Coulomb’s Law from our high school years, right? Don’t worry—we also had to review the Wikipedia link to write this article, dedicated to designing an electrical installation free of fields.
While today we will not discuss basic lessons in electrical theory, it is essential to bear in mind that the concepts we start from when analyzing the implications and effects of fields generated by an electrical installation in a home are based on physical principles studied and defined over centuries.
Thus, today we know that if electricity passes through a cable, that cable generates both an electric field and a magnetic field, and that both at high magnitudes are lethal.
But what about low magnitudes?
The connection of the bedside lamp, the hairdryer, or the mobile phone charger at the headboard are some everyday examples of fields that may seem harmless to us because we neither see nor notice them, but which physics and measurements prove are not.
Our body has electric charges; our neurons receive and transmit information through small discharges, and we are capable of charging and discharging with static electricity. For this reason, the fields emitted by everyday electrical appliances as well as the electrical installation itself in our home are not harmless to our organism.
And this is when the skeptics arrive and tell us that we cannot isolate ourselves from technology and that we are not going to live in a cave to be protected from electric fields.
Well, we propose that yes, you can! It is possible to isolate these fields or, better said, take measures to redirect them to ground so that our home becomes our small health haven and that at least when we arrive home we know we can rest peacefully, free from electric fields that alter our well-being.
How Do Electric Fields Affect Us?
We know that our body naturally produces small electric currents due to the body’s chemical reactions.
Nerves, for example, send signals through electrical impulses. In fact, in electrocardiograms we can detect small impulses emitted by the heart.
Thus, the human body is also electrically charged, and it is for this reason that we are capable of receiving external electric fields that alter our natural balance.
Electric fields are attributed to symptoms such as headaches, anxiety or even depression, nausea, and fatigue.
What Are the Sources of Electric Fields?
Well, so far we know that fields affect us, but where exactly do they come from?
Let’s start at the beginning.
What is an electric field?
An electric field is a physical field, invisible to the human eye, that consists of the interaction of different electric charges. A field is created by the attraction and repulsion of different electric charges and decreases as the distance from the source that emits it increases.
In our home, electric fields are produced in relation to embedded or exposed cables. Whenever there is voltage in a cable, an electric field will exist. That is, whenever a cable is connected to the electrical grid, there will be fields.
If we have a lamp plugged into the current, even if it is turned off, it will have the voltage corresponding to the voltage it receives.
If we think about the entire electrical network in our home, we realize that we are surrounded by a large number of electric fields, since all the cables are connected and operating even when the switches are off.
In addition to cables—exposed or embedded—fuse boxes, transformers, and appliances without grounding also produce fields, as they cannot divert the voltage.
Other dangerous sources of fields are electric heaters, electric pads and mats, or adjustable beds with electric controls. All of these operate with a wiring system and do not have grounding, so they generate fields from the voltage they receive, and the worst part is that these are devices used in full contact with the user.
Designing an Electrical Installation Free of Electric Fields
From here, let’s fully enter the topic: how is the design of an electrical installation free of fields carried out?
If we are planning a new construction, your architect probably does not have much knowledge about biocompatible electrical installations unless you are working with an architect expert in Bioconstruction or Biohabitability.
If not, you should contact an expert either through the Spanish Institute of Bioconstruction or through the company Bihho, who are regular collaborators of our studio.
Of course, you can also contact us and we can help you find an expert in your area, either through our network of Slow Studio collaborators or through our own studio, where we are responsible for carrying out the design of an electrical installation free of fields in each new project.
In the case of renovation projects, it is also possible to carry out the design of an electrical installation free of fields, but the actions to be taken may differ in the sense that if we must utilize part of the existing installation, we will need to adapt it or even install nighttime shutdown systems.
Additionally, in the case of renovations, it would be advisable to commission a preliminary measurement study to assess where it is most urgent to act.
Let’s look step by step at the aspects to consider in any design of an electrical installation free of fields.
Wiring
When we choose the type of cables we will use in the design of an electrical installation free of fields, one of the first checks we must perform is that it does not contain PVC.
The manufacturing process of PVC is especially harmful to the environment, and its use releases toxic gases, especially when there are temperature changes. In case of fire, the gases it emits are extremely harmful.
We must also use halogen-free cables, which are identified in the market with the acronyms LH and Z1. Halogens are elements so reactive that they are not found free in nature. In fact, halogen-free wiring is already mandatory in commercial premises; the same does not apply to homes, where the criterion of each user for choosing wiring material is respected.
One of the best options for designing an electrical installation free of fields is shielded flexible metal cables and shielded cable sleeves. These are more expensive than conventional cables, so we can use them in more sensitive areas such as bedrooms or areas where we spend many hours, such as work or rest areas.
A shielded, or armored, cable has a mesh or metal tube as a covering. It is used to prevent the coupling of noise or other interference. One of its advantages is that it greatly reduces electric fields.
Conductive Walls
There are two methods for shielding a wall.
The first is to place a metal mesh in the wall composition, and the second is to paint it with conductive paint. In both cases, it must be connected to a conductor that leads to a ground connection.
This prevents the transmission of electric fields from cables embedded in the wall, redirecting them to a ground connection and freeing the space from them.
Ground Wiring
The wiring of any electrical installation consists of 3 cables: two for the operation of the device to which it is connected and one for grounding.
The two main cables are the phase and the neutral, and they are responsible for allowing the electric current to arrive and return. They are usually blue and brown.
To these two is added the ground cable, which is usually green and yellow, and is responsible for diverting the electrical charge to a ground connection.
The ground connection of a home is a cable that ends with a metal rod that is inserted into the subsoil beneath the house’s foundations and acts as lightning does in contact with the earth. The earth is a large mass capable of absorbing electricity.
Thus, the mission of the ground connection is to divert all that charge that may come into contact with people. If in the design of an electrical installation free of fields we properly plan the ground wiring, we will reduce the fields that may dissipate in the home.
Another option is to twist the phase and neutral cables together. Twisted wiring is also more expensive, and therefore this is usually done in rest areas where it is essential to sleep free from electric fields.
Junction Boxes
The junction box is the box or casing where outlets and switches will subsequently be placed, and it is very important to consider them in the design of an electrical installation free of fields.
Most of the junction boxes we find on the market contain PVC—polyvinyl chloride—so they are harmful to the environment. The ideal are the so-called Kaiser boxes, which are made of graphite and have a ground connection. Again, these are quite expensive elements and are usually placed only in bedrooms or areas of prolonged use.
Splice and Connection Boxes
In the case of splice and connection boxes, the same applies as with junction boxes. We will avoid those containing PVC, and in bedrooms we will try to place Kaiser boxes.
However, we also have the option of using metal boxes. Their advantage is that the box acts as shielding so that the fields are diverted to a ground connection.
Whether we use Kaiser boxes or metal boxes, it will be necessary to have a connection to the installation’s ground connection.
Automatic Electrical Disconnector (Bioswitch)
A bioswitch is an automatic disconnector that converts alternating current to direct current. In the bedroom, at night, when we turn off all lights or outlets, the device recognizes that there is no supply and disconnects the 230V voltage. It maintains a small amount of 6 or 9V to keep the system running and return to operation when we turn the devices on again.
The bioswitch is, in summary, an element that automatically disconnects the electricity supply when there is no consumption.
If we carry out the design of an electrical installation free of fields from the beginning because it is a comprehensive renovation or new construction, in principle it would not be necessary to work with network disconnectors, since we can plan each element so that it does not generate fields.
However, if it is a subsequent intervention or we do not have sufficient budget, we can opt to use automatic disconnectors.
Their weak point is that they do not detect fluorescent tubes or low-consumption bulbs due to the low voltage they need to operate.
Wiring Layout
So far we have defined each of the elements we place in the design of an electrical installation free of fields. But it is necessary not to forget the general distribution of the installation itself, that is, the layout of the wiring throughout the entire house.
There are two basic systems: star, in which everything starts from the same point, and ring, where the installation is installed continuously.
Ring System
In a ring-organized network, there is usually more than one power point.
It is an easy system to install and reconfigure. However, this organization produces additional disturbing electric and magnetic fields.
Star System
The star system is the best for an electrical installation free of electric fields. It is a network that all starts from the same power point. That is why it is easy to repair part of the circuit when it is damaged.
Its weak point is that everything depends on the same central power supply.
In an electrical installation free of fields, a star system should be arranged, with an independent electrical circuit for lighting and power outlets in each room. This way we would allow selective disconnection that would enable us to reduce electric fields in the rooms we wish.
As always, we remind you that if you are considering the design of an electrical installation free of fields, whether for the construction of a new home or for a comprehensive renovation, you can contact us and we can provide you with the contact information of experts on the subject. Do not forget that health in your home is the most important thing.