[Electricity protection for kitchen and bathroom] Are there no leakage circuit breakers installed in the "leakage-proof sockets" in bathrooms and balconies? Taiwan regulations, the truth about grounding wires and the budget for double-north modifications to prevent electric shock

The fatal interface between water and electricity: Why are kitchen and bathroom most prone to electric shock accidents?

In old apartments in the greater Taipei area, many homeowners often have this experience: after taking a shower in the bathroom and before drying off the water on their bodies, they unplug the hair dryer, or they step on the wet tiles with bare feet on the balcony and touch the shell of the running washing machine, and instantly feel numb. This is not simple static electricity, but a slight leakage of electricity. Water is an excellent conductor. When human skin is moist, the resistance of the human epidermis will plummet from tens of thousands of ohms when it is dry to only one-tenth (about 1,000 ohms). In this state, even if Taiwan's daily voltage is 110V, once an electrical leakage occurs, the current flowing through the human body is enough to cause muscle spasms, making the person unable to escape on his own, and even causing ventricular fibrillation and death. Therefore, installing sockets and circuit breakers with anti-leakage protection functions in "humid places" such as kitchens, bathrooms and balconies is a line of defense that cannot be compromised in terms of home electricity safety.

The working principle of the leakage circuit breaker: millisecond-level current balance

The leakage circuit breaker (GFCI/RCBO) does not rely on "excessive current (overload)" like the general non-fuse switch (NFB) Or the thermal energy or magnetic force generated during a "short circuit" to trip. It uses a highly precise "zero-phase current converter (ZCT)" to monitor the balance of the current:
1. Monitoring of the current balance: Under normal circumstances, the current flowing from the Hot Line to the electrical appliance should be equal to the current flowing back to the grid from the Neutral Line. The two currents have opposite directions, and the magnetic fields generated inside the current comparator cancel each other out.
2. Leakage tripping mechanism: When the insulation of electrical appliances deteriorates, or when current flows through the human body and into the ground (i.e. leakage), less current flows back to the neutral wire. Once this "current difference" reaches the set threshold (Taiwan's residential standard is usually 15 milliamps (mA)), the electronic circuit inside the leakage circuit breaker will quickly cut off the power supply in a very short time (usually within 0.1 seconds) to complete the protective action before the heart receives a fatal electric shock.

Fact check: Old apartments in Taiwan have “no grounding wires.” Is it useful to install a leakage circuit breaker?

This is the most frequently discussed hot topic in the Shuangbei Old House Decoration Forum, PTT and FB groups: Many old apartments (30-50 years old) did not have green ground wires (G wires) when they were first built. In this "ungrounded" old power grid environment, does installing a leakage circuit breaker have any protective effect?
The conclusion is: absolutely useful, and this is the most important life-saving straw in an ungrounded environment!
Because the physical principle of the earth leakage circuit breaker (GFCI) is to detect the "current difference between the live wire and the neutral wire" instead of monitoring the current on the ground wire. When an electrical appliance leaks and the human body touches it, the current flows into the ground through the human body. The GFCI detects that the current flowing back to the neutral wire becomes less and will still trip within 0.1 seconds, effectively protecting the human body. However,When the electrical enclosure leaks electricity, the current will be directed back to the earth through the grounding wire immediately. At this time, the leakage circuit breaker will trip immediately, and the human body will not even have the chance of being "received by a small electric shock". Therefore, in old apartments without ground wires, it is more urgent to install leakage-proof sockets or leakage switches.

The regulatory red line in Article 59 of Taiwan's "Rules for the Installation of Consumer Electrical Equipment"

According to Article 59 of the "Rules for the Installation of Consumer Electrical Equipment" (formerly the "Rules for House Wiring Installation") of the Republic of China, it is clearly stipulated that the following places in a residence should be equipped with leakage circuit breakers for protection:
1. Socket shunts in wet places such as bathrooms and toilets.
2. Socket outlets in places easily affected by moisture, such as kitchens, sinks, and balconies without balconies.
3. Outdoor or outlet branches installed outdoors.
These regulations are not for decoration. If indoor decoration is carried out, qualified fire protection and interior decoration inspection technicians will strictly check whether these wet areas are equipped with leakage circuit breakers, otherwise the decoration regulations and safety inspection will not be passed.

Shuangbei anti-leakage socket modification budget and water and electricity salary market

In the Shuangbei area, there are two main formal construction methods and reasonable project estimates for installing anti-leakage equipment for kitchens, bathrooms and balconies:
Option 1: Directly replace the distribution box with a "leakage protection fuse switch (ELCB/RCBO)"
- Replace the old fuseless switch (1P/20A) in the switch box that controls the bathroom and kitchen socket circuits with a two-in-one circuit breaker with both overload and leakage protection functions (such as Shilin Electric, Fuji and other major brands).
- The cost of Shuangbei Plumbing and Electricity Masters’ work and materials is approximately NT$ 1,500 to NT$ 2,500 /way. If the distribution box is old and the space is narrow, and it is difficult to replace, the salary may be fine-tuned.
Option 2: Replace the "GFCI anti-leakage socket panel"
- Without leaving the distribution box, directly replace the socket on the wall of the bathroom or balcony with a "three-hole socket with built-in leakage protection module" (with Test and Reset test buttons on the panel).
- The material cost of purchasing a high-quality GFCI anti-leakage socket panel (such as American Leviton, Panasonic international brands or equivalent products from Taiwanese manufacturers) is about NT$ 400 - NT$ 800. The basic installation fee for a plumber is about NT$500 - NT$1,000. The cost of replacing a single socket with complete work and materials is about NT$ 900 to NT$ 1,800. If multiple bathrooms, balconies, and kitchens are replaced at the same time, the unit price can be reduced to NT$ 800 to NT$ 1,200 / piece.

Commercial acquisitions and businessmen’s long-term asset thinking: avoiding criminal liability and high rent premiums

For real estate investment businessmen who specialize in acquiring old houses in the prime areas of Shuangbei (such as Zhongshan District, Da’an District, and around Banqiao MRT Station), renovating them and reselling them or leasing them, . According to Article 276 of Taiwan's Penal Code, the crime of negligent death, if the bathroom equipment of a rental property is knowingly not equipped with anti-leakage equipment and is not grounded, causing the tenant to be electrocuted due to leakage of electric water heaters or hair dryers while bathing, the landlord, as the owner of the property, will face extremely serious criminal liability for business negligence, and often has to pay millions of dollars in civil compensation, resulting in a complete loss of investment. On the contrary, businessmen proactively budget when renovating (only spending a few thousand dollars more), upgrade the kitchen and bathroom leakage circuit breakers, and list the "whole house anti-leakage safety seal" in the contract. This can package the property as a "prestigious and safe residence", which not only effectively attracts high-quality tenants and families who value safety and have high paying ability, but also creates an 8% to 10% rental premium in the market, greatly increasing the commercial value and valuation preservation of the asset.