Costa Rica Gets Its First Electrical Code

Hard to believe, but finally it is here, the first ever electrical code in the country as executive order 36.979 takes affect on Thursday.



The document is a safety manual for professionals and traders.

The code aims to eliminate the sale of inferior quality products and ensure electrical installations are safe.

From Thursday on, all electrical installations must be done by a professional or a professional to oversee the work, stopping the practice of any handyman passing himself as an electrician.

The code empowers the Ministerio de Economía to a regular review of the quality of materials used in electrical installations and considers buildings were more than 100 people gather, such as churches, hospitals and schools, as high risk buildings and subject to inspections every five years.

A sizable number of ignitions of structures are due to electrical faults associated with wiring or with wiring devices.

Hector Chaves, head of the Bomberos de Costa Rica (Fire Department) noted that more than a 1.000 people on average each year are left homeless due to fires caused by faulty electrical connections.

Poor electrical wiring can cause many different problems. One of the most common problems in electrical wiring is loose connections. From the electrical panel all the way into the home's lighting and outlet circuits, poor connections can not only be an irritation but can actually be dangerous.

Other problems with electrical wiring can range from improper installation of the wires themselves to worn out or damaged electrical panels.

Another problem is the use of poor quality or inferior products. Using cheap or inferior products and opting of a cheap installation can result in damage or death.