In this chapter, we will review the Electric system & Infrastructure problems that cause ELF-EMF exposure. We will also explain how to fix these problems and reduce exposure to EMF.
Electric problems that cause EMF exposure
Before you, a brief summary of several electric issues, that are caused by bad design, bad maintenance and that can cause ELF-EMF exposure problems.
“Steeling a wire”
Sometimes, over the years, overheating issues accords over the electric wires, usually with the Natural wire, usually in connection points. When this happens the electrician usually cuts the burned tip of the wire and reconnect it to the connection point. Over the years this wire will be cut shorter and shorter that eventually, it will be too short to allow cut & reconnected again. In this case, the electrician has 2 options, take out the old-short wire and put a new longer wire, and option 2, connect to a Natural (or Phase) wire from a different cricket. This will create a condition in which the Phase and Neutral wires are not wired together side by side. This will lead to a much greater ELF magnetic field because the field created by each wire will not reduce the other. The problem can be found with the use of ELF-EMF meter and can be fixed by a professional electrician.
Switching between the “Natural” and the “Ground” wires
If an electioneer will mistakenly switch between the “Natural” and the “Ground” wires, most of the time it will cause the Safety Electric Residual-current device switch to cut off the electric supply. But in some cases, it will not and the electric circuit will continue to work. One thing will change, now the “Ground” wire will conduct electricity and will produce ELF magnetic field, usually with no “Phase” wire to create an opposite ELF magnetic field (in a different direction) to reduce the overall ELF EMF from the wires. In addition, now there will be elevated ELF EMF from the “Phase” wire that has no opposite ELF magnetic field, created by the “Neutral”, to reduce the overall ELF EMF from the wires (In case that the Ground and Phase wires are not going side by side). This will result in higher ELF EMF from the Phase wire and a very big ELF EMF from the ground wire (both Magnetic and Electric fields will be higher). The problem can be found with the use of ELF-EMF meter and can be fixed by a professional electrician.
Phase Miss-Balance
Today it is custom to install an In house tree phase electricity infrastructure. In some older houses, the infrastructure was upgraded from one phase to 3 phase. The first phase is marked as “R” and the two others as “S” and “T”. In some cases the electric currents on the tree phase are not balanced, meaning the current on each phase is different (usually the current on “R” is bigger than in “S” and “T”).
In other cases, the accumulated R+S+T currents are not equal to the current on the Neutral wire. This problem may lead to some changes in the magnetic fields from the infrastructure and wires. If this happens in your house, the ELF magnetic and electric field from the electric cabinets and wires may be elevated. If this happens on the street infrastructure, the magnetic field from the street wires/cables may be elevated. In order to debug this, an electioneer should check the currents on each phase. In order to fix this situation, the electioneer should move electric circuits from the phase with more current to one of the phases with less current, in order to balance the currents. In case that the current on R+S+T is not equal to the current on the Natural, the electrician should find the wrong connection that causes this and remove it. If this happens inside the house, you will need the help of a professional electrician. If the problem is created on the electric company’s street infrastructure, this fix could be done on the street infrastructure by the electric company.
Ground Loops
In some countries is it custom to have a grounding connection to more than one of the following:
1. A ground pool, 2. A metal water pipe, 3. The house foundation4. To the electric company.
Since your house is no the only house on the electric system (and ground system) a ground network is created when you connect it to the electric ground. Each one of these connections, create a ground network, in which currents are moving in some directions (into or from the house). These current suppose to be very small or not existing at all, so the ELF magnetic field created because of them should be very small. But in some cases, the currents are not tiny. In these cases, you will see high ELF magnetic fields near the ground connection. If more then one grounding method is used, grounding loops may be created, and the chance for this to happen is bigger.
For example, A ground connection to the electric company and to the water pipes may cause the creation of a “ground loop” between the different ground networks and can result in higher ELF-EMF fields in and around the house. This can be found using an ELF-EMF meter, by seeing high levels near the water pipes or the house foundation. In order to fix it, it is required to have an electrician disconnect the grounding form the electric company or install a plastic water pipe section on the income water pipes. This should be done only after a proper ground was installed and tested.
Shortening the Electric Ground and Neutral
In some countries, it is custom to connect the electric neutral, to the electric ground in the electric cabinet. This operation may improve the operation of the safety bracket but can create an additional “ground loop” in case the house electric ground has lower impedance than the electric neutral. in this case, all (or most) of the house Natural currents will get on the ground systems. This will lead to very high ELF magnetic and electric fields over the ground wires and ground system(s).
This problem can be fixed by a professional electrician. The fix is to disconnect the Electric ground system from the Electric Neutral. The operation of the ground systems should be tested after the change.
