₦airaland Forum

WARNING
if youre in the market right now for cables you need to be very very careful!!! the recent increase in prices of “Made in Nigeria” cables has further widened the gap between real Nigeria cables and thier imitations or fake.

Note: when i say imitation or fake i dont mean some imported unknown brand that merely has onething-onething Nigeria wire and cable engraved on the body,( these you can easily avoid just by thier name) I'm talking about imitations of our major cable brands… same name, same label, packaging same all that.

The current price increase has practically doubled the profitability and hence increased the supply of imported variants of these real Made in Nigeria cables. Its a gold mine right now for many sellers. They remove a few hundred bucks from the prevailing market or distributor prices so the price doesn’t appear suspicious or too good to be true and…. slam dunk! Buyers be falling over themselves.

The first time i heard that an exact imitation of COLEMAN was in the market was last week saturday when i ws discussing with another distributor about another impending (possible) increase .He mentioned it and I thought he was exaggerating and it was probably just another closely spelt name. between saturday and today, i have confirmed this inforamtion from two other reliable sources. that this cable is infact growing in circulation and is being secretly sold to sellers on a tight man-know-man arrangement. obviously no benefactors will be willing to point a finger. What makes these cables even more dangerous is that for an end user and many electricians its impossible to detect from mere visual inspection of the coil because the engraved name, label and packaging are identical. you have to dig deeper.

So Since they're identical, whats the big deal in buying them??... they're only identical in appearance (branding & packaging) In terms of value quality and content... what you're getting is a far cry from the real deal.. at almost the same cost.

You looseout in one or more of these three areas:
(1) conductor diameter
(2) conductor material
(3) cable length

....contd

[quote author=peaceland post=48403187][/quote]the green or yellow cables that run (should run) from every power point (sockets, w/heater switches. cooker control etc) to the DB (which is in turn connected to an earth conductor(e/rod) buried in the ground.

EgunMogaji:
You're correct sir.

Not sure why this assumption that bungalows don't need protection keeps coming up.

Folks can laugh at me all they want but in a country where risk is a national sport:

If you travel, Peace Mass Transit or Dangote truck they wait.

If I buy medicine, na fake Chinese one.

If I buy food, cholera dey there.

It's in my best interest to listen to institutions like MIT and their studies that shows that lightning has struck any and everything imaginable.

Just because we don't have government oversight doesn't mean that us as homeowners should throw building standards and codes out of the window.

Thank you Sir.

Lol, to be honest We Nigerians are generally risk takers by nature. If a thing doesnt pose a 'proven" direct or impending threat or risk, then we're really not worried. afterall many who have installed it have never had a lightning situation anyways so. why waste the money.
But in truth its like buying insurance. better safe than sorry.

Lajet:
I want to know how much it will cost me to put thunder protection my house the house is one storey building . the Electrican also told me that he need to buy wires that he will use connect for each of the 14 rooms to fix the thunder protection

A nairalander once contacted me for cables and i noticed there werent any earthing cables on his list. I drew his attention to it and he said his electrician said it wasnt necessary since a lightning protection system will be installed. I was shocked.

the Lightning protection system and the electrical supply earthing or grounding system are two different entities that serve very different purposes and should never be interconnected.

It is very very dangerous to ground your power points via the same system as your lightning arrestor. you're creating a possible return path for the charge into your building

Enyimbamercedes:
Which one again is Thunder protector? The only protection, if needed, from thunder is to use ear plugs. However, lightning protector is a different matter. It's simply a three prong spike placed at the highest point of the house with a metal wire running into the earth. There is no room connections to it so I don't think it should cost as much as they quoted. I have some questions though:
1. Why do you been it for a one storey building?
2. Is you area lightning prone?
3. Do you have a pointed roof ? Lighting would usually be pulled towards a pointed object which is why spikes are used aso conductors so if you have a flat roof, I don't think you are in any danger.

I believe your premise @ bolded is what egunmogaji alluded to as wrong, not your correct use of the term "lightning" as against "thunder"

(1) if the building sits alone within a wide radius and on a high altitude, its at risk even if its just one storey
(2) usually its safer to have it and not need it , than to need it and not have it. climate change adds alot of variables. an area that is not prone today might become prone tommorrow .
(3) lightning will strike or be drawn to the highest conducting point within a particular radius , it doesnt necessarily have to be ad pointed object. the essence of the pointed or spike shape is to localize or concentrate the attraction and flow. the gradual flow of charge from the point of the lightning rod will prevent the atmospheric charge from becoming large enough to avalanche... producing a lightning stroke.

mank1234:
This fused switch disconnector is very fine. Is it flush mount or surface mount? Do you also retail the HRC fuse, in case it blow?

Surface mounted.
Yes the HRC fuses are readily available

Only the best for the best.
.....Premium finishes,

Mallia white

Belanko

3x6 45A cooker control unit with single socket outlet

[size=14pt]Legrand Sockets & Switches[/size].

Available in the Belanko (Large Rocker) & Mallia Ranges.

MCB

LED spotlights

n3xt:
What's the minimum quantity that can be ordered?
And the price to my email bosun@nexthomebuilders.com

minimum is 50 pcs, price is N320 per pc

Highly sensitive MCBs, with colour coded on/off switch indication

Single Phase (double door)

Vertical Three phase Board with double door
-shrouded main switch/incomer terminals
-tin-plated copper busbars
-generous earth and neutral terminals
-large cabling space

125A isolator with coloured ÏON/OFF indication

[size=15pt]Distribution Boards[/size]

Available in Three Phase and Single Phase, In both horizontal and Veritical MCB Orientations)

n3xt:
@ allCopacetic, do you have this led fluorescent light?

If you're talking about just the LED fluorescent Lamp, Yes we do .
We have it in GE.
we do not sell it pcs tho

[size=15pt]Switch Disconnector Fuses....[/size]
Switch disconnectore fuses are more or less a modern variation of the Switch Fuse Units which are also commonly called "Gear switches".
Our Switch Disconnector Fuses come with standard HRC fuses, which replace the use of wires as fuses.
this is a safer, more reliable more effective.

EgunMogaji:
For the old timers


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg2KmZd6X8g


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J07PA_idbkU

Old timers? ....
Records like this hit me with a strong wave of nostalgia.... memories of not long ago ...when the world was a significantly better place. When terrorism, global warming, unprecedented recession hadn't become a normal part of life... When all I had to worry about was nothing, before life robbed us of innocence . The good times .
fiddling with my old man's Sony + kenwood setup... thinking how the equalizer weighed a tonne .
*Sighs*.....Life.

[color=#550000][/color]

EgunMogaji:
In other words, maximum voltage that it can handle?

Across the three phases.
There are some equipments that use three.phase and an earth connection with no neutral

danowena:
What I don't understand is the 400V
I thought we use 220v in naija.
Cc allCopacetic, mavverick , topsy23,EgunMogaji,

400VAC is the phase to phase voltage when the neutral is disconnected.
It didn't change the supply is still 220/240

EgunMogaji:
When I was doing the immigration paperwork for my wife, I came upon an interview with the then US Ambassador to Nigeria.

He credited the culture, warm friendly people, blah blah blah

But he also said him and his staff treat 100% of the paperwork submitted as fraud, fake or created to satisfy a neforious purpose.

It is that same ideology that I use in dealing with most artisans on my site.

No one has told me ever that they don't now how to do something.

It's always "alese sir, ati se iru eri fun chief kan", "ema worry se, efi okan bale, confirm ni ise yen maje"

Well, like the common saying goes.....Man Must Wack
End users just need to be more prudent, and do more personal research

EgunMogaji:
Wasn't it you that waylayed me on my thread about terminating each home run at a breaker? And beat me to an inch of life?

While this is not the same concept but we can see the departure from the same old same old system mostly currently in use in naija?

Envelopes are there to be pushed.

Lol, oh that.
first off i don't recall joining issues with you about your choice, cos that's what it boils down to...a choice. We simply discussed standards.
Nevertheless, this is a far cry from yours, you can see from the labelling that sockets (power) and lighting points are grouped .... based on location , which is what obtains here and abroad and not one MCB per socket. or per lighting point.
The only uncommon thing about the setup is the use of a dedicated RCB for every circuit.( A circuit meaning whatever number of power points or lighting point that are grouped together)

n3xt:
supplier shouldn't supply fake and expect the electrician to filter it out. What happens when the purchased items are meant for DIY projects?

The expectations of someone who hires (what is supposed to be) a professional is what counts, not that of a supplier.

Those are really lofty suggestions. But you and i know they're easier made than implemented.

EgunMogaji:
Where is the real allCopacetic and what have you done with him?

Lol, i don't understand Wt you're implying oga Eguns

danowena:
I think the breakers on this is very standard.



It's possible but I have no clue as to what you are talking about. I will post more pix and hope they help.
Yes it is the only DB in the house and a very small house for that matter.

The design and build quality is . If the Geramans had made the titanic Jack would probably still be alive today
So every circuit has a dedicated RCD (the one with the blue switch),.... interesting.

@ Bolded, I can see that from the labelled circuits and the number of blanks.
The panel appears to be grossly underutilized. black man go say this one na waste . but the white man thinks differently. In the event of a remodeling or relocation this panel can serve an apartment three times the size of the existing

n3xt:
@ allCopacetic, nice one there. I knew you won't ever disappoint.

I'm watching an interesting movie right now. I'll respond to your post later.

Thanks bro.

LOL, abeg no respond. enjoy your movie biko,
I know you want to concoct a nuclear comeback

danowena:
Talking of DP.This is in my apartment. What do u think?
Cc: allCopacetic, mavverick , topsy23,EgunMogaji,

No be small thing oo,
this looks like a PPI (per phase isolation) distribution board.
is this the only distribution panel you have in the house or is there some other one?
I dont see any single pole MCBs.

n3xt:
Here's a simple one. I need a wireless doorbell for my house and I decided to approach a local electrical shop for available offering and what I was presented is no different from an uncompleted primary school science project.
I requested for same from ASDA. Below are the pics of both product.
If you go to most electrical shops in Nigeria, I'm sure they'll offer you the fake one.
Why is that always the case? All these little things are what causes fire outbreak in most homes.


So, I don't want to sound pessimistic but I think everything out of this part of the world needs a thorough virus scan before it can be said to meet industry standard. If I won't trust the bulb, the sockets, switches, plugs, and most electrical components produced or sold here, why should I trust the wires?
Who certify the cables?

Demand drives supply.
The growing influx of substandard products is driven largely by buying choices. Note…. I’m not talking about original or fake . I mean substandard low quality brands vs higher quality brands. Those who sell both low and high quality offerings of the same item will tell you they sell ten times more of the cheap, lower quality option than they do the more expensive higher quality ones. The few well to do people (middle and upper class) who look out for quality brands only constitute a small percentage of the population so you can guess on which side the b
I’m sure the cost difference is as glaring and wide as the quality difference, that’s a simple thing we have to come to terms with. You cannot buy an item for N10 and get N100 value. That’s impossible
Where It becomes a problem is when reputable brands are faked and brought in, deceiving buyers who are actually in the market for good quality , giving those who make effort to sell original items the uphill task of competing with a sea of identical looking goods that cost considerably less. How do you convince a man who is not oppurtuned to do a side by side comparison that the identical looking ABB board that his electrician certified ok is different from what you are selling for 30% to 40% higher. You don’t know the struggle.
The onus Is now on the end user to put in extra effort and due diligence and source for correct information


LOL, you dey make me laugh, we might aswell put naija on ebay, and abandon ship. but the same thing as above applies to you oo, afterall you saw phillips, GE , OSRAM, Sylvania, BG and co in Nigeria too before you opted to buy AKT
Good stuff day Naija in that regards, the problem is purchasing power and orientation.


for instance the LED candelabra bulb attached below sells for 800 - 900 while a lower quality of the exact same thing can be gotten for about 400. but if you turn on the two bulbs side by side... score sheet go show immediately. If it takes the guy who imports the cheaper one 6 months to sell a container, it'll take my guy 6 years to sell his , and bear in mind, this quality is still lower and cheaper than the likes of Phillips and osram ooo,

n3xt:
@ allCopacetic, I think your industry need to do more to create awareness on good alternatives that are available in the market. You're doing a great job you know. I'm sure you'll agree that there are too many rookies in the business spoiling the show for you guys. I've had to show Legrand to one friend before and he said his brother recommend one funny Chinese product. He said his electrician claimed Legrand is just a new brand that is yet to be tested.


I do light fittings from Dubai (you'll agree they have good market control in that part of the world)


99% of the electrical components and devices that I bought from abroad are not giving any issues except for those 85 watt bulbs (just because the electrician claimed AKT bulb na the best) that I bought from naija shop that I keep replacing every week.
How the hell on earth will you compare AKT with Phillips Bulbs that come with lifetime guarantee? The one at my porch is over 8 years now because the lamp holders and the bulb and the wire are not from here.

Thanks,
Well that’s the beauty of the free world, everybody is armed with an opinion, anybody can be an authority on anything, informed or not.
You don’t know the challenges.. particularly with electricians who cannot even distinguish a fake from an original, these sort of people are the backbone of misinformation. when for any reason a supplier supplies fake materials, the electrician should ideally serve as a filter . But to be frank with you, when it comes down to the nitty gritty of material identification, only a very very select few are up to the task.
I remember the scenario topsy talked about recently with a client, Fake cables supplied as Nigerian wire, If he hadn’t known enough to detect that and also stand his ground against the supplier, the customer would have assumed he got a great bargain, and that the shyster seller who actually sold him fake is a wonderful person while topsy who quoted the price of real Nigeria cable is trying to rip him off.
If most electricians are competent and knowledgeable it would help stem the proliferation of fake goods. Because their customers would be guided accordingly. Admittedly this can be a little difficult with some type of products; especially for people who are not within the market, as counterfeiters are getting better.

Yes they do. Yatai lighting and OK lighting in dubai make some very great products. Almost all of our lightings are from Dubai, meanwhile cheaper chinese versions of the various designs are common place.

Well AKT is a very decent brand, it now boils down to wether you actually got an original or a fake. clearly not the best CFL bulb, as there are more expensive and higher quality options even in Nigeria, but its a good one nonetheless.