Electrical and Plumbing Systems in Container Houses
Updated 2026-11-01 · JIUJIAN GLOBAL technical team
Specify voltage, frequency and plug type by destination at order stage; a container house cannot be converted cheaply on site. Electrical work should include a distribution board with RCD protection, labelled circuits, earthing and correctly sized cable for the load. Plumbing needs a supply point, pressure regulation, a hot water source, vented drainage with a fall of about 1-2 percent, and frost protection where the unit will be used in winter.
Services are where a well-built unit becomes an uncomfortable one. The failures are predictable: wrong voltage, undersized cable, no earth, drains that do not fall, and pipes that freeze in the first cold snap.
Electrical specification
| Item | What to state |
|---|---|
| Supply | Voltage, frequency, single or three phase, total connected load |
| Sockets | Type and count per room |
| Protection | Main breaker, RCD/GFCI, individual circuit breakers |
| Lighting | Fixture type, colour temperature, switching layout |
| AC provision | Unit size, indoor position, drainage route, dedicated circuit |
| Earthing | Earth bar, bonding of the steel frame, earth electrode at site |
Standards by market
Europe and most of Asia use 230 V 50 Hz with IEC-based devices; the US uses 120/240 V 60 Hz with UL-listed devices; Australia uses 230/240 V 50 Hz with AS/NZS devices. The distribution board, sockets, and even the cable colour code differ. This is a factory decision, not a site one.
Plumbing layout
- Wet core grouping: keep the shower, WC and basin on one wall so drainage runs are short and share a vent.
- Supply: a single entry point with a stop valve and a pressure-reducing valve if the site main exceeds about 4 bar.
- Hot water: electric storage or instantaneous; state the capacity and the circuit.
- Drainage: 1-2 percent fall, traps at every fixture, vent pipe to atmosphere, and a clear route for the main outlet.
- Frost protection: lagging, trace heating on exposed runs, or draining the system in unoccupied periods.
Commissioning checks
Insulation resistance and earth continuity on every circuit, RCD trip test, polarity check, water pressure test at 1.5 times working pressure, drain flow test with all fixtures running, and a hot water temperature check. Record the results; they belong in the handover file and are the first thing an inspector asks for.
What to send with the order
Country and voltage, plug type, total load and appliance list, water supply pressure, whether a tank is needed, and the winter minimum temperature. Five lines that prevent most commissioning problems.
Related: installation guide, fire rating, space capsule houses.
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