Electrical wiring. A story about electrical wiring in a house or apartment. Checking the completed electrical wiring

It's no secret that electricity has long become an integral part of our lives. A full existence without it is impossible either in the city or in the countryside. That is why designing electrical wiring during the construction of any type of housing is almost the initial task.

Of course, installing an electrically conductive system is an activity that requires certain knowledge and skills, and sometimes even special permission. However, you can do the electrical wiring in your apartment yourself. All you need is basic knowledge of electrical engineering, compliance with process requirements and safety equipment.
danger, as well as several other aspects that will be discussed in this article.

- The phase is broken by a switch;
- At least one distribution box is recommended for each room;
- It is advisable to power appliances such as a washing machine, boiler, air conditioner from separate lines to ensure grounding of the housing.

Tip: install sockets in such a way that devices powered by them are in close proximity. As for the kitchen, which usually houses several high-power appliances - a refrigerator, a boiler, a dishwasher - it is advisable to install sockets for each of them.

Tools and materials required for electrical wiring installation

After the project is fully discussed and approved, you need to decide on the choice of necessary materials and purchase them. This should be done taking into account all the technical features of the object.

When purchasing cable and wire products, opt for insulated copper cables. The appropriate cross-section of conductors must be determined based on the power consumption of the facility. In standard applications, for example, in residential buildings, conductors with a cross-section of 1.5/2 mm for the lighting circuit and 2.5/2 mm for the power group are usually used. Thanks to this feature, these cables are used with a power consumption of lighting devices up to 4 kW with a total power of other consuming elements up to 6 kW.
In addition to cables, you need to purchase distribution boxes, switches, electricity meters and residual current systems. If you plan to install open wiring, you will need special plastic boxes, mounting clamps, and corrugated hoses.

Advice: be sure to check the quality of the products you purchase. Do not skimp on materials for electrical wiring: using cheap components from little-known manufacturers can end disastrously during operation.

Now you need to decide what type of electrical wiring you want to use in your apartment: hidden or external. Each type has its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages, which are worth considering in more detail before starting work.

Hidden electrical wiring is located in pre-prepared cavities inside the walls. This allows you to hide the wires, protect them from mechanical damage, and therefore ensure safety from fire. The disadvantages include the laboriousness of the method and the low maintainability of the design.

External electrical wiring is located on the surface of the walls inside special boxes, pipes or gutters of floor plinths and is fixed with appropriate fasteners. Disadvantages include an unaesthetic appearance and vulnerability to external mechanical damage.

Now let's look at each option in more detail.

Do-it-yourself electrical wiring installation using the open method

This method of providing housing with electricity is considered the simplest and least expensive. Since all conductive elements remain visible, maintenance and repair of electrical wiring, if necessary, is quite easy. But this method has some features that limit the use of such wiring in a residential building. These are low mechanical strength and primitive aesthetic characteristics.

You can install exposed electrical wiring quite easily. To do this, use flat wires of the APR, APPV, APRV brands. There are two ways to attach them to the base of the wall:

pre-prepared tin strips 1 cm wide, laying electrical cardboard;
using special plastic fasteners fixed with nails or.

Please note: if the current-carrying line is laid on a base made of flammable materials, it is imperative to lay a layer of heat insulation under the wires.

1. When calculating the pitch of the clamps holding the wires, make sure there is no sagging in all positions. The clamps should be located at a distance of 50 mm from the corners and installation locations of the main wiring elements.
2. Pay special attention to the arrangement of the main elements of the electrical network. All of them should be attached to the wall using wooden or plastic spacers, which will provide additional electrical insulation. Select the size of the spacers so that they are not noticeable.
3. After laying the cables and securing the installation and distribution boxes, proceed to switching the circuit. To do this, insert the conductors into the boxes, leaving a margin of 75-100 mm, so that it is convenient to carry out further installation work, and connect them.

Installation of hidden electrical wiring

In a house or apartment, hidden electrical wiring is most often used due to its inconspicuousness and aesthetics. Here are the basic recommendations that you need to follow in your workflow:

Cables should be placed either in pre-prepared grooves or under a layer;
In places where wires cross each other, provide additional insulation using special insulating tape;
Experts recommend that when fixing conductors on the wall surface, maintain a step of 0.4-0.5 m, and for fixation use plastic fasteners or the method of freezing with alabaster;
Install distribution and installation boxes into pre-prepared recesses in the wall using alabaster;
Reinforce the places where the wires exit to the lighting fixtures by installing insulating tubes.

Further work is carried out in the same way for both hidden and external electrical wiring. You need to twist the wires in the following sequence:

Remove external insulation from cables brought into boxes by approximately 60-80 mm;
Cut off approximately 50 mm of insulation from all conductors inserted into the box;
Using a knife, strip the cable cores to a metallic shine;
Twist the corresponding wires together and insulate the exposed areas.

The last step of installation work is to connect all electrical appliances in the system and set up the circuit.

Electrical wiring repair: how to do it right

You may need wiring repairs if problems occur. This can be evidenced by constant voltage drops, flickering lights and light bulbs that often burn out.

Stock up on these tools:

Pliers, screwdrivers and side cutters with insulated handles;
Wire cutters or knife for stripping wires;
Roulette;
Screwdriver;
Voltage tester;
Drill with special drills or for wood (depending on what your walls are made of);
Wires, fittings, accessories;
In some cases - a hammer drill.

First of all, turn off the power. Any break or exposed wire found during repairs must be immediately insulated. Use special electrical tape for this.

The wires at the break point should be twisted not with your hands, but with pliers - this way the contact will be stronger. It’s even better if you solder the broken wire and wrap the soldering area with special electrical tape. In a small area, it is better to replace the wire with a whole one.

The best option would be to completely replace all wiring, especially if the old wires are aluminum and the new ones are copper.

Video about installing electrical wiring yourself

We hope that our tips helped you in your work. Please ask your questions in the comments, share your experience, tell us what problems arose during the process and how you dealt with them. You may be familiar with new ways and methods of conducting electricity. We are always happy to discuss with readers everything new in DIY construction and repair. Good luck and comfort to your home!

As a rule, electrical wiring in an apartment is done with your own hands during renovations and replacement of existing electrical equipment. Wiring can be installed by a person who has an understanding of the methods and types of electrical work, skills in working with materials and tools, and also understands electrical networks.

Design

The basic requirements for electrical wiring are presented in SNiP and PUE (electrical installation rules). Compliance with these standards is very important in apartments to ensure their fire safety.

So, before you install the wiring in the apartment with your own hands, you need to familiarize yourself with how it works. As a rule, the wiring diagram is standard, there is nothing complicated in it.

Essential elements

The most important element in an apartment wiring diagram is considered to be the indoor panel. It is to it that the electrical cable is directed from the main power switchboard, located on the landing, passing through the fuse along the way.

It is equipped with an electric meter, residual current devices and several circuit breakers. All these elements are assembled into a single unit and secured by means of a mounting rail and an auxiliary rail (one or more).

The number of internal power lines will depend on the number of rooms in the apartment. This is also affected by the power required to operate some devices. They may require an additional dedicated line. In most cases, there are two wires: “zero” and “phase”, in some cases a third is added - “grounding”.

Calculation

Do-it-yourself wiring in an apartment can be done after certain calculations. They are produced in two main ways:

According to the formula: P: U = I, where the current is directly proportional to the power and inversely proportional to the voltage in the network.
This option is much simpler than the previous one. It is necessary to separately add up the electricity consumed by devices located on the same line. An additional 10% should be added to the resulting number.

Search channels

In a panel house, as a rule, the electrical wiring is hidden, namely hidden in a groove or behind drywall. Therefore, do-it-yourself wiring in an apartment should begin with a search for channels. First, let's find out what a channel in the walls is intended for hidden wiring. In most cases, this is a tube made of polymer material, having a depth of approximately 30-50 mm, equipped with corrugation in places for outlet and rounding.

Location of sockets

In old Soviet apartments, electrical sockets were usually placed wherever needed. Sometimes at arm's length, and for others at a level of 1 meter from the floor surface.

Today, the correct location is considered to be 400 mm from the floor level. At first this may seem strange, but there is a logic to it: such sockets behind furniture are almost invisible, when connected they are closer to the target, you won’t accidentally touch them, and most importantly, such wiring in an apartment, made with your own hands, consumes much less cable. Perhaps the only caveat is that when connecting a vacuum cleaner or iron, you have to bend over rather than jump.

If you continue this logic, you can install an electrical outlet near the baseboard. In this case, the minimum height creates a danger of water entering when flooding or washing the floors. That is why, when installing new wiring in an apartment with your own hands, according to the standard, the sockets should be located at a height of 400 mm from the floor level.

Cable Laying Options

Installing electrical wiring in an apartment yourself is not an easy task. However, in this case you will be absolutely sure that everything was done correctly. There are three main ways to lay an electrical cable:

Under plaster.
In a plastic box.

Any of the listed options is considered correct, so the choice is yours. It is worth remembering that it is important to have an exact understanding of where the cable runs, otherwise any hammered nail can cause the TV to turn off (in the best case scenario), or in the worst case, an electric shock.

What is the best way to do the wiring?

Hidden wiring is carried out inside walls, under decorative trim or other decorative structural elements. Do-it-yourself wiring in an apartment under drywall is considered the safest, since it is reliably protected from any mechanical damage. However, this installation option is the most labor-intensive and requires the ability to handle several tools simultaneously.

The combined installation of electrical wiring includes its installation in boxes and baseboards with a cable channel. This method simultaneously combines the advantages of closed and open gaskets - safety and aesthetic appearance.

Repair or replacement?

If you suddenly begin to smell the smell of burning plastic, notice sparks from the junction box, or the sockets become very hot during use, then it is time to find a design for the electrical wiring in your apartment and begin its immediate repair.

This phenomenon has many reasons, from standard physical wear and tear to simple obsolescence of the power supply system, due to the appearance of modern electrical appliances in your household.

The wiring of electrical wiring, the circuit of which has long outlived its usefulness, is carried out in several main stages:

The first step is to determine the number of changes required.
Calculate the amount of material and equipment required for installation and carry out their subsequent purchase.
Next, the premises are prepared by dismantling the old obsolete electrical wiring.
Laying a new cable and then testing it for normal operation.

Another reason that may serve for repairing old electrical wiring in an apartment is the lack of basic grounding. Of course, its absence is not critical, but it is necessary for the safe and proper operation of many modern electrical appliances.

Tools required for installation

If you decide that you should do the electrical wiring in your apartment yourself, then you should purchase a serviceable and reliable tool. In places where metal and body come into contact, the insulation must not be compromised. At a minimum you will need the following:

Tester.
Hammer.
Wire cutters.
Pliers.
Screwdriver.

Installation materials

As soon as the schematic diagram of the electrical wiring is ready, the power of each individual branch has been calculated, it will be possible to begin purchasing the necessary material.

Try not to purchase too cheap products and cables with a reduced cross-section. So, in order to do the wiring in the apartment with your own hands (photo below), you will need the following:

Sockets and switches.
Wires with copper cross-section.
Installation boxes in the form of plastic cups.
Additional insulation if necessary.
Clips, if you plan to do the wiring in the apartment with your own hands along the ceiling.
Connecting terminals for cable.

Cabling

Once you have purchased all the necessary materials and equipment, you can proceed directly to installation.

In an old apartment, you need to dismantle the old wiring.
In pre-marked places, recesses are drilled for distribution boxes and socket boxes.
Next, we cut a groove in the walls to all switches and sockets for subsequent laying of wires. We lay a cable of the appropriate cross-section in them and secure it with dowel nails.
After which the grooves and holes must be puttied.
Wires for the lighting system are laid in the voids of the slabs and on the ceiling.
As soon as the do-it-yourself wiring in the apartment (diagrams below) is installed, all lighting fixtures, switches and sockets are installed.

Calculation of machine denomination

In order to correctly install the wiring, it is necessary to determine the ratings of the circuit breakers installed in the distribution board. To do this, you need to sum up the power of all devices that you plan to connect to it. Then convert kilowatts into watts, and then calculate the current strength using the formula: P: U = I.

There is the following line of machines: 6A, 10A, 16A, 20A, 25A, 32A, 40A, 50A and 63A. Thus, the denomination of the selected machine should be greater than the value you received.

Installation and connection of the electrical panel

Directly in the electrical panel, electricity is distributed into groups:

For lighting.
To the sockets.
Other equipment.

The shield is fixed to the wall using dowels and nails, and then outgoing wiring and an incoming power cable are laid to it. After which the power cable must be cleaned. The external insulation is removed from it to the required length, then the cable is inserted into the switchboard, where it is connected to the input circuit breaker.

A bus is installed at the top of the electrical panel, to which the neutral wire is connected. In a similar way, a bus is mounted on the bottom bar, a wire is connected to it, which leads to protective grounding.

Conclusion

Thus, after going through all the stages - from purchasing the necessary equipment and materials, laying the cable to installing and connecting the electrical panel - you will do the electrical wiring in the apartment with your own hands (the diagram is presented above).

The consistency, reliability, uninterrupted operation and continuity of operation of the electrical system as a whole directly depend on professional installation, the quality of components and materials, compliance with all rules and regulations, as well as the correctness and literacy of all related calculations. This is a very responsible and serious matter; if you have any doubts, it is better to entrust this work to specialists for whom everything related to electricity is a profession.

Electrical wiring refers to all electrical wires and cables installed in a house or apartment. They are designed to supply electricity to household and lighting appliances. Today we are nowhere without technology, so let's take a closer look at all these cables and junction boxes.

Types of Electrical Wiring

There are two types of electrical wiring: hidden and open.The structure of the wiring itself, regardless of its type, is always the same: inapartment or house, a main power cable is introduced, which is connected to the electric meter. Power supply cables extend from the meter to all rooms. In rooms, cables branch out even more: to sockets, to switches, to lighting fixtures.

1. Hidden wiring

The very name of hidden wiring implies that electrical cables are hidden inside walls, partitions and ceilings, they are not visible. Only intermediate or end points are visible to our eyes: distribution boxes, switches, lighting fixtures, sockets and meters.

Hidden wiring is used in modern panel, monolithic and brick houses. Electrical cables are located in special channels inside walls or behind decorative or plasterboard panels.

The cable channel is an ordinary PVC tube, which is poured inside the panel or laid in specially cut grooves in the walls or ceiling. Such channels usually end in installation boxes into which sockets and switches are mounted.

The main advantage of hidden wiring is its invisibility. But repair, replacement and redevelopment, especially in monolithic or brick houses, is a rather troublesome procedure: you have to open the walls, and after replacing them, cover them up and paint over them again.

2. Open wiring

Exposed wiring is located on top of a wall or ceiling. But open does not mean “unprotected”. For open wiring, either ready-made cable ducts (cable runs) or PVC tubes into which the wires are laid are used in the same way.In some cases, open wiring is done with double or even triple insulated cables. For example, they do wiring in dachas and country wooden cottages.For open wiring, special sockets, switches and distribution boxes are used. They have a closed body and are mounted directly on the wall.

Interior designers sometimes use exposed wiring as a decorative element, for example, when implementing a project in a steampunk, country or loft style. For such projects, multi-colored wires and cables, fabric-braided wires, and special designer fasteners are used.

An important advantage of open wiring is that its repair, replacement or connection of new branches is carried out without much labor: there is no need to hollow out the walls and restore them after work. The downside is that the wiring is visible, but for some, this minus can be a plus.

Wire types

Cables and wires are used for laying electrical wiring. For a non-specialist, there is not much difference between these concepts, but when laying wiring it is important to know what it will be done with: cable or wire.

The wire

A wire is one solid wire metal core. The wires may be bare or coated with a layer of insulating material. They are also divided into bottom-haired (monolithic) and multi-haired (braided). The first ones are used for hidden wiring. Braided wires are more flexible and less susceptible to frequent bending and twisting, which is why they are often used to power household appliances.

1. PVS wire

This wire is often used to repair electrical networks. It is also suitable for making extension cords and cords for any type of equipment. Flexibility and lightness make PVA an indispensable assistant for lighting and installation of sockets To.

2. PBPP wire

Flat electrical wire with two or three solid copper cores. This is a universal conductor of electric current, of high quality: PBPP can be used when carrying out electrical work in a private house, apartment or country house. It is suitable for connecting lighting, as well as for installing electrical sockets and switches.

Cable

A cable is several insulated wires in a common protective insulation. The number of wires in the cable may vary. For household electrical wiring, two-, three- and four-core cables with a cross-section from 2.5 to 4 mm are used.

Wires and cables for household electrical wiring are made of copper or aluminum. In older houses that are more than 15 - 20 years old, aluminum wiring was previously used. Modern houses are equipped with copper cables: with the same wire cross-section, copper cables can withstand a large electrical load. In addition, copper cables are more flexible and less susceptible to oxidation.

Important: try to avoid connecting copper and aluminum wires. At the point of such contact, a chemical oxidation reaction occurs, releasing a large amount of heat. Possible fire. Use cables made of the same material.

1. CableNYM

High-quality German cable consisting of 1-5 cores. It is used for laying lighting and power networks both indoors and outdoors. Its distinctive feature is a high degree of security. This cable is also moisture and heat resistant, but does not like sunlight, so it must be protected from direct rays.

2. VVG cable

Cable with excellent insulation characteristics. It consists of one core, making it convenient to install inside walls. Most often, VVG is used when independently installing or replacing electrical wiring in an apartment. The service life of such a cable is at least 30 years.

Wiring for powerful equipment

For household electric stoves and electric ovens, it is recommended to lay a separate electrical wiring branch. For this branch, more powerful cables with copper conductors in double insulation, with a cross-section of at least 6 mm, are used, and special power sockets are installed.

Distribution boxes

To organize the electrical network of a house or apartment, distribution boxes, or, as they are also called, distribution boxes, are used. They are installed at junctions, or, if you like, branches of individual electrical wiring cables. There are such boxes in every room. They are usually located under the ceiling. There are two types of distribution boxes: d For hidden and outdoor installation.

Hidden distribution boxes are recessed into special sockets under the ceiling, at the convergence of several cable channels. The main power cable comes into the box, and from it branch cables for powering sockets, a cable for a switch, cables for powering lighting devices: chandeliers, sconces, spot sections, etc.Open boxes are mounted directly on the wall in the most convenient place for this.

If a specialist will install the electrical wiring in your home, this information will not be useless to you.

You will need such knowledge in order to monitor whether the installation is carried out correctly and efficiently, and will also help you understand what is needed to carry out such work: materials, tools and equipment.

Among other things, when living in a house, situations arise in which it is necessary to repair or replace individual parts of the electrical wiring in the house, but it is not always possible to call an electrician. This is when you will need this information. Knowing how the electrical wiring was installed, you will definitely have an image, the path where it was laid, what material it was made of, what cross-section of the wires, what load they were designed for.

You can determine the appropriate wire cross-section by dividing the maximum load current in a certain section of the electrical wiring by the current density for this type of conductor, or you can select it using a special table. Those. with a current of 22.7 A and a conductor density of 9 A/mm2, a cross-section of 2.5 mm2 is suitable.

When calculating the total power of energy consumers throughout the house, you need to take into account the fact that usually everything does not turn on at the same time. In this case, a demand correction factor is used. In the case when the total power is less than or equal to 14 kW it is 0.8, up to 20 kW - 0.65, up to 50 - 0.5.

Power calculation

How to mark correctly?

Work on marking for installation of electrical wiring begins with marking the main path of wires from the electrical panel, as well as all their turns, branches and passages through. When marking, we follow the following rules:

Wiring markings with indents

wires on the wall should be mounted either parallel or perpendicular to the floor;
marking the path of horizontal sections should be 0.2 m below the ceiling, which will reduce the likelihood of damage to electrical wiring;
when turning electrical wiring, vertical or horizontal, an angle of 90° must be maintained;
When installing a route along interfloor or attic floors, the path to the lighting devices is marked as the shortest from the connection box.

To mark the route, you can resort to help, you can buy it, or you can make it yourself by painting a regular cord with paint, charcoal or chalk.

When marking, one end of the cord is fixed at the starting point, and the other is pulled parallel to the wall or ceiling, pressing it to the end point of the segment. With the other hand, the middle of the cord is pulled back and thrown. When the cord hits a wall or ceiling, it leaves a clear mark.

After the marking is completed, do not rush to throw away the wiring diagram; it may be useful in case of repair.

Connecting box

The installation of junction boxes is marked in places where electrical wiring branches, descending to sockets or switches.

If you plan to install hidden electrical wiring, in this case, mark the points for installation boxes where hidden switches and sockets will be placed.

Switches, as a rule, are placed at the entrance to the room on the side where the door handle is located, either inside or outside it.

Switches are mounted at a height of 1.5 m or 0.5-0.8 m from the floor - this is the standard. The most popular option is number two. When marking the path of the wires to the switch, you should remember that the distance to the door frame cannot be less than 0.1 m.

Currently, the installation height of sockets is not regulated. The main argument here will be convenience.
When you plan to install a desk in a room, the socket must be installed so that it is located above the table top.
In the kitchen, sockets are placed above the kitchen countertop at a height of 0.9 m. It often makes sense to install double or triple sockets.

For a washing machine, electric stove, electric water heater, and electric boiler, it is necessary to provide individual sockets, with separate wiring from the distribution panel.

When marking the installation of sockets and switches in a room, bathroom, shower or sauna, do not forget that these rooms have high humidity.

The second zone defines the space within a radius of 60 cm around the bathtub, shower, washbasin, sink, even if they have stationary partitions; The third zone is the space within a radius of 240 cm around the second zone.

Switches and sockets can only be installed in the third zone; they must be protected by an RCD for a current of up to 30 mA.

Lamp markings

A ceiling lamp is usually mounted in the center of the room.

To determine the location of the lamp on the floor of the room, we mark two diagonals, the place where they intersect is the center. Using a plumb line, we transfer the central point to and then mark the path to it for mounting the electrical wiring from the junction box.

If you decide to install several lamps on the ceiling of a given room, then first of all, determine the center line along the length of the room, and then mark the placement points of the lamps on this line, which are then transferred to the ceiling.

Before installing the electrical wiring, it is worth cutting the wire into pieces, their length will be equal to the space between the junction and installation boxes, lamps and other devices. The wire should be cut into pieces with a small margin of 0.1-0.15 m, which is necessary in order to connect them together and connect them to electrical appliances.

You can attach the corrugated hose to the wall or ceiling using plastic holders, which are fastened with screws, self-tapping screws or dowels - it depends on the material or wall.

To attach the cable channel, you must immediately secure the lower part, then lay the electrical wiring in it and close it with the upper part of the box, by pressing it against the lower part until the lock clicks. If there is a need to check the wires, the upper part of the box can be easily snapped off.

In places where electrical wiring branches, special junction boxes are installed.

Open way

Installation of sockets and switches, in the open method, is carried out on “socket boxes” made of insulating material, which can be dry wood, plexiglass, textolite or plastic.

The socket box is cut out in the shape of a circle, with a diameter of 6-7 cm and a thickness of approximately 10 cm. First, the socket box is attached to it using countersunk screws or glue, and then a socket or switch that does not have an outer plastic casing is attached to it.

After this, “phase” and “zero” are connected to the socket, and in protected sockets, “grounding” is also connected.

The switch is connected to a “phase” break, which means that only a “phase” is led to it from the junction box, which, passing through the switch, will again return to the junction box via another wire and in it is connected to the “phase” that goes to the lamp, and “zero” is brought directly to the lamp, bypassing the switch.

You can determine the “phase” by marking the wires with a tag or remembering the colors of the wire insulation. When the electrical wiring is installed and connected, an indicator will help determine the “phase”.

Hidden wiring

Installation of hidden electrical wiring is carried out in monolithic houses, houses made of artificial and natural stones, etc.

Hidden wiring in a frame house

In houses made of stone or brick, installation of hidden electrical wiring is carried out in special channels, so-called grooves, they are cut along the path of future wiring, and sealed after installation is complete.

Electrical wiring in a wooden house must not only perform its functions, but also be safe, so increased demands are placed on the quality of its implementation. You can do electrical wiring in a wooden house with your own hands, but you must follow all installation rules.

The work must be divided into several stages:

Drawing up a project and calculating the total capacity of the equipment;
Selection of cables, electrical equipment, mounting elements according to the calculated load;
Entry into the house and connection of the input circuit breaker, electricity meter, installation of the distribution board;
Laying cables, distributing them point by point;
Installation of sockets, switches, lighting equipment;
Installation of grounding and RCD;
Testing and verification.

House power supply project

In order to properly design electrical wiring, it is necessary to establish the total power of the electrical equipment. Sequence of design work:

Draw a house plan and indicate the location of all lighting fixtures, sockets, and equipment with individual connections.
The drawing must indicate the maximum power of the devices, taking into account the starting currents of the electric motors.
Lighting equipment is connected to separate power supply groups; the number of these groups depends on the size of the house and the power of the lighting fixtures. Typically, for a small house, all lamps can be connected to one group.
It is also necessary to provide lighting for the courtyard area, and if the house is used as a summer house for temporary residence, it is more advisable to connect the courtyard lighting to a separate circuit breaker - this way, it will be possible to turn off the power to the house during departure without turning off the external lighting.
Powerful household electrical appliances are connected to a separate power supply group, through a separate circuit breaker. Such devices include water heaters and electric boilers, as well as electric ovens, stoves, convectors - all equipment with high power consumption. For such electrical appliances it is necessary to lay a separate cable.

For each group, it is necessary to calculate the maximum power consumption by summing up all electrical appliances that can be connected to the network at the same time. It is also necessary to calculate the total power of the entire load to select an input circuit breaker.

Selection of cables and equipment

When designing a power supply, complex calculations are carried out to select a cable, but to carry out electrical wiring in a wooden house with your own hands, it is enough to use the table. For each power supply group, select a cable cross-section corresponding to the power consumption.

For wiring, copper cable of the VVGng-LS or NYM brand is most often chosen. The first is distinguished by a lower price, and the second by an additional layer of insulation and greater reliability, as well as ease of cutting. Aluminum cable can also be used, but its cross-section increases, in addition, the cores of the aluminum cable are more brittle when bent, therefore, it is less reliable.

To connect sockets, you need a three-core cable with a grounding wire - some household appliances require mandatory protective grounding. For lighting according to the PUE, it is also necessary to use grounding, but in practice this rule is often neglected. However, if you plan to install high-power fixtures, such as a floodlight for yard lighting, it is highly recommended that all wiring be done correctly.

Wiring in a wooden house can be done both externally - in a cable channel, and hidden if the interior decoration involves wall cladding. Internal wiring must be carried out in pipes or a metal hose, for fire safety purposes and to protect against accidental damage when drilling holes, for example.

The choice of sockets and switches is made according to several parameters:

According to the current for which they are designed;
By installation type: for hidden or external wiring;
Socket blocks are selected according to the number of places, and switches - according to the number of keys. Sometimes it is convenient to connect several switches into one block, for example, switches for a nearby bathroom and toilet.

Input of power supply and input machine

The selection of the input cable is made according to the maximum power of all electrical equipment in the house. Special attention should be paid to this when reconstructing electrical wiring. Having changed all the cables and increased the rating of the circuit breakers, we must not forget about the input cable. Its cross-section may be insufficient, and a fire will occur under heavy load. The input cable is changed, as a rule, with the involvement of the energy supplying organization simultaneously with the installation and sealing of the meter.

The input circuit breaker must reserve group circuit breakers and disconnect the house from the power supply in the event of a short circuit, but not operate at the maximum possible load. If the house is powered from a three-phase network, a three-pole circuit breaker is installed. For a single-phase network - single-pole or double-pole, where a phase and a zero are connected.

Selecting the rating and type of circuit breaker for a single-phase network:

It is necessary to calculate the total power of all electrical appliances and calculate the maximum current using the formula I NOM = P / U·cosϕ. The resulting value I NOM is the calculated rated current of the network, it is multiplied by a factor of 1.1 and the rated current of the circuit breaker release is obtained. As a rule, circuit breakers with a rating of no more than 25 A are installed at the entrance to the house.
To select the type of machine, you need to know the minimum short-circuit current. For a single-phase network ~220V, the short circuit current can be calculated using the simplified formula I short circuit = 3260 S/L, where S is the wire cross-section in mm 2, L is the cable length, m. In this case, the calculation is carried out for the longest group with the minimum cross-section cable.
Next, you need to determine the multiple of the short-circuit current to the rated current, that is, calculate I SC / I NOM. The resulting value determines the characteristics of the switch. In private homes, circuit breakers with characteristic C are most often used.

An automatic input switch is usually installed after the meter. It is possible to install it up to the meter, but in this case it must be sealed.

Automatic switches of power supply groups, an electricity meter, as well as an input circuit breaker and an RCD are installed in the distribution panel. The body of the metal shield must be grounded. The equipment is installed on a DIN rail, after which it is wired in accordance with the diagram.

Laying cables, installing sockets and switches

Before laying the cable, it is necessary to determine the route, install distribution boxes and mark the installation locations of sockets, switches and lighting fixtures. The cable of the selected cross-section is laid in accordance with the installation plan using one of the methods indicated below.

Laying the cable in a metal hose or pipe carried out if it is planned to completely cover the internal walls, otherwise the wiring will look unaesthetic. It is impossible to use plastic corrugated pipe for hidden wiring, since there is a possibility of accidental damage to it, which can lead to a fire inside the ceilings, which is very difficult to quickly eliminate.

Cable laying technology in a pipe:

External cable routing performed in a cable channel made of self-extinguishing plastic. The cable channel comes in various sizes and is a box closed with a lid with a latch. The color of the cable channel can be either white or imitating a wooden texture, so it looks quite aesthetically pleasing on log walls.

Technology for laying cables in a cable channel:

Grounding and RCD

Necessary for the operating conditions of most household appliances if their housing is made of metal. In a private house, grounding can be done independently.

For grounding, you will need three metal pins or corners 3 meters long, as well as cutting corners about a meter long, which need to be used to connect the pins. The grounding technology is as follows: dig a trench in the shape of an equilateral triangle with a side of 1 meter and a depth of at least 30 cm, drive three-meter pins or corners into the ground at the corners of the trench, and connect them together in short sections using welding. A hole is made in one of the corners, and a grounding conductor is attached using a bolt and nut, which is brought out into the distribution panel and connected to the grounding bus. All grounding conductors of the cables are connected to the same bus - they have yellow-green insulation.

RCD - residual current device - is necessary to protect a person from electric shock in the event of a current leak on the metal body of household appliances or in the event of damage to the insulation. The RCD reacts to current mismatches, detecting even the smallest leak. The RCD has two parameters by which it is selected: rated current and leakage current.

The rated current of the RCD is selected an order of magnitude higher than the current of the circuit breaker in this circuit. Leakage current - depending on the type of room and connected equipment. So, for a bathroom you need an RCD with a leakage current of 10 mA, and for other rooms a value of this parameter of 30 mA is sufficient. The RCD connection diagram is shown in the figure.

Electrical wiring tests

After installation, it is necessary to call electrical laboratory specialists so that they carry out the entire necessary set of measurements: insulation resistance, resistance of the grounding conductor and phase-zero loops, load the machines and check the RCD. After the tests, you will be given a protocol that will allow you to confirm the correctness of the electrical installation work to the energy supply organization - the protocol may be needed when sealing the electricity meter.

It is recommended to paste the wiring diagram with all amendments and comments on the inner surface of the wall of the switchboard - this will provide clarity in case of electrical wiring faults. The diagram must indicate which circuit breaker powers each group and what is connected to it.

Electrical wiring in a wooden house, carried out taking into account all recommendations, is completely safe and will last for a long time.