Types of grounding in the apartment
In all new buildings, the problem of grounding is solved already when the house is put into operation, however, in old apartments it is often necessary to do it yourself.
Create a protection by knowing only which wire to connect. In houses built at different times, different grounding systems are used.
If the apartment does not have a ground connection, it must be done by yourself, but you should be very careful, since incorrectly executed work can lead to a power failure or even a fire.
The following types are known:
- TN-S.
- TN-C.
- TN-C-S.
- TT.
- IT.
Distinguish the system data in that in some of them there is a wire "earth", and in some only "phase" and "zero".Understand whether there is such a wire on the second part of the marking system - in the system with the letter S, zero and ground are in different wires, and with the letter C - in one. The letter N shows the neutral that is used in AC networks.
Grounding in old apartments is usually done using the TN-C system. In houses built before 1998, usually two-wire wiring, with a wire made of aluminum and copper. In more modern homes, the TN-S or TN-C-S system is usually used.
To determine the type of protection system in your home, you need to contact the Housing and Utility Service, where the electricians will answer you this question.
How to check the earthing in the apartment
To determine if there is a grounding bath in the apartment, or any other space, you need to open the electrical panel, find the input cable and count the number of wires in them. Five conductors - means in the house system TN-C-S.Four conductors indicate that TN-C.Knowing which system, it will be easier for you to answer yourself to the question of how to make a grounding in an apartment.
How to ground yourself in an apartment?
The easiest way to ground out the sockets in the apartment is to make the residents of the first floors. In this case, they simply can pull the "earth" wire into the yard.
To residents of other floors, it is necessary to connect the ground wire to the shield and take it to the zero panel. After that, the wiring from the three wires stretches to the right place. This is a very economical and easy way, but it is possible only if you are currently undergoing repair. In other cases, for example, when buying new appliances, grounding is also necessary, and it will not be possible to make it this way. True, you can connect the equipment directly to the outlet, but there is a risk of getting an electric shock when working with it.
Grounding the washing machine and water heater in the apartment
If you have purchased a new machine, such as a washing machine or a boiler, first, replace the old outlet with a new one that has protection. It is important that the new outlet is exactly the same size as the old one, otherwise you will have to replace the place under the outlet.
If you pull the wires through the entire apartment is not possible, then you can simply switch to a socket in the phase zero to ground. To do this, use the indicator to check which wire is zero. It is important that the wire that is used for the jumper is homogeneous.
Thus, you can easily ground the outlet, however, if you have the opportunity, it is better to resort to a complete grounding of the apartment.
A well-grounded grounding can not only protect you when working with electrical appliances, protect you from a current shock, but also significantly extend the life of the devices. It is able to protect them from breakage due to voltage fluctuations in the network.