Installation of electrical wiring in the apartment

Modern overhaul often involves the installation of electrical wiring in the apartment. The implementation of such work imposes a great responsibility, since the quality of the functioning of the elements wiring depends not only on the correct operation of electricity consumers, but also fire and electrical home security.

Wiring diagram

Before you start any work on wiring, you need to draw up its diagram. To do this, follow this algorithm:

• You should start by drawing up a plan of the premises of the apartment, which should be done on a scale indicating the size. The subsequent application of all elements of the electrical wiring to this plan is carried out with the distribution of consumers into groups, depending on their type and location.
• The total capacity of electricity consumers in the apartment is determined, as well as their distribution in the premises. To do this is quite simple, if you take as a basis a similar wiring plan, for example, such as in the figure.

• The required quantity is determined outlets in each room. If the future interior design is approximately known, then it is possible to arrange sockets based on the maximum convenience of their operation. Otherwise, ensure that at least one such device is available for every 6 m2 of living space, in kitchens - for every 3 m2. Do not install outlets in the toilet. In the bathroom, their installation is allowed, but this can only be done using devices that have increased moisture protection. Such sockets are connected through an isolation transformer, as a result of which their galvanic connection with a common household electrical network is excluded. This solution allows you to ensure the highest level of electrical safety, but entails additional material costs.
• The location of powerful household appliances (more than 2 kW), such as electric stoves, boilers, cooking surfaces, dishwashers and washing machines, groups of air conditioners, etc., is determined. For each of these devices, you need to draw a separate line that has grounding and is connected directly to the input electrical panel.
• The required number and cross-section of cables is calculated, nominal circuit breakers, RCD or difavtomatov. To make such calculations, it is necessary to clearly determine the number of consumer groups, as well as their capacity.

Wire cross section selection

For the correct choice of wire cross-section, as well as the nominal parameters of protective devices, you can use the following recommendations:

1. For lighting circuits, circuit breakers with a rated current of 16 A and a current-time characteristic of type B must be used.
2. For individual outlets or their groups, as a rule, switches with a rated current of 20 A are used.
3. To connect powerful household appliances, you need to choose a circuit breaker whose rated current corresponds to the power of these consumers. For example, when connecting a device with a power of 5 kW, you need a switch with a rated current of 25 A.
4. It is advisable to connect all consumer groups through an RCD, as a result of which protection against electric shock in the event of insulation damage is provided. As for powerful electrical appliances, the use of devices that respond to the occurrence of differential currents, when connected, is mandatory.
5. The choice of brand and cross-section of wires that must be laid for reliable wiring can be made with using tables that clearly show what section of the cable is needed to connect a group of consumers certain power.

In most cases, for the installation of high-quality wiring is used VVG cablehaving a cross section of 1.5 mm2 for lighting networks, 2.5 mm2 for connecting sockets, 4 or 6 mm2 for connecting powerful electrical appliances.

Features of the installation of electrical wiring

There are two main options for wiring:

• Open way. It is currently used quite rarely, mainly in rooms where it is impossible to arrange concealed wiring. Laying of wires is carried out in cable channels or special boxes, fixed to the walls and ceiling using self-tapping screws or mounting clips.

• Hidden. The most common way. In order to covertly lay the wires, it is necessary to perform the gating of the walls. This method of wiring is associated with the implementation of certain construction works, therefore, it is performed simultaneously with repairs in the apartment.

When laying wires in the walls, they should be placed strictly vertically or horizontally, all turns of the wire are carried out only at right angles.

Light switches are located next to doorways at a height of 1.5 m or 0.8 m.

It is customary to place electrical outlets in rooms at a height of up to 1 m. It is necessary to conduct wires in advance for outlets designed to power wall TVs, boilers, air conditioners, etc. If this is not done, then subsequently it may be necessary to lay external wires or use extension cords.

It is advisable to start work on installing electrical wiring by installing a separate electrical panel in the apartment. An introductory circuit breaker and one modular socket are initially installed in this flap. This solution allows you to turn off the voltage in all circuits of the old wiring and at the same time use the power tool for work.

Electrical cable routing

The wiring in the apartment is as follows:

• Markup. When performing these works, it is necessary to ensure that the channels for the wires, with which parallel connected sockets are connected, are located on the same level with them.
• Wall chipping with an angle grinder or punch. The depth of each strobe is from 1.5 to 2 cm. To correctly conduct the wires in the bearing walls, the strobes for them should not be made too deep, as this can lead to a violation of the structural strength of the building. To properly lay the wire should be guided by such requirements:

1. a distance to the floor of at least 200 mm.
2. the distance to the ceiling is at least 150 mm.
3. the distance to door or window openings is not less than 100 mm.

• Drilling recesses for mounting boxes for sockets and switches, as well as for placing junction boxes. To perform such work, special crowns are used.
• Laying wires in the gates. Such work is performed when the power is off on the common panel. The wires are laid using special fasteners or putty with alabaster. In this case, it is necessary to carefully monitor the absence of contact between the insulation of the wires and the metal parts of the building structure.
• Installation of modular elements of the electrical panel.
• Installation box installation. It is also performed using alabaster. If plasterboard partitions are installed in the apartment, then special podrozetniki with appropriate fasteners are used for them.
• In junction boxes, the wires are connected in accordance with the developed wiring diagram. It is extremely important to ensure high-quality electrical contact, for which soldering, terminal or bolt connections can be used. Any wire connections should only be made in the mounting boxes.
• Outlet Installation and switches. Do not forget that each switch must be installed in such a way that when it is turned off, the phase conductor breaks. When installing lighting fixtures, the phase wire is connected to a contact located deep in the bulb holder.
• Puttying the walls using gypsum plaster mix.

Thus, the replacement of electrical wiring provides for the mandatory study of the issue, careful planning of the circuit, as well as the correct choice of parameters of all its elements. If such preparatory work has been completed and an understandable plan of action has been drawn up, then it is entirely possible to do the correct installation of wiring with your own hands, while saving significant money on services electricians.