But the first finishing, for example, in a newly built house, becomes an even more important task. Here you can no longer get by with simple cosmetics. Sooner or later, you will have to undertake the installation of electrical wiring either yourself or hire professional electricians, because electricity is necessary in the house. And even if one-story house the amount for this will be quite considerable.
But what if these funds are already planned to be spent on something else? This question can be answered like this. With a strong desire, extreme care and accuracy, as well as strict adherence to instructions and rules, you can install the electrical wiring yourself.
Let's try to figure out whether it is possible, without special education, to do the wiring in a house with your own hands, how difficult such work is and what rules must be followed in order to conduct electricity in a private house. How to conduct wiring, electrical wiring and complete electrification of the house - these are the questions that we will now try to sort out. So, step by step instructions, how to properly carry out electrical wiring in a private house.
Preparation for installation
Installing wiring first of all means one thing - not to rush and try not to miss a single detail, because this business does not tolerate fuss. Before you start work, it is worth sketching out diagrams of future electrical communications (this diagram may be useful in the future). To do this, first of all, it is necessary to determine the location of the input distribution board, all lamps, sockets, and also calculate the maximum power for each of them. Next, having made a schematic sketch on a sheet of paper (an example of a similar sketch is above), distribute the load along the lines - this will be the electrical wiring in the house. It should be taken into account that modern lighting fixtures consume a fairly small amount of electricity, and therefore it would be quite acceptable to plan the number of lighting lines at the rate of 1 group per 2 rooms, and this is done only for the convenience of subsequent maintenance and repair.
But with power groups, that is, lines that will go to sockets, calculations should be more accurate. After all, the size of the machines and the cross-section of cables suitable for the total power consumed by household appliances will depend on the detailed data of consumers.
Usually, when installing electrical wiring, the best option is to have each socket group in the room run on a separate line. In addition to reducing the load on wiring and circuit breakers, this provides more convenience for subsequent repairs of sockets and cables, if the need arises.
Naturally, electrical appliances such as electric stove or a boiler for heating water must run in separate lines.
Section selection
When doing work such as electrical wiring in a house with your own hands, calculating the required cable plays a very important role. This means that only after calculating the total load in the rooms can we proceed to choosing a section. By the way, the wire diameter can also be calculated not only by power consumption, but also by current consumption. All necessary data can be found in technical documentation to household electrical appliances. Similar calculations required before installing electricity in the house.
Do not forget that the calculation of the cable cross-section is made based on the totality of all data, not excluding the distance from the distribution input cabinet to the consumer, as well as the type of installation - with the open method of installation, the wire cross-section is allowed to be smaller than with hidden wiring, due to natural cooling.
It is also necessary to take into account the material from which the cable is made. All data on the selection and calculation of cable cross-section can be seen in the attached table.
An aluminum cable with a cross-section of 2.5 square meters will be optimal for lighting. mm, and a copper cross-section of 1.5 square meters is sufficient. mm. But this is only under normal lighting conditions. If used for lighting halogen lamps high power, the calculation is also made according to the table.
It is important to understand that it will be more reliable if the diameter of the wire is slightly larger than required - this will eliminate the need for additional wiring when adding any additional household appliances and electrical equipment in the kitchen or other rooms.
Sockets, switches and lighting fixtures
Having decided on the cross-section and length of the cables, you need to select the necessary lighting fixtures, sockets and switches. This also needs to be done in advance, before going to the store. Sockets are selected depending on the type of household electrical appliance, which will be included in it. After all, it’s no secret that the plug of a household appliance may be an old model, or it may be according to the European standard, that is, with thick pins. This must be taken into account when designing. It is also necessary to determine the degree of protection, that is, IP. To do this, determine the location of the outlet and the possibility of exposure to aggressive environments, that is, humidity, dust, dirt, etc. This also applies to the choice of switches and lighting devices.
Another important point. If there are small children in the house, then it makes sense to purchase sockets with protective curtains - they will not allow children to put foreign objects inside, which will protect children from injury electric shock.
You also need to decide where the switches will be installed and where dimmers will need to be installed. Depending on this, it will be possible to choose lighting devices. Do not forget that not all led lamps can be dimmed, and therefore it is better to immediately calculate the number of adjustable and unregulated lamps.
Installation
After purchasing all necessary cables and equipment, you can proceed directly to installation. The first thing you need to do is draw the routes along which the cables will pass, after which, using a hammer cutter or hammer drill, you need to make grooves, called grooves, into which the electrical wiring will be laid. Also, using a hammer drill and a special diamond or pobedite bit, recesses are made for sockets, switches and distribution boxes.
Do not forget that distribution boxes are placed directly above each switch and socket. The grooves into which the wiring is laid are located strictly vertically or horizontally - in this case, in the future you will not have to guess where the wire is located if you have to drill something.
After the grooves are made, a cable is laid, which is fixed in the groove so that the channel can subsequently be plastered. In places where sockets, switches and distribution boxes are installed, it is necessary to leave at least 10–15 cm of wire reserve, which is necessary for connections.
By the way, if the wire goes from the junction box to single-gang switch, then the cable must be two-wire, and if it is a two-key cable, then it must be three-wire. It’s probably worth looking at the methods of installing distribution boxes in a little more detail.
Electrical wiring
Surely everyone has noticed that the colors of the cable insulation different colors. This is not done by the manufacturer for beauty or aesthetics. First of all, this is ease of installation and subsequent maintenance, as well as the electrical safety of the installer himself.
Wiring by color is carried out as follows:
- Yellow-green, light green or yellow wire- it's always grounding. These are the colors that are generally accepted today.
- Blue, cyan or white with a blue stripe - always a neutral wire or neutral. It should not be confused with grounding. Of course, if these cores are bridged, the equipment will not fail, but if the device is installed in the input panel protective shutdown(RCD) it will constantly turn off.
- All other colors are used as phase wires.
The wiring diagram must correspond to the color marking.
It is important to remember that in order to make the wiring in the distribution box to the switches correctly, it is the “phase” that must be interrupted, which means the neutral wire (and, if present, the ground wire) must be routed so that it goes directly to the lamp, and the phase went down to the switching device.
Both wires are sent from the box to the sockets, that is, both “phase” and “zero”.
Connections in junction boxes must be tight. For this, it is advisable to use special terminal blocks - Wago. If the twisting method is used, then it makes sense to solder such connections to obtain better contact and prevent heating of the wire.
Installation of the incoming power cabinet
Probably the most important step in installing electrical wiring in a private house is connecting the elements of the power panel, through which electricity will be supplied, protection against overloads and short circuits, as well as metering of electricity supplied to residential premises.
It should be noted that all installation is carried out first electrical cabinet and switching of wiring going to the premises, and only after that the main power is supplied.
Modern switchboards are equipped with special DIN rails that facilitate the fastening of equipment such as automatic machines, RCDs and electric meters.
The power cabinet switching sequence is as follows:
The first step is to attach the input machine. Its rating must be higher than the total power of the distribution machines. Also, the wire going from it to the electricity meter, as well as from the electric meter to the distribution machines, must have a larger cross-section than the cable cores going to the distribution lines in residential premises.
It is also necessary to remember that the power line for voltage input from the pole to the house is made only by the service organization after the necessary approvals. Under no circumstances should you do this kind of work yourself. This means that wiring in a private house is a job that is performed by home handyman, and supplying the power line for input is the task of a specialist.
Installation of an electricity meter
The electric meter is installed after the introductory two-pole circuit breaker as follows.
The phase wire from the breaker comes to the first, and the neutral wire to the third contact. The second contact is the phase output to the distribution machines, and the fourth is the zero output, which is connected to the zero bus, which is usually provided in modern electrical panels. All blue or blue (depending on the cable manufacturer) lines going to the premises are also connected to it. This is where the advantage of color-coded cables comes into play.
When connecting an electricity meter, you can also be guided by the connection diagram, which is always present on the back of the protective contact cover.
The wire strands in the contact terminals of the meter, which has two clamping screws, are fixed as follows: first, the upper screw is tightened, then the lower one is pressed. Thus, the core is evenly and tightly located in the contact terminal, which will avoid heating.
Distribution machines
Purchased according to the number of socket and lighting groups, as well as their currents, the machines are mounted on a DIN rail. From above, among themselves, they are all connected by jumpers. Thus, when power is applied to one of them, the voltage is evenly distributed across all.
After this, you should, without mixing up the groups, connect the wires going to the premises to the distribution machines. In this case, it makes sense to sign each of the machines, which of the groups it connects to. This will eliminate unnecessary shutdowns when replacing, for example, a lamp or socket. After all, if a problem occurs in one of the sockets, you can turn off the machine that is responsible for this particular group. Then electrical appliances in other rooms will operate as normal, and in the room where repairs or replacement are needed, the lights will even be on. Therefore, it is worth carefully considering the electrical wiring project at home.
After all the work done, you need to once again stretch all the contacts on the machines, the electricity meter and, most importantly, on the zero bus, since if there is poor contact and heating of the wire, it is the “zero” that begins to burn first.
In addition, after 2-3 weeks of operation, these contacts will need to be checked again and, if necessary, extended.
Testing and commissioning
If you are not sure that all the wiring in the junction boxes is done correctly, it is, of course, better to contact a specialist. If you have such confidence, you can begin checking. Without installing light fixtures, sockets and switches, it is necessary (of course, after making sure that all the terminals from them do not bridge each other), turn on the lines of the power (outlet) group one by one. If there are no short circuits (the machines have not turned off), you need to check all the wires of the sockets using an indicator or multitester. If everything is in order, you can move on to the lighting groups.
After disconnecting the sockets, the room lighting circuit breakers are turned on, and then the voltage at the terminals on the switches is checked, where there should be an incoming phase and one or two outgoing wires without voltage. When normal, the lighting lines are turned off and the breaker wires are bridged. This will allow you to check the voltage at the cable terminals directly to the lighting devices after applying power.
If testing does not reveal any complaints, you can safely cover up the scratches on the walls, close the distribution boxes and (naturally, turning off the power) begin interior decoration premises. This completes the installation of electrical wiring in a private house.
Do-it-yourself electrical wiring, as already mentioned, is about accuracy and precise adherence to instructions and rules - home electrical wiring is complex. But the factor of self-confidence is also important. Therefore, if, before making the wiring, there are doubts about the ability to complete the entire installation, then it is better to immediately entrust this matter to specialists.
Do not think that after completing some of the electrical installation work, you will be able to pay a smaller amount. This option will not exist, and here's why. Not a single self-respecting professional will undertake to carry out electrical wiring in a house where the installation has already been started by others because, in fact, everything needs to be redone and rechecked.
The main thing is accuracy and close contact. Connection using WAGO terminal blocks.
Therefore, the amount for services of this kind may not only be equal to the cost of complete electrical installation, but even exceed it.
If, however, the work is done in a private house with your own hands, you need to carefully monitor the tightness of the connections and compliance color coding, to avoid short circuits, damage to electrical equipment or electric shock.
Of course, doing electrical wiring in a house is a very complex and labor-intensive process, and it also takes a lot of time. But still, when the right approach it is completely doable on your own, which will save money, and most importantly, it will help you gain enormous and useful installation experience, which will never be superfluous.
The article is intended for the average developer who is puzzled by age-old questions: where to start with this complex and incomprehensible electrician, how it will all happen, when you can start, where to look, who to invite...
Arrangement of electrical communications is the most important stage construction of a private house. It is absolutely obvious that you cannot begin installing electrical wiring without detailed design, and this statement applies not only to buildings under construction, but also to those undergoing reconstruction and major repairs. From the quality of planning and execution electrical installation work depends not only on the functionality of all volatile devices and household appliances, but also on the safety of people. The owner, like no one else, is interested in thorough preparation, so it is not worth saving either time or money here.
Most optimal solution, of course, will order the project from a specialized organization, especially since well-developed documentation will help to calmly conduct a conversation with Rostechnadzor and business entities and put the facility into operation. The power supply project is the only document according to which electrical installation can be carried out; its main purpose is to ensure the safety and efficiency of wiring already at the development stage. In fact, this is a whole package of documents containing the full amount of necessary information:
- wiring diagrams, conductor characteristics;
- installation methods and types of connection of all elements;
- indication of all equipment, consumer specifications;
- location and features of electrical installation products;
- load calculations...
Even if the owner of the home turns to professionals, he must provide the engineers with technical specifications, which means he must first understand many issues on his own. Now we will not try to make an “official” electrical project for a country house on our own, but we will try to outline all the main points, the systematization of which will help you:
- competently answer questions from designers;
- calculate required power, redistribute limited energy resources;
- plan the order of electrical installation work and synchronize it with general construction work;
- predict your expenses;
- competently inspect hired specialists, or get to work yourself.
In general, our task is to completely eliminate the possibility of unpleasant surprises and in any situation keep everything under control.
Technical specifications - the starting point of design
Conventionally, the power supply of a country house is divided into three main parts: wiring in a residential building, organizing communications on the street, connecting outbuildings. Each of these areas should be considered separately and have its own electrical circuit and working drawings. To solve this problem, you need to set yourself (or the designers) a technical task. This is the original plan, which shows all the power consumers of the house and outbuildings, lighting devices, and simplified communication routes. As a rule, the preparation of technical specifications is the result of the joint work of the designer, the customer and the contractor performing electrical installation work.
Drawing up a technical specification and a project for it will allow:
- take into account all points of electrical outlets so that every household appliance or unit is powered;
- arrange sockets and switches in places convenient for use, and distribution boxes in places accessible for maintenance;
- calculate the total power consumption.
We need to first create separate drawings of each floor of the house and each room, where all the partitions are schematically depicted, door blocks with the direction of opening the canvas, furniture elements, large stationary appliances (TVs, computer, electric fireplace, refrigerator, indoor units split systems, boiler, jacuzzi, etc.). Required condition- linking consumers to the enclosing structures, so either the construction should be completed internal partitions, or make accurate and final markings of the layout directly on site, and determine the level of the finished floor. Only after this can we take measurements and make complete floor plans, where we will mark all the terminals, each socket, switch, and lamp.
Special attention is paid to low-current networks - high-frequency TV, Internet, video surveillance, motion and presence sensors, stationary audio systems.
In some cases, local drawings are made for particularly stressed design and electrical components (specific walls, multi-level ceilings in separate rooms).
A very important point. To correctly draw up the technical specifications, it is necessary to have passports of all the main consumers; this is the only way to obtain reliable information about the dimensions of the products, methods of their connection, power, etc. For example, it is worth knowing in advance how many switching positions the chandelier in the living room will have (determines the number of wires conductor), or, for example, the specification of the hob (determines the cable cross-section, type and location of the terminal).
At this stage, it is necessary to take care not only of internal communications. We must not forget about: pumping stations; cleaning, air conditioning, ventilation systems; street lighting and outdoor sockets; anti-icing systems for gutters, steps; control and automation systems; backup/autonomous power supply.
When all consumers are known, the total load is calculated by simply summing the capacities. If the allocated energy resources are not enough, it is necessary to reconsider the equipment of the house and select more economical appliances. As a last resort, you can continue to develop the project and, based on it, request a larger limit from the electricity supplier.
Based on the technical specifications, you can make a list of necessary sockets, switches, and multi-gang frames. We recommend creating general list by type of product, and several small lists for completing each room.
Let us note once again that the technical specifications cannot be drawn up while sitting at the table; more than half of this work is done by the homeowner “in the field” - with a tape measure in his hands, and the whole family behind his shoulder.
Making a schematic diagram of power supply
The schematic diagram is a very important and very complex part of the project, which is developed by specialists from electrical laboratories. This document is fundamental when planning and carrying out electrical installation work and when drawing up working drawings.
Our task is to create a simplified power supply diagram that will help us see the overall picture of the power supply at home. In fact, it can be a visual drawing, a drawing with symbols that will resemble a tree with a root in the form of a main distribution board and branches ending in individual sockets or lamps. The trunk is the highway, where the branches are separated - these will be additional panels or distribution (socket) boxes. Cables running directly from the switchboard to the device may be knocked out of the common outline. You can include circuit breakers and residual current devices in the circuit, then it will look something like this:
If the home's electrical system is very complex, then it makes sense to make a diagram of the power circuits and your own circuit for lighting, since they are always wired separately in the house.
If the cottage has three-phase power supply, then we make three different schemes. At the same time, in order to achieve power balance, based on the technical specifications (consumer power), the load should be evenly distributed on each of the phases - the devices and assemblies should be grouped proportionally.
We make working drawings
A working drawing is a document used by an on-site electrician to lay out cables. If the project is more focused on justifying the choice and coordination of certain technical solutions, then the working documents are intended for the implementation of this project. This is a hybrid of technical specification drawings and a circuit diagram. The working drawing is developed based on technical project and with strict compliance with the requirements of the PUE.
Here you need maximum detail for each room; sometimes they create their own working drawing for a specific wall. Separately, it is necessary to depict a working floor plan, which shows the highways and entries into specific rooms.
What should be indicated in the drawing:
- Output points linked to walls, floors, ceilings; single and multi-point sockets; switches, lamps.
- The lines indicate which lighting groups a specific switch key is responsible for.
- Locations of distribution boxes and main points, group panels.
- Routes of wires.
- Brand and cross-section of conductors.
- Connecting a group to one phase or another.
- Arrangement of low-current circuits.
Do not forget to give the exact name of the room or unit for which the plan was made.
When making a working drawing, use color highlighting, mark groups and individual consumers with numbers, make notes and explanations. Network lines are drawn on the plan with thicker lines than for drawing building elements and stationary equipment. The number of conductors in one line is indicated by short inclined strokes-serifs directly on it. There is a generally accepted complex symbols, as well as established requirements for numbers and inscriptions used in electrical drawings. They are displayed in GOST 21.614-88.
Determining cable routing methods
Depending on the building design and types of finishing, it is necessary to decide on the methods of laying cables. For a private home, there are two main options:
- by gender
- along the ceiling
Wiring in the floor is possible if the screed has not yet been poured. The method has a number of advantages, among which we can note more economical consumption cables Ceiling installation is possible if used suspended structures. This wiring option allows future civil works to carry out safe drilling of floors, makes it possible to carry out installation regardless of the type and condition of the floor. For wooden houses, open wiring is often used in channels or on insulators, including along walls.
To select the route for each line, you must:
- carry out a thorough inspection of the structure and technical condition buildings;
- plan ways to bypass/cross obstacles and technical communications;
- develop ways to move to different rooms/floors/outside.
Counting the power cable
Now that we have the exact location and specifics of electrical points, the communication routes have been determined, a decision has been made on the installation method, we have it in hand circuit diagram and a working drawing (which means we know where the distribution boxes will be and which consumers are powered from them) - we can accurately calculate required quantity each type of cable.
In a private house there must be grounding - therefore it is necessary to use a three-core wire with a soft copper conductor in double insulation. For sockets, wires with a core cross-section of 2.5 mm 2 are suitable, 1.5 square meters are used for lighting, for powerful consumers (with connection to terminals) and for powering intermediate switchboards (storey panels, for individual buildings), cables of 4 mm 2 or even are often used by 6 mm 2. Note that the following consumers are traditionally connected directly to the switchboards, bypassing the boxes:
- engineering units and systems ( pumping stations, air conditioners, heated floors, cleaning and anti-icing systems);
- powerful household appliances (oven, hob, boiler, washing machine, dishwasher, electric boilers and heaters).
Using a tape measure, measure the length of each conductor:
- from the shield to the junction box;
- from the switchboard to the consumer (with direct connection);
- from the box to the power consumer, to the switch, to the lighting device.
You should take into account the supply of wire for output from walls and junction boxes - from 15 to 25 cm, and the supply of wire near the electrical panel - up to 1 meter (with large quantities some of the wires have to be run into the box from below, and some from above).
We make a list of all the wires for each room, give the name of the group or device in numbers, and designate them in accordance with the markings indicated in the working design. The work seems unnecessary and tedious, but it will still have to be done at the stage of preparing and laying cables.
Summing up the indicators, we get the need for cable and wire products various types. The same figures show how much protective corrugation, insulating pipes or cable ducts will need to be purchased.
Planning a distribution board
As we have already said, in a private house there can be several panels, this is the main input and distribution device, as well as simplified panels for floors and auxiliary buildings. Each of them is assembled according to approximately the same principle and contains a similar set of elements.
The number of installation products here can be very diverse, but you should always give preference to boxes with several spare “places”.
To ensure high-quality installation of shields, their design should be carefully considered. For this purpose, a special wiring diagram is created for each input-distribution device. The procedure is as follows:
- We make a list of all incoming wires.
- We indicate the load and maximum current for each of them.
- We select a circuit breaker that corresponds to the characteristics of all items in the list.
- We select residual current devices for several groups of consumers, but a fire protection RCD is installed on the entire system.
- We make a working drawing.
- We make a list of necessary protection devices and components.
Examples of electrical panel diagrams:
1—introductory machine; 2 - counter; 3 - zero bus; 4 - grounding bus; 5-9 - differential automatic machines; 10 - automatic lighting
1—introductory machine; 2 - counter; 3 - fire protection RCD; 4 - common zero bus; 5, 6, 12 — automatic devices for lighting; 7 - RCD for consumers 2, 3, 4; 8, 9, 10 — machines for consumers 2, 3, 4; 11 - additional zero bus; 13 — differential automatic; 14 - RCD for circuits 5, 6, 7; 15, 16, 17 — machines for consumers 5, 6, 7; 18 - additional zero bus; 19 - ground bus (conductors from lighting can also come here)
Attention! Switching of low-current networks cannot be done in power panels; separate boxes must be used for them.
We are planning the installation of electrical wiring
The main task of this stage is to coordinate the arrangement of power supply with other construction work. The second point is to logically organize the activities of the installer; optimize the processes of materials supply, application special tools and devices; properly prepare the workplace.
Electrical installation work begins at the stage of rough general construction operations, usually in parallel with them. For example, cable routing along the floor is carried out before installing screeds, but on walls that are being plastered, it would be more rational to finish rough finishing, cut the grooves - then run the wires and fix the socket boxes. When covering walls and ceilings using frames, the cables are routed before installation of the cladding and remain in the cavity, and then holes are cut for the installation boxes and the ends are pulled out. Open wiring produced on top final finishing. The mechanisms of electrical installation products are mounted after the main painting and facing works; frames of sockets and switches, lighting fixtures are installed after finishing.
Electrical installation work is the least mechanized in construction, but some aspects can be optimized. For example, you can order a complete input distribution device manufactured in a factory, carry out a series of preparatory works in advance (marking, cutting and marking cables, pulling conductors into a protective corrugation, making grooves, installing line fastening elements in place, installing installation boxes, stripping and crimping ends). Many of these jobs can be done by less qualified personnel.
In capital construction, measured pieces of wires from one box are switched on a special preparation line, and then they are dragged to installation boxes(node method). The second option is “beam”, when an electrical installation product is connected to a prepared wire (cut, stripped and crimped) on a stand, and then the cable is pulled to the junction box. In a low-rise individual construction due to the relatively small volume of work, these operations are not subject to industrialization, however, all of them must be carried out in accordance with the current regulatory documents, such as PUE or SNiP 3.05.06-85 “Electrical devices”.
In a private house, manipulations to organize input will be mandatory. The developer raises a lot of questions regarding the arrangement of grounding. We list the stages of installation of the “interior” in chronological order (some operations can be performed simultaneously); for auxiliary buildings and street consumers, the order of their implementation does not change:
- Marking the locations of installation products and routes of lines.
- Cutting grooves and niches for installation and distribution boxes, preparing channels.
- Making passages to various rooms.
- Installation of boxes, socket boxes, boxes for ASU.
- Preparing cables for installation.
- Layout and fixation of power wires along their routes, marking of conductors.
- Installation of lighting circuits.
- Wiring of low-current networks.
- Preparation and switching of conductors in junction boxes.
- Assembly of distribution boards, switching.
- Checking the system's functionality.
- Installation of electrical installation mechanisms.
- Second check, commissioning.
- Installation of facades for sockets and switches.
- Installation and connection of lighting devices, household appliances.
- Connecting various power units and devices autonomous power supply and AVR.
- Connecting low-current consumers (antennas, fire and security sensors, routers and modems, audio system elements).
This is how we saw the planning of work on the design and installation of electrical networks for a country house. Of course, we were not able to cover all the nuances, but we hope that a little useful information you managed to glean. In subsequent publications we will continue the “electric” theme.
Special attention was paid to creating a diagram on which all elements of the electrical network should be displayed, starting from the input machine and ending with sockets in the rooms. Next, we will consider the best option for a home wiring diagram using reliable automatic protection and a single-phase electric meter.
I would like to immediately note that in this article we are considering only one of optimal options wiring in rooms. In reality, you can completely modify the project, based on factors such as: the total load from electrical appliances, the number of rooms, the desire to save energy, etc.
We provide to your attention a typical wiring diagram for a 220 V house:
As for the electrical wiring components, we recommend using the following:
- The electricity meter is two-tariff, as this will help to significantly save electricity, for example, according to the 2019 tariffs in Moscow, with two-zone tariffs in the night zone (from 23:00 to 07:00), 1 kW/h of electricity costs 2.29 rubles, and in the day zone ( from 07:00 to 23:00) - almost three times more expensive, so you will pay 6.18 rubles for each kilowatt-hour.
- If there is an opportunity (380V) to your home, take advantage of it. Firstly, this will allow the use of wires with a smaller cross-section to connect powerful consumers. Secondly, most electric stoves and electric boilers require three-phase, two-phase and a compromise single-phase connection option. Thirdly, if you like to work with your own hands, then it is easier to connect asynchronous electric motors to a three-phase network; they will work at full power and more evenly. Such motors are found in the vast majority of machines. If this is not possible, you still need to pay due attention to the 220V single-phase electrical wiring diagram.
- The cable throughout the house should be copper, it is best to buy or VVGng-LS. Suitable option is selected after . Typically, a cable with a diameter of 1.5 mm2 is chosen for lamps, and 2.5 mm2 for sockets. The cross-section of individual lines of powerful electrical appliances is calculated individually.
- The number of sockets is calculated individually for each case, so on the electrical wiring plan in the house we indicated one socket each as an example (in fact, there can be any other number of light bulbs). It is recommended to create several outlet groups throughout residential building based on the fact that during repairs you won’t have to leave the whole house “without light”. The situation is the same with lighting - there is a desire and opportunity, create several highways on electrical diagram, each of which will serve 1-3 consumer groups. We talked about this in a separate article.
- At the input, immediately after the electric meter, install a circuit breaker that matches your home. You can find out this information from the connection specifications, power supply agreement, or consult management company or energy sales. As for the rest of the machines, for sockets they can be rated at 16 A, and for a lighting group at 10 A. In a good way, you need to calculate the current load on a residential building and select the most suitable ones. Sockets must be protected from a residual current device or a circuit breaker.
- Next to country house there is a garage, which is also powered from the home input panel. We discussed it in detail in the corresponding article.
- Electricity is supplied either over the air by wire, a branch from a support, or underground by cable or laid in a pipe. If you have an underground input with an aluminum cable AVBbShv, if possible, replace it with a copper analogue -.
- It is better to use in all rooms, because... they are more durable, consume a minimum of electricity and can be used in absolutely any room, even in the bathroom, even in the kitchen, not to mention the bedroom.
- For the bathroom, a separate socket group is provided, protected by a 10 mA RCD (other sockets can be protected by a 30 mA RCD), which is due to increased danger electric shock (the room has high humidity). This is discussed in more detail in 7.1.48, 7.1.71-7.1.88.
- Grounding is present, we did not show each individual core on standard scheme electrical wiring (phase, neutral, ground), so as not to clutter the drawing.
If you decide to make the wiring diagram in your house three-phase (380 V), you will have to select other network elements according to their characteristics, but the principle of cable routing between rooms will remain the same. Only in this case will it be additionally necessary to do it correctly.
The diagram below clearly shows how to distribute single-phase consumers in a house into groups:
Please note that in wooden country house(usually this is a country house version of the building) the electrical circuit will look different and the elements of the electrical network will be different, which is due to fire safety requirements!
Useful video
Installing wiring in a private home is a labor-intensive process, but nevertheless, even a novice electrician can do it! If you are determined to carry out all the calculation work yourself and have all the necessary tool, or you just want to monitor a working electrician, then we will look at the entire process from A to Z. To make the technology clear even for beginners (dummies, so to speak), we will look step by step at how electrical wiring in a house should be done with your own hands.
The process consists of several main stages:
- choice of installation method (open, hidden);
- creating a diagram;
- marking works;
- selection of constituent elements;
- direct electrical installation;
- obtaining permission to connect to the local power grid.
Using the example of a new house, we will look at how to do the electrical wiring yourself.
Selecting the type of electrical installation
The first thing you need to start with is to decide on the method of installing the line. Today, open and hidden wiring is used. represents the fastening of all constituent elements on top finished walls(the routes are laid in special cable channels).
The advantage is as follows:
- the damaged area can be repaired without any problems (no need to cut wallpaper, destroy plastered walls, etc.);
- simpler installation and preparatory work(not needed in the house);
- convenient to add new branch points.
This installation method has one disadvantage - very often does not fit into general interior rooms since the cable channels do not look very attractive.
In places for installing distribution boxes, switches and sockets, we make round recesses with a hammer drill with a crown (we select the depth and diameter of the grooves in accordance with the dimensions of the products). Depending on the type of walls, we choose a diamond or pobedit crown (for concrete) or a crown for wood and drywall.
You can see how to make grooves for electrical wiring in a house in the video below:
Step 2 - Attaching Junction Boxes
Boxes and socket boxes are installed in the wells (so-called round grooves). For their installation, it is recommended to use screws with dowels or a layer of asbestos (about 2 mm). After reliable fixation boxes, move on.
You can clearly see the installation process of the socket box in the following video:
Step 3 - Cable Installation
The groove is cleaned of dust, stones and other foreign objects, primed or spilled with water, after which it is necessary to lay the cable in it. It is recommended to use plaster or alabaster to secure electrical wiring. Those who do not want to deal with the solution can secure the wire using dowel clamps.
The tack step is about 40 cm. We talked about the rest in the corresponding article, which we strongly recommend reading!
Step 4 - Connecting Sockets and Switches
As soon as the plaster has completely hardened (in about a day), it must be thoroughly rubbed using a grater. After this, you can proceed to installing sockets and switches.
Obtaining permission to connect to the local power grid
First you need to pass acceptance tests ( technical inspection facility where the electrical installation was carried out). If the result is positive, you will be given a “Connection Certificate”, on the basis of which the owner of the electrical network must connect your residential property.
The rules for connecting to the network are described in RF PP 861 dated December 27, 2004 and its numerous editions (updated until 2015).
The energy supply company is obliged to connect to the power grid for facilities with a power of up to 15 kW, regardless of whether it has such a possibility. A connection with allocated power up to 15 kW, and a line length of no more than 500 meters, costs 550 rubles. For this money you will get. After assembling the input distribution board, you need to contact the distribution network and call an inspector to seal it, then the electricians must connect your “box” to the electricity - the overhead power line support.
This issue is clearly discussed in the video:
So we looked at how electrical wiring in a house should be done with our own hands. We hope that the step-by-step instructions provided were clear and useful, and the video lessons helped to better understand the entire electrical installation process!
Also read:
The importance of the electrical supply system in a private home is difficult to assess. Without her, living in a cottage today is simply unrealistic, all household appliances operates using power from wall outlets. In this case, the installation of wires and electrical equipment is carried out before finishing the interior. But the electrical wiring diagram should ideally be planned at the design stage of a residential building. To do this, you need to make a power calculation and a corresponding electrical project indicating in it all the lighting devices and other electrical devices planned for use.
Drawing up a diagram
According to the law, the state guarantees a simplified connection to the electricity of a home to a private individual, provided that its electrical network consumes no more than 15 kW of power. If your plans do not include the use of heated floors or a powerful electric boiler, then in most cases these kilowatts are more than enough. You can even use well pumps and a low-power bench machine in the garage.
Typical house wiring diagram
A simplified procedure for electrifying a house involves:
- submission of documents for connection to networks indicating the planned power consumption;
- obtaining technical conditions (how many kilowatts will eventually be issued and from which pole);
- preparation and approval of the electrical design of the cottage (if necessary);
- installation of wiring and electrical equipment;
- obtaining certificates of compliance of the in-house electrical power system with the project and its commissioning;
- signing a power supply agreement with the supply company.
If a new consumer (facility) fits within 15 kW, then in many supplying organizations, when requesting specifications, they do not even require an electrical design of the building. They simply put a power limiter at the input. As a result, it will still not be possible to obtain more than the volume of electricity specified in the contract and technical conditions from the network.
And what happens in the house is the problem of its owner. At the same time, they prepare all the necessary documentation on the wires from the transformer to the input cabinet themselves.
However, many electricity suppliers continue to routinely demand a cottage power supply project when making connections. This document indicates the electrical wiring diagram of the house indicating the location of all sockets, switches and lighting fixtures. In any case, it is recommended to do it in order to clearly understand the layout of wires throughout the building and their required footage.
Drawing up and approval of the project
The internal electrical wiring project for a private house consists of:
- calculation of power, input devices and required wire cross-section;
- calculation of grounding and lightning protection systems;
- electrical wiring diagrams;
- building layout plan cable lines and power equipment;
- estimates for consumables.
Such a full-fledged project of in-house wiring is done only under a contract with a specialized company with a license. If it later has to be agreed upon with the supplier electrical energy, then drawings and calculations made independently will not be accepted for consideration.
You can only make electrical and/or wiring diagram, which facilitate the work when installing electrical wiring yourself. They schematically indicate protection devices and wire lines to simplify the preparation of estimates and assembly of the entire system.
House wiring diagram
Phase selection
One of the most important points design and wiring diagrams is the type of input voltage. There is no need to analyze specifically here, such as, for example, the numerous pros and cons of a pile foundation. It can be single-phase or three-phase, 220 or 380 Volts. When choosing, you must proceed from the available capabilities of the supply transformer (which can be provided by power engineers) and current-consuming electrical equipment.
If you plan to install a powerful electric boiler or some device with a three-phase electric motor in a cottage or on a plot of land, then there is only one option - three phases at 380 V. The same solution will have to be used if all electricity consumers are designed for 220 V, but the total power is large . In this case, the wiring should be done in such a way as to distribute the load across different phases, and not leave it all on just one.
In other situations, when a private house does not exceed 100 square meters in area and there is no electric water heaters, you can get by with ordinary single-phase 220 V. The requirements for three-phase electrical wiring are higher. It costs more, but is not always needed. It should be taken into account that 380 V on three phases may be required in the future. And then the approvals will have to start all over again. Here everything needs to be weighed and foreseen in advance.
How to calculate power consumption when wiring
To calculate the total power consumption and the electrical wiring required for this at home, it is necessary to sum up the kilowatts of all household and lighting appliances in the home. These parameters are available in equipment data sheets and in special tables. Plus, starting loads and 20% in reserve are added here.
The most energy-intensive in the cottage are flow heaters water (about 4–5 kW), electric stoves with ovens (up to 3 kW), electric heaters (1.5–3 kW), vacuum cleaners (about 1.5 kW) and washing machines(about 2–2.5 kW). Ventilation in a private house also consumes a lot if it is made with supply and exhaust and heated air without a recuperator.
Average power consumption of household appliances
Light, especially if it is LED, requires relatively little (up to 0.5 kW). Televisions, computers and other household appliances now consume approximately the same amount. But all this must be taken into account and added up in order to calculate the total power of the cottage. It is needed to obtain specifications and calculate the cross-section of electrical wiring.
Consumer groups
To ensure that the load in the intra-house network is distributed evenly, consumers are divided into several groups in the wiring diagram. For example, one goes to street lighting adjoining plot, the second for outbuildings, the third for lighting fixtures in the cottage and the fourth for sockets in it. If the house is large, then such a breakdown can be made by floors and rooms.
Main consumption groups
Each individual line has its own automatic circuit breakers and RCDs (residual current devices). This increases the safety of operation of the home electrical network and simplifies the search for problem points in the system when the protection is triggered. The electrical wiring diagram must indicate all protective devices and the current consumption on the circuit, which is powered from each of them.
The group RCD and the wire cross-section behind it are selected so as to correspond to the consumption of a specific group. On powerful equipment It is recommended to allocate your own power line, and for the rest the number of consumers should not be higher than 5–6 sockets. It is better to include more of them in the project, but with less risk of core burnout due to prolonged overloads.
Electrical input and wiring installation
Protective devices are mounted in the input distribution panel, which is usually installed in a cottage in a frost-free room. Electrical wiring from all groups and an input cable from the street are also supplied there.
Inputting electricity into the house
IN in some cases The electrical panel is divided into two – input and distribution. The first with a switch, meter and general RCD is installed outside, and the second with everything else inside the building. This will make it easier for inspectors to take readings. However, then the outdoor shield and the devices in it must be highly protected from moisture, which significantly increases their cost.
If the installation of electrical wiring in a cottage can be done independently, then the input cable is connected only by electricians with network company. Moreover, they will do this only after checking the metering device and grounding system, as well as drawing up all the necessary reports.
By air
The easiest and cheapest way to install an air inlet is to install it. To do this, a SIP (self-supporting) is thrown from the nearest power line support insulated wire) or its regular steel counterpart. However, this option of connecting the home electrical network to the village one is not always possible to implement due to regulatory restrictions on the distance from a residential building to a pole.
Requirements for electrical wires
Overhead cable:
- It's cheap and quick to install.
- It doesn't look very aesthetically pleasing.
- Can be torn off over time (for example by wind or crane).
- Limits the ability for large construction equipment to enter the site.
If the distance from the house to the pole is more than 20 meters, then you will have to install another support. Otherwise, the cable may break under its own weight. And these are additional costs.
Underground electrical wiring installation
The bushing laid in the ground is more reliable and less susceptible to precipitation. Such a cable is laid at a depth of about 0.8–1 meters in protective pipe made of plastic or steel.
Pipes and structures for underground electrical wiring
This option provides earthworks and making a hole in the foundation or wall. It is more difficult to install and time-consuming. However, the probability of a break in such an input power line is lower, and its service life is longer than that of its overhead counterpart.
Necessary calculations for underground electricity supply
Standard solutions for a private home
wiring diagrams and input distribution boards are always developed individually for each specific house. Here a lot depends on the household appliances chosen for installation in the cottage and created lighting. However, there are a number of fundamental rules that must be followed when designing home electrical systems.
Schematic diagram of electrical wiring in a loop
House electrical wiring should be built according to the following principle:
- The first from the input is a switch, with which you can cut off the power to the entire area at any time.
- The second is the electric meter.
- Then a general circuit breaker is installed.
- Only then does it branch into consumption groups with separate RCDs or circuit breakers.
Also, separate buses are installed in the electrical panel - one to ground (PE), the second to zero (N). The wires running on them should not intersect or connect with each other anywhere. These are two separate electrical circuits.