If you decide to build your own house or simply make a major renovation, then you cannot do without installing or replacing electrical wiring. Drawing up a functional and practical power supply diagram is the initial stage of work. In order to make the installation process easier and faster, a schematic diagram of the electrical wiring is drawn up.
Why make a power supply diagram?
- A detailed plan diagram allows you to calculate the amount of consumables;
- Using a schematic diagram, you can clearly know where exactly and what consumer will be located (sockets, electric meter, input panel, etc.).
Electrical wiring diagram (power supply) in a private house
The figure below shows that an overhead power line (power line) is used to supply a 220-380 Volt network. From the installed pole, power lines are connected directly to the electrical panel: phase and zero (PEN).
Figure 1. Single-phase input plan
Electrical services have recently required the installation of electric meters directly on the street at the input electrical panel, where the RCD and automatic circuit breaker are also located.
Next, the electrical wiring is connected to the internal electrical panel of the mansion, from where the power supply to the mansion continues. There are several groups into which the main consumers of electricity can be divided:
- Power (refrigerator, dishwasher, boiler, boiler, etc.);
- Lighting (chandeliers, sconces, sapphires and others);
- Household premises (utility rooms, basements, garages, etc.).
Each group must have its own circuit breaker and RCD.
Figure 2. Single-phase power line - location diagram.
1. input protective circuit breaker;
2. electric meter;
4. single-pole type circuit breaker;
5. bus zero;
Figure 3. Electrical wiring of the cottage - plan diagram
Figure 4. Electrical supply to your own home - schematic diagram
If you have a two-tier or large cottage, then it is best to use separate groups of consumers, be it rooms, floors or separate parts of the mansion.
Electrical wiring of a country house is a three-phase circuit.
If you use three-phase input to the house (L1, L2, L3), then the use of a protective neutral wire PEN will be necessary.
Figure 5. Location and connection of the three-phase power supply of the mansion - diagram.
1 – three-phase protective circuit breaker at the input;
2 – electricity meter;
3 – RCD-selective;
4 – neutral wire;
5 – automatic single-pole switch;
6 – RCD for a separate group;
7 – grounding bus.
DIY apartment wiring diagram
The difference from the above-described scheme will be in the number of consumers, and also the input begins from the electrical panel on the floor via the existing cable line, as opposed to an overhead line, as for a house. At the same time, it is important to comply
To introduce electrical wiring into an apartment, a floor panel is required, and it must also additionally have devices such as a meter and, accordingly, an input machine. In ordinary cases, each apartment has two power supply lines separate from each other. To protect each of the existing lines, they must be equipped with a protective fuse or automatic burst switch. Thanks to this, if a short circuit occurs on one of the existing lines, the apartment will not be de-energized and will be able to use electricity from the second line.
There are two types of electrical wiring you can use in your apartment: open or closed.
- Open wiring involves the use of NYM or ShVVP wires;
- Closed-type electrical wiring involves the use of cable or wire of almost any type.
- Closed-type electrical wiring is divided into: removable and non-replaceable. The first is mounted directly inside pipes made of plastic. The second is installed under a layer of plaster.
In addition to the electrical panel on the floor (staircase), it is necessary to install a distribution panel in the apartment. Thus, you get a division of all premises into separate sectors of all consumers.
First, let's look at the general rules for laying electrical wiring. Electrical wires and cables must be laid strictly vertically or strictly horizontally with rotation angles of 90°. The diagram below clearly shows the wiring diagram with all the recommended indents, as well as the recommended installation height of switches and sockets:
It is worth immediately noting that wiring installation can be done in two ways: openly or hidden:
Open installation of electrical wiring is the simplest and most inexpensive solution; one of the advantages of this type of electrical wiring, in addition to the simplicity and low cost of installation, is the ease of its repair; the main disadvantage of such installation is considered to be a violation of the appearance of the interior of the room. Typically, such wiring is carried out in one of three ways: in a box (cable channel), on brackets, corrugation (or metal hose), or in PVC pipes.
Examples of open wiring in the box and on brackets:
Wiring in a box Wiring on brackets
Gasket in the box gasket on brackets in corrugation
Installation of hidden electrical wiring is a more labor-intensive process in which electrical wiring is hidden under wall cladding or laid in grooves:
The main advantage of this method of laying electrical wiring is that it preserves the appearance of the interior, and in addition, it provides good protection for the electrical wiring from mechanical damage (although, of course, you can still drill it or pierce it with a nail while hanging a picture). The disadvantages are the complexity of installation and the difficulty of repairing such wiring; in addition, this installation method is usually more expensive.
Sockets, switches, junction boxes and electrical panels also have 2 types of design: for open and for internal (hidden) installation:
Installation of open electrical wiring
STAGE 1 (general) Drawing up an installation diagram
This stage is common when laying both hidden and open wiring
We decide on the installation locations for sockets, switches, lamps and electrical panel (if needed). For example, let’s draw up the following diagram for installing electrical wiring in one of the rooms (for clarity, all our electrical wiring will be located on one wall):
Ready! We determined where we want to install sockets, a switch, where the lamp will be located, as well as where we will install the electrical panel and drew up a wiring diagram. Now you can proceed directly to its installation.
STAGE 2 (Installation of open wiring) Installation of electrical equipment
To begin with, let’s stipulate that the most common methods of laying open wiring are laying in a box and laying on brackets, so these are the ones we will consider:
Video editing:
installation of open electrical wiring step - 2 STAGE 3 (Installation of open wiring) Installation of boxes (cable channels), laying cables.
Now that everything is in place, we can begin installing the box (cable channel) along the intended electrical wiring lines.
A cable channel is a plastic box in which electrical wiring is laid. It consists of a base and a cover:
Boxes come in different sizes and colors, and, as a rule, have a standard length of 2 meters. For installation, the boxes are cut into pieces of the required length (usually the box is cut with a hacksaw), for example, as can be seen from our installation diagram below, we need to cut the box into the following sections:
Sections 2 meters long - 2 pcs.
Sections 1.5 meters long - 3 pcs.
Sections 0.5 meters long - 2 pcs.
Sections 0.3 meters long - 1 pc.
Sections 0.2 meters long - 1 piece
In total, the total length of the box we need is 10 meters (i.e., you can buy 5 strips of the box, 2 meters each).
After the boxes are cut, you can begin to install them; they are mounted very simply: you need to open the cover of the box and screw the base of the box to the wall using self-tapping screws (if the wall is made of wood or plasterboard) or plastic dowel nails (if the wall is brick , concrete, etc.). After the box is attached to the wall, the cable is laid in it and the box is closed with a lid. The angles of rotation of the box can be covered with special plastic corners, and you can also make corners by cutting the box at 45°:
Video of box installation (the video is not the best, but we couldn’t find anything better on the Internet, perhaps in the future we will make our own video on this topic, but for now we have to use what we have):
installation of open electrical wiring step - 3 If you decide to install electrical wiring using brackets, then instead of installing the box, after installing sockets, switches and everything else, you immediately lay the cable, which is attached to the wall with brackets. Brackets (clips) for fastening cables come in plastic of different sizes, designed for specific types and sizes of cables:
The staples can also be universal:
IMPORTANT! When laying wiring on brackets, remember that in this method it is prohibited to attach ordinary cables to combustible bases (for example, to a wooden wall); for this you must use special cables that do not support combustion (do not propagate fire).
STAGE 4 (Installation of open wiring) Assembling the circuit.
Now that everything is installed and the cables have been routed along the walls, you can begin connecting sockets, switches, lamps and assembling the wires in the junction boxes.
Installation of hidden electrical wiring
STAGE 1 Drawing up an installation diagram
This stage is common when installing both hidden and open wiring and has already been described above.
STAGE 2 (Installation of hidden wiring) Drilling holes in the wall
If you are installing hidden electrical wiring, then after drawing up the installation diagram (STAGE 1), you need to start drilling holes in the wall with a diameter of 72 mm (standard diameter for socket boxes) in the places where we will install switches, sockets and junction boxes. Drilling holes is usually done with a hammer drill (or drill) with a special bit for concrete:
STAGE 3 (Installation of hidden wiring) Wall chipping
After the holes are ready along the planned electrical wiring lines, we tap the wall. According to the technology, this is done as follows: First, 2 parallel cuts are made in the concrete wall using a special wall chaser, after which the concrete between these cuts is knocked out with a hammer drill:
However, there are other ways to make a groove; instead of a wall chaser, you can use an angle grinder (grinder), or you can even start drilling the grooves (but this method is only suitable if you need to lay a maximum of a couple of meters of cable, because the method is too labor-intensive .):
Video of the groove execution:
STAGE 4 (Installation of hidden wiring) Cable laying
Now it is necessary to lay the cable in the prepared grooves so that the cable does not fall out of the groove during installation; it must be fixed there; this can be done either by gripping the cable with gypsum plaster, because it hardens quickly, either with the help of a special bracket:
Video of cable laying in a groove:
STEP 5 (Installation of hidden wiring) Installation of junction boxes
The time has come to secure the mounting boxes in the holes drilled during the second stage (the boxes in which our switches and sockets will be installed in the future). It is better to mount mounting boxes on gypsum plaster (Tip: gypsum dries very quickly, so it is better to dilute it in small portions, because there is a risk that while you are installing one socket box, all your remaining mortar will turn into stone).
In order to secure the mounting box (socket box), you must:
- Clean our hole from dust and concrete fragments, and then wet the surface of the hole.
- Apply plaster to the hole, with the expectation that after installing the socket box into the hole, there will be no spaces left around the edges unfilled with plaster, but without fanaticism.
- We insert the socket box into the hole, having previously broken out the hatch on top for introducing the cable, it turned out that this hatch should be opposite the fine.
- We press the box down until it is flush with the wall.
- After the solution has dried, remove excess plaster with a spatula.
Due to the need to power the home with electrical energy, it is necessary to install an electrical network indoors. For this purpose, electrical wiring and other elements for connecting, switching and lighting the home are laid. Since this procedure does not require special training, anyone can perform it independently. But first you need to figure out how to install electrical wiring in a house yourself, what stages it consists of, and what needs to be taken into account.
Stages of installing electrical wiring in a house
The entire process can be divided into several stages, the sequence of which will ensure a high-quality result and save time on performing the relevant work. The following installation stages are distinguished:
- Determining the installation method - external or external installation of the cable;
- Drawing up a power supply diagram for the premises;
- Transferring the drawn up diagram directly to the walls;
- Selection of the most suitable elements and materials for installation;
- Preparatory work on processing walls and other structures for installation of electrical wiring, installation of lighting groups, circuit breakers and others;
- The installation work itself;
- Obtaining permission from the power supply organization to connect to its networks, if necessary, forming a new connection point (if you are replacing the electrical wiring with a new one, this procedure is not required).
Now take a closer look at each of the stages in practice.
Which installation method should I choose?
Of the existing options for laying the cable route, there are two installation methods in relation to wires - internal and external electrical wiring. Internal wiring means that the cable lines are located inside the walls. External electrical wiring is installed on the walls from the outside, and it can be done either with wires or with means of protecting the cable from mechanical damage, for example, cable channels in which the conductor is located.
Advantages and disadvantages of internal lining.
The advantages of hidden electrical wiring include greater reliability and durability due to the inability to cause damage during normal operation. Such electrical wiring requires lower financial costs for armored wires and components for their installation. In addition, hidden installation does not make any changes to the interior of the room.
The disadvantages of internal electrical wiring include labor-intensive preparatory work for producing grooves and poor maintainability in the event of any damage.
Advantages and disadvantages of external gasket.
The advantages of open wiring include a much simpler preparatory process and speed of installation of electrical wiring. During operation, it is easier to repair or change the wiring diagram.
The disadvantages of external electrical wiring are a much greater susceptibility to mechanical damage and an impact on the overall appearance of the interior of the room.
How to create a wiring diagram?
An electrical wiring diagram helps identify switches, lamps, and electrical wiring lines. Therefore, when drawing it up, you need to take into account the connection diagram of electrical appliances in the house. For example, for home electrical wiring, the location of sockets near the TV, electric stove, bed, etc. will be relevant.
Figure 1: Example of wiring diagram in a house
According to the graphical representation method, two-dimensional and three-dimensional wiring diagrams are divided. The first option is the simplest, as it does not require the use of graphic editors and other programs. To do this, take the plan of your own tenant and, on a copy of it, mark the connection points and the number of sockets for each room, wires, switches and electrical wiring lines.
A 3D model is a much more labor-intensive process, but is a great help when creating an electrical project. When, according to a completed assignment, the relevant specialists implement such a project (they are building walls, performing electrical wiring and other electrical installation work).
Rules for installing electrical wiring according to the PUE
When determining the location of wiring and installation of individual elements, you should be guided by the requirements of the PUE. Regarding electrical wiring and the rules for its installation in the PUE, Chapter 2.1 is highlighted. Therefore, the following requirements must be met for the wiring diagram:
- All lines must be installed exclusively in a vertical or horizontal plane, turns are made at an angle of 90º. It is strictly forbidden to shorten the distance diagonally or run wires along a curve.
- In relation to the structural elements of the room, horizontal lines cannot be closer than 20 cm to the ceiling or floor. Vertical lines should be located at a distance of no closer than 10 cm from door and window openings and corners.
- Sockets must be located at a distance of 80 to 100 cm from the floor in accordance with clause 6.6.30 of the PUE; in some situations, this value can vary up to 150 cm. If metal structures (radiators, pipes, stoves) are located near the socket, it is prohibited to bring them closer connection point more than 50 cm.
- Separate requirements are imposed on the arrangement of sockets, switches, electrical wiring in the bathroom and in accordance with clauses 7.1.46 - 7.1.48 PUE
- The switch is installed at a height of up to 1 m, 1.8 m or under the ceiling in accordance with clause 7.1.49 of the PUE.
- The connection of wires must be carried out in boxes; it is forbidden to leave them open or close them in the wall, clause 2.1.21 of the PUE.
Marking on site
To transfer the installation diagram data to an existing wall structure, you need to use measuring instruments (tape measure, angle, etc.), a level, thread and a pencil. To do this, retreat the required distance according to the distances indicated on the diagram and apply the appropriate marks on the building structures (walls or ceiling).
Figure 2: Wall marking Markings can be done with chalk or a construction pencil. The main requirement for applying an image is to ensure good visibility and the absence of unnecessary details. If you have a laser level, this procedure is greatly simplified.
What elements need to be selected?
Structurally, electrical wiring in a house may include a number of elements:
Wires– for installation in the house, brands such as AVVG, PSV and the like are used. Copper wires are the most preferred due to better technical parameters: long service life, lower resistivity, etc. But, in some situations, aluminum wires can also be used for electrical wiring. The specific option is selected based on the maximum load and insulation requirements.
To determine the maximum currents flowing through electrical wiring, add up the power of electrical appliances that can be connected, and add 20–30% for the safety margin. Based on this, the appropriate cross-section of the core is selected. The insulation resistance must correspond to the characteristics of the room in which the cable is used and the installation method. It should be noted that the cables must be planned with a margin, since at the points of connection or output points they use more than the calculated length of the wire, and the margin must provide the possibility of reconnection.
Rice. 3. wires for wiring – designed for connecting different sections of electrical wiring, separating and distributing electricity. They are divided into models of external and internal placement, which are selected in accordance with the project. Depending on the cross-section of the wires, boxes with the appropriate size of holes are selected.
Figure 4: Junction boxes Sockets– may differ in design features: the presence or absence of a grounding contact, cover, hole size, etc. Also, various models can be designed for indoor or outdoor installation. Some options have paired connection point pins.
Switches– can have a design with one, two or three keys, a rotary mechanism or a sensor. It should be noted that some switches are equipped with a voltage divider, which can affect the operation of lighting fixtures.
Lighting– sold as lamps, chandeliers, spotlights, sconces and others. A wide variety provides the opportunity to choose for installation in certain rooms. By purpose, we can distinguish between high-power and low-power lighting devices for the bathroom, kitchen, etc.
Residual current devices– presented on the basis of electromagnetic, semiconductor or microprocessor circuits. The installation is necessary to protect both the electrical wiring in the house from short circuits and fires with household appliances connected to it, and people who may be harmed in the event of a breakdown.
Metering devices– monitor energy consumption. Their installation is required for a new electricity connection or if this is provided for by the project. Depending on the number of phases, electric meters can be connected to a three-phase or single-phase network.
Rice. 5: Typical electricity meter Protective grounding– must be provided for all consumers with a voltage of more than 42 V. Because of this, when connecting new wiring, it is necessary to have a grounding loop to which the PE conductor from all consumers is connected.
Cable channels– required for external installation of wiring; depending on the material of manufacture, they can be plastic or metal boxes. The size is chosen so that when laying the wires, all the necessary conductors can fit freely in them. Structurally, they can have perforations for cooling or be made in one piece.
The procedure for installing electrical wiring in the house step by step
Please note that depending on the specific situation, certain installation operations may not be performed.
First make a small hole in the center with a drill, and then use a hole saw.
Figure 9: Drilling a hole with a crown 
But at the same time, make sure that excessive force does not damage the insulation.
In addition to those allocated for separate rooms or objects, it is necessary to install an input machine with a higher setting. It is installed at the entrance of electricity into the house. You can also use other protective devices (voltage, differential, etc., if needed).
Figure 15: Shield with various protections 
To do this, apply voltage at the cable input to the electrical panel. Then test the flow of electric current at all connection points using a test lamp or test the presence of potential using an indicator.
If your home is not yet connected to an external network, then you do not need to do this yourself. Since the connection to the air main is carried out by employees of the energy supply organization. Performing this procedure yourself is prohibited and extremely dangerous.
Video master classes on the topic
All work on installing new and replacing old electrical wiring, regardless of where it will be done, in an apartment or a private house, in a country house or in a garage, requires a competent and thoughtful approach. It is necessary to begin this complex process by drawing up a power supply project, based on a thorough consideration of the plan for the arrangement of all electrical systems for the home. The project can be drawn up the old fashioned way on paper using colored markers, or done on a computer using a simple graphics program. In this article we will take a step-by-step look at how to draw up an electrical wiring diagram in an apartment and a private house.
Deciding on the location of furniture and equipment
Before drawing up a diagram, it will be important to take into account the layout of the premises, the planned arrangement of furniture and the placement of stationary electrical appliances. Places for installing electrical accessories in the room should be chosen so that they are not cluttered with sofas or cabinets and provide comfortable access to turning lights and electricity consumers on and off. It would be better if the discussion of this complex issue was brought to the family council.
The first step is to make a floor plan indicating window and door openings. In order to make it easier in the future to calculate the required amount of cable and wire, it is better to draw up a plan on a scale in compliance with the dimensions. The process of designing an electrical wiring diagram will be considered using the example of a one-room apartment. It is better to number the names of the premises on the plan and indicate the decoding separately.
Where: 1 – hallway, 2 – bathroom, 3 – kitchen, 4 – living room.
Optimal installation locations for sockets
After this, it is necessary to mark on the diagram the places where it is planned to place pieces of furniture and stationary electrical appliances. If household equipment is highlighted in red, this will greatly simplify the work on further drawing up the wiring diagram. It is recommended that all electrical items be numbered and recorded in a transcript: 1 - washing machine, 2 - dishwasher, 3 - electric stove, 4 - acoustic center, 5 - TV, 6 - stereo system, 7 - personal computer.
Drawing up a plan for the location of furniture and equipment will allow you to determine the optimal installation points for sockets. Layout of sockets in the apartment:
For more information about what to pay attention to and how to place sockets in the kitchen and bathroom, read the articles:
To design a wiring diagram, we recommend using special programs. We have provided the best ones in a separate article!
Lighting scheme
In the classic version, ceiling lights should be located in the center of the room, the location of which is at the intersection of lines passing through the middle of the length and width of the room. In the hallway, made in the shape of the letter L, 2 lamps are installed.
When drawing the location of switches on the diagram, it is necessary to take into account that the door can open inward or outward, be right-handed or left-handed. An open door should not interfere with free access to it. Switches are usually located inside rooms. Exceptions include rooms with high moisture content, which include laundries, baths, and bathrooms. This is done to ensure electrical safety and safety of switching equipment.
The wiring plan provided shows that the bathroom light switch is located outside of the bathroom.
Routes for laying cables and wires
After determining the installation location of lamps, switches and sockets, it is necessary to draw up a diagram of the electrical wiring routes; this design phase is the main part of the work. The wiring diagram and installation is greatly simplified if you have suspended ceilings in your house or apartment. In this case, the wires are laid in corrugated pipes and attached to the rough ceiling.
In order to save wire, wiring routes are selected according to the shortest distance. A wire is laid in the grooves under the plaster, connecting the distribution boxes with switches and sockets. With the standard option for arranging ceilings, the electrical wiring is laid in pre-punched grooves along the walls of the room. To connect lighting fixtures, the wire is passed through the ceiling channels. An example of laying a cable line, in accordance with existing standards, is provided in the diagram: 
Drawing up a plan for the electrical wiring route should begin from the farthest point of the electrical network. In this case, it will be a double socket in the hall; it must be connected to a distribution box, which should be installed at the entrance to the room. Then the route of the wire connecting the second outlet is plotted on the diagram.
The lighting network will consist of wires, the first of which runs from the box to the switch, the second, connected to the ceiling lamp, is laid in the channel of the floor slab. The distribution box in the hall receives power via two wires from a distribution board installed in the hallway. It is also necessary to provide, if possible. In this case, the wiring will be three-wire.
Using this principle, you need to draw up a wiring diagram for the remaining rooms. To complete the picture, we can assume that a suspended ceiling is installed in the kitchen. In this case, the electrical wiring will be laid in corrugated pipes, secured with dowels with nails to the concrete floor slab, the routes for its installation will be selected taking into account the shortest distance. Descents to electrical fittings will be made under plaster.
We should not forget that the power supply to the premises is carried out by at least two groups of wires, one of which provides power to the power network, the other is intended for the lighting network. We talked about this in more detail in a separate article.
You can save a lot if you connect the sockets with a “loop”, bypassing the distribution boxes. Experienced electricians do not recommend practicing this connection method, due to the high current load on the sockets. In addition, when using this connection method, the failure of one outlet can cause a blackout of the entire power network.
In conclusion, based on the finished and correctly drawn up diagram, the required wiring footage and wire cross-section, the required number of sockets, switches and junction boxes are calculated. The conductor cross-section is selected based on the expected current load of consumers. We talked about this in a separate article.
Legend
Drawing up a shield diagram
Electrical design in 3D
Electrical wiring plan for a private home
Now you know how to draw up an electrical wiring diagram in an apartment and a private house. As you can see, in order to independently draw up a plan for cable routing and installation of electrical accessories, you need to study all the nuances, of which there are quite a lot!
Designing electrical wiring in a private house is quite a troublesome task, but quite feasible even without special knowledge. It is enough just to approach this issue carefully. Well, our tips given in this article will allow you to step by step create your own electrical wiring project for any private home.
Any development of an electrical network project begins with determining the total power of the consumer, in this case our home, and its power supply circuit. And if the total power of the consumer in our case is determined by the energy supply company, which sets a consumption limit, then we have the right to design the internal electrical network diagram ourselves.
So:
- The electrical wiring in a private house is as follows. The energy supply company installs an input machine and a meter on the outside wall of the house. The connection of these electrical devices is also carried out by the energy supply company.
- But after the meter, we do the entry into the house, connection to the distribution board and wiring around the house ourselves. And here we have the right to choose a power supply scheme that is convenient for us.
- Typically, a home's power supply diagram looks like this. The cable or SIP wire from the meter is connected directly to the busbars of our distribution board. Separate power supply groups are powered from these buses. Each group has its own power circuit breaker installed on the phase wire. The neutral and protective wires of each group should not have switching devices.
Note! The neutral wire of individual groups can have a switching device only if connected through an RCD. The RCD can be installed either on a separate group or as an input for all groups. The issue of choosing the location for installing the RCD is not regulated by the PUE norms and remains a controversial issue. But based on operating experience and the personal opinion of the author of these lines, we advise you to install them separately for each group.
- Next, the wire or cable from each group machine is mounted to the distribution boxes. Each group can have from one to several distribution boxes.
- From distribution boxes, electrical wiring is distributed to end consumers - sockets and switches.
Designing a home electrical network
Based on the above general diagram of the house's power supply, to design the electrical network, we first need to calculate the number of groups and distribute the loads among them. In order to do this, we need to decide on the wiring installation method and calculate the possible load of our consumers.
Choosing a wiring installation method
Let's start by choosing the method of installing the electrical network. Electrical wiring of a private house can be done in an open or hidden way. And not only the number of groups, wire cross-section and total installation cost, but also the appearance of the entire house depends on the right choice.
So:
- First of all, we note that any type of wiring installation can be implemented in a house of any design and from any building materials. The only question is the cost of installation work. We will not provide installation standards for different types of wiring in different conditions. You can find this information in other articles on our website. Let's focus only on generally accepted norms.
- Open wiring has found wide application in houses made of flammable materials. First of all, this is wood, SIP panels and other types of flammable building materials. For such houses, the price of installing open wiring is often much lower. Hidden wiring will require considerable financial investment, and its installation is labor-intensive.
- Hidden wiring is used mainly in houses made of brick, foam blocks and other non-combustible materials. After all, this type of wiring allows you to completely hide utility networks, while at the same time, in houses made of non-combustible materials, it does not impose any special requirements.
Calculation of the total load of the house
At the next design stage, you need to calculate the total load on the house and on individual electrical receivers. This is necessary for the subsequent formation of groups.
- To do this, we first need to determine the number of electrical points and their maximum power consumption. This often becomes the most serious problem for non-professionals, but de facto there is nothing difficult about it.
- Each socket or switch in the house is mounted for a specific electrical appliance or group of electrical appliances. We just need to select the most powerful of them and then carry out calculations for it.
- The power of an electrical appliance can be viewed in the device passport. It may also contain an instruction manual. If you don’t have one or the other, then you can find out the approximate power in our table.
- But in most cases, the power of devices is indicated in Watts, and we need to convert it into Amperes. To do this, you can use Ohm's law - . In general, this is a simplified version of the formula, but for our purposes it is quite sufficient. Based on this formula, it turns out that an electrical appliance with a power of 1 kW for a 220V network consumes an electric current of approximately 4.5A.
Distribution of loads by groups
After we have calculated the total load in the house and for each individual electrical point, we can begin to directly create groups.
So:
- According to clause 9.6 of VSN 59 - 88, the rated power of circuit breakers for powering group lines of sockets and lighting networks should not exceed 16A. Starting from this point, we distribute our loads into separate groups.
Note! To power powerful electrical receivers such as an electric oven, it is allowed to install group circuit breakers with a rating of 25A.
- Load distribution among groups should be based on their location and type of load. So quite often the group lines of the lighting network are separated from the power supply groups of the sockets. But this is not mandatory, and in some cases it is not advisable.
- It is also worth remembering that it is not easy to install electrical wiring in a private house yourself. Therefore, you should not place different electrical receivers of the same group in different parts of the house. Usually these are 1 - 2 adjacent rooms.
- Another aspect that is worth paying attention to is clause 7.2 of VSN 59 - 88. It requires connecting sockets in the kitchen and living rooms to different groups. Quite often, the kitchen outlet group also includes an outlet in the bathroom.
Note! Sockets in the bathroom can only be installed if there is an RCD circuit breaker in the group in which the socket is installed. Moreover, according to the PUE, the rated leakage current for such a switching device is normalized by a leakage current of 30 mA.
- As a result, we can get from 3 to 7 groups depending on the total load. Some may end up with more than 10 groups. But here everything depends on the size of the house and the number of electrical appliances. But according to the technical conditions, the introductory circuit breaker, which is installed in a house, rarely exceeds the value of 25A, sometimes 40A.
- This should be remembered when dividing the load into groups with your own hands. After all, the likelihood that all electrical appliances will work at the same time is quite low. Therefore, you should approach this issue soberly and perform the distribution more carefully, taking into account such a factor as the utilization rate.
Wiring selection
Before you carry out electrical wiring in a private house yourself, you should also worry about calculating its cross-section. After all, its durability and fire safety depend on this factor. This issue is especially relevant for houses made of combustible materials.
- According to clause 7.1.34 of the PUE, only copper cables and wires should be used in residential buildings since 2001. Previously, aluminum wires, which can often be found in old houses, were allowed.
- As for the cross-section of the wires, it should be selected based on the load on the group line. But in order to avoid making a lot of calculations and simplify the choice, you can proceed from the nominal parameters of group machines.
- In addition, when choosing a wiring cross-section, you should take into account the method of laying the wires. After all, the heat transfer for wires laid in a hidden and open way is different. In this regard, although slightly, their cross-section differs depending on the load.
- We make the choice according to Table 1.3.4 PUE. In addition to the loads and installation method, it also takes into account such a parameter as the type of wire.
- But no matter how you choose the electrical wiring in a private house, you should remember that the cross-section should be no less than that given in the table. 7.1.1 PUE. For group lines it must be at least 1.5 mm 2.
Conclusion
In our article we presented the main stages of designing an electrical network in a private home. As you can see, there is nothing complicated about this, and the video on our website should make this task even easier. The main thing is to approach this issue carefully and carefully and you will probably succeed.