Building your own country house is the dream of any city dweller. Just imagine how nice it is to work in the city all day, then tired to return to your country lair and get some fresh air. However, for the arrangement of such a dwelling will have to make a lot of effort. Of course, the primary task of any construction is the construction of walls, roofs and interior decoration in the house. However, at the time of the development of the project, the wiring diagram in a private house should already be clearly worked out, since not a single modern dwelling can do without signs of civilization - a TV, telephone, music center and other household appliances. If you do not pay due attention to the design of the electrical part of the house, then the installation of electrical equipment will be significantly difficult. This should be remembered by any developer who develops a do-it-yourself wiring diagram for a house.
Why do we need a well-designed scheme?
As it has already become clear, everything should be thought out before construction begins. Of course, you can lay wires around the house before finishing, if you have the proper experience of an electrician, but the wiring diagram in a private housemust be designed in advance. This will take into account some points for maximum manufacturability of the design of the "box" of the living space. Also:
1. The wiring diagram in a private house will allow you to get a complete picture of the need to purchase all the consumables necessary for installation: wires, junction boxes, sockets, switches and other little things, it will be extremely inconvenient to run for each of which to the store during the work.
2. In the design documentation for electrification, all the necessary calculations are carried out to determine the required cross-sectional area of \u200b\u200bwires, as well as the parameters of other devices - a switchboard, electricity meters, automatic overload protection, which will help prevent an emergency.
How to write a project?
The wiring diagram in a private house largely determines not only the convenience of using all available electrical equipment in the future, but also the safety of this operation, therefore, ideally, it is worth entrusting its development to professional electricians who have already studied all the bottlenecks and problem areas. However, this does not mean that you cannot do the project yourself. Let's discuss the basics that will be needed for this. So, the most common option for supplying electricity in the countryside is an overhead line with a voltage of 0.4 kV. On the input device of the circuit - the introductory shield - comes from the overhead line of support threewires: working PEN, phase L and zero protective. Recently, such an electrical panel has been installed outside the building. This block contains an electric meter and automatic switches (we will talk about them below).
The wires from the "receiver" get inside the house to the internal electrical panel, after which the wiring diagram in a private house branches into several groups of main energy consumers:
- sockets;
- lighting fixtures;
- household group (sockets, light bulbs, switches in utility rooms, such as storage rooms or annexes for placing tools, and other elements of the wiring diagram in the house);
- power group required to power high power devices - heating boiler, boiler, etc.
In order for electricity to be safe, the wiring diagram in a wooden house (brick or block, this also applies) must provide protective devices for each of the described groups. What is it for? Imagine a situation where, for whatever reason, a short circuit occurs in a lighting fixture. If there is only one circuit breaker in the switchboard, then the light in the whole house will “cut down”, which means that it will be much more difficult to repair everything. If each group has automatic machines, then the house will not be left without electricity. If there are 2 floors, then it is advisable to put a separate switchboard for both.
The sequence of appliances to the boiler or light bulb is as follows:
- introductory machine,outdoor;
- electricity meter;
- an internal single-band machine (suitable for a single-phase wiring diagram in a house), from which a neutral or phase wire comes out;
- zero tire;
- machines for each of the phase wires (for sockets and so on);
- ground bus.
The wiring diagram in a wooden house is also a plan by which you can conveniently calculate the length of the cables. Therefore, the best option is to display the elements on a separate sheet of the house plan. So you carefully consider the placement of sockets, switches, light bulbs, etc.
Electricians are also developing a basic wiring diagram, but this requires additional knowledge, so you can omit the item if you do the work yourself.
"Tricky" recommendations and rules
It doesn't matter in principle whether a wiring diagram is being developed in a "Khrushchev" or a wooden country house. In any case, it is worth considering some provisions of the current global practice of electrical work that will help optimize the number of consumables and distribution points of the supply line without compromising the ease of use of electrical appliances:
- The most convenient switch is the one located next to the door on the side of the handle attachment. The best placement option is at chest level of an adult. Firstly, it will be convenient for all family members (we will be favorable to the female half of the population,whose average height is 10-15 centimeters less than that of men). Secondly, the switch will be inaccessible to overly curious little children.
- The wiring diagram for each outlet should not be random or just evenly distributed around the perimeter of the room. As a rule, for convenience, it is better to move away from standards and symmetry - consider where stationary electrical appliances like a TV, computer will stand. It is in those places that sockets should be placed. In no case do not be stingy, as the number of installed sockets does not spoil the interior of the room, but protects you from overloads that may result from the use of tees. Do not place sockets too low, especially in children's rooms (here it is generally better to install the option with a closing cover or auto-hiding plugs).
- Do not underestimate wire size to save money. At best, such savings will lead to frequent shutdown of the circuit breaker, at worst, you will have to “open” the wall and shift the burnt wire. Believe me, it is much more expensive than buying what you need right away.
- When laying out the wires according to the building plan of the house, do not allow them to be placed diagonally. As a rule, the main lines are drawn parallel to the ceiling, and the necessary branches are made only at a right angle. Of course, this slightly increases the length of the wires, but it greatly simplifies service, and also protects you from electric shock when you need to hang a bookshelf. Just imagine what kind of danger you put yourself inexpose if you drill a hole in the wall without knowing exactly where the power wire goes.
Wiring Methods
So, the wiring diagram in a panel apartment or a private country house has already been developed. Now you need to decide on the features of the installation. They consist in choosing one of the types:
- open;
- hidden.
As the name implies, when choosing an open option, the wiring will be on the surface of the wall, ceiling, and so on. Concealed installation - complete "masking" of wires and power cables in the walls, under sheets of drywall, above the false ceiling.
Features of open wiring
Immediately it is worth distinguishing between the main advantages and disadvantages of these types of installation. The first one is an impeccable service option. If the do-it-yourself wiring diagram is not developed professionally enough, then intervention may be necessary at any time, for example, replacing any section of the wire with a more massive one with a larger cross section. Just imagine that for this you need to tear off a section of wallpaper, break a layer of plaster. This can be avoided by using a neat plastic box that is nailed to the wall to hold the wires inside. Of course, the appearance will be somewhat spoiled.
If the wiring in a private house is made on wooden walls, then flush mounting is best avoided, since wood is a fire hazardous material that can easilyignite in the event of a short circuit in the wires. You can resort to partial masking of the wires in the cable channel of a modern plastic plinth. However, you should not overdo it either, because the joint placement of power and lighting wires is unacceptable. There should be a gap between them - about 2 mm. Therefore, two streams of electricity of different capacities are best divided into groups.
Features of concealed wiring
With hidden installation, "punctures" in the calculations and laying of wires are not allowed at all, but the aesthetics "rolls over". The second option for placing electrical wiring will allow you to completely hide it in the structure of a wall or, for example, a ceiling.
The hidden wiring diagram, in addition to aesthetics, also has some requirements. So, all wires must have a sufficiently thick insulating layer that will prevent mechanical damage to the metal part. Otherwise, the replacement of the wiring section will result in a rather large penny and the time spent on a new repair.
If the wiring is laid in a room with a high level of humidity, for example, in a bathhouse, sauna or swimming pool, then for hidden installation it is better to choose wires with a PVC sheath, which will prevent water from entering the wires.
Preparatory work
The electrical wiring project in a private house is the basis of all further work. Installation, although this is the final stage, is no less responsible than drawing up a diagram. Therefore, before drilling grooves in walls ornailing the box requires some preparation:
- The parameters of the developed scheme are systematically and accurately applied to the surfaces of walls, floors and ceilings - marking, punching holes, preparing places for the installation of junction boxes, socket boxes, sockets, switches.
- An accurate calculation of the required amount of electrical equipment and consumables is made. In no case should you buy wires "back to back" with the available distances - there should always be some margin.
Optimal "purchase"
Now let's proceed directly to the calculation of the required amount of electrical equipment. Everything is clear with the inlet and switchboard - 1 inlet and 1 or 2 distribution (depending on the number of storeys of the house). Circuit breakers are also calculated by the number of wiring lines present. But it is worth dwelling on wires, switches and sockets in more detail.
The length of the wires is determined after marking the walls from the following considerations:
- The distance between the shield and junction boxes, as well as from the boxes to sockets and switches, is measured. It is worth adding at least 100 mm of margin to each joint on each side so that you can neatly and conveniently place the wires in the junction box without pulling them or breaking them.
- In places where sockets and switches are connected, there should also be a small margin - about 50-150 mm (depending on the convenience of placement).
- If the wires pass the corner of the room, then it is necessary to providea compensation loop that will prevent tension and wire breakage as a result of deformation of the house structure during drying and subsidence of the foundation. The minimum amount of wire per loop is 100 mm.
Now a little about sockets. Let's form the requirements into a list of recommendations:
- As noted above, outlets should be located as close as possible to stationary household appliances. At a minimum, for every 10 square meters of a typical living room, 2 sockets should be placed. It is even better if they are not single, but double: one for a TV and some kind of hair dryer, and the second for a computer or laptop. If the number of electrical equipment is greater, then more outlets will be needed.
- In the kitchen you will need 1 larger outlet (if the house has an electric stove), one for the refrigerator, one for the electric kettle, and the rest as needed - 1-2 to turn on the food processor, mixer, etc., 1 - for reserve.
- In the bathroom, a permanent outlet can be useful for connecting a washing machine, and another one for a hair dryer, curling iron, and so on.
- Be sure when planning the number of sockets, consider the possibility of rearranging the furniture in the room.
As for the switches, things are much simpler with them - one for each room will be enough if there is only one light bulb. If there are several, then you can use a double or triple version.
Safety devices - RCDs
If your house will be wiredwith your own hands, the scheme for its connection must necessarily provide for an RCD, or protective connection device. They ensure the safe operation of any electrical equipment, in particular, associated with water - washing machines, showers, dishwashers and water heaters. The principle of operation of such a device is simple - it differentiates the value of the current in the phase and neutral wires. During normal operation, the current difference is zero. In the event of an emergency situation, leakage to the ground wire may occur, as a result, the circuit is automatically disconnected by the residual current device. Do not neglect this device due to its cost, as it can save a human life.
Wiring replacement
Very often, not just wiring in a new house is required, but also its replacement during a major overhaul. In this case, one can observe a depressing picture when the insulation of the wires has become very hard and is ready to crumble from a simple touch. Therefore, it is better to replace all wires without exception, as well as double-check junction boxes, contacts in sockets and switches (this is often not discussed, since you really want to change the old socket to a modern one, which is both comfortable and beautiful). High-quality wiring will work for a very long time, so do not skimp on wires both when replacing and during initial installation - changing them is much more difficult than changing a socket or switch.
