If during the overhaul it was decided to lay the wiring along the ceiling in the apartment with your own hands, then you need to familiarize yourself with the features of installing cables precisely on the top of the room. When working, it is impossible not to take into account the requirements for electrical networks in residential buildings. Safety must be at a high level, as the risk of ignition of adjacent surfaces is very high.
General electrical network requirements
When laying cables, ensure the reliability and safety of using a communication system that provides electricity to household appliances. It is required to correctly select all the necessary elements so that during operation there are no overloads and overheating.
When wiring is carried out in an apartment on the ceiling in a closed way, special attention should be paid to the materials used. It is best to use cables with a non-combustible sheath. It is necessary to ensure unhindered access to the main elements.
The need for a corrugated pipe when laying in a closed way
The main task of the corrugation is not only to protect surfaces located in close proximity from ignition. It acts as a communication channel through which, if necessary, you can easily remove the old cable and lay a new one.
For wooden buildings, it is desirable to use corrugated stainless steel pipe together with stretch or suspended ceilings. Their inner diameter is selected taking into account the cross-section of the cable used. It is allowed to lay several conductive elements in one pipe at once.
In the presence of reinforced concrete and metal floors, the requirements for wiring along the ceiling in the apartment are somewhat softened. Whether a corrugation is needed in such cases is not worth considering, since it has become an indispensable element of a hidden electrical network. However, you can choose a simpler option with technical plastic products.
Features of choosing a cable for subsequent laying
Before you mount the wiring in the apartment on the ceiling, you need to purchase conductive elements. They must have a suitable cross section, which usually depends on the number and power of energy consumers. Therefore, you should decide in advance on the number of lighting fixtures and their type.
Before purchasing cables, you need to know the following:
- separate branches are made for powerful consumers;
- when installing the line, conductors withthe same section, but it is allowed to vary the types of cables;
- as the thickness of the conductive part increases, the resistance increases.
The table of the dependence of the cross section of the electric cable on the characteristics of the passing current will help you make the right choice.
| Type of core | Section in square millimeters | Current power in kilowatts | Current in amps |
| Copper | 1, 5 | 4, 1 | 19 |
| 2, 5 | 5, 9 | 27 | |
| 4 | 8, 3 | 38 | |
|
Aluminum |
2, 5 | 4, 4 | 20 |
| 4 | 6, 1 | 28 | |
| 6 | 7, 9 | 36 |
Total power consumption can be determined by adding the individual energy consumption indicators.
What do the preparations include?
Before the wiring in the apartment is mounted on the ceiling in the chosen way, it is necessary to determine the cable layout and the installation locations of the lighting fixtures. To do this, you need to draw a wiring plan for conductive elements.directly from the switchboard.
Using a laser level or other devices to align the elements relative to the horizontal and vertical, you should transfer the drawing to the floor surface. According to the finished marking, it is much easier to install wires, especially if there are a lot of them.
Decorative box option
The easiest way is wiring in the apartment along the ceiling in a plastic box, which is a rectangular profile with a removable cover. The benefits of this option include:
- economy;
- high speed of work;
- quick cable access;
- quite attractive appearance.
The boxes are installed in accordance with the applied markings. They are applied with a flat side to the upper part of the room, after which they are fixed with fasteners. Wires are inserted into them and closed with a special cover that performs decorative and protective functions.
When using conduits, cables can be laid in ordered or random layers. The total sum of sections, calculated by external diameters, should not exceed 35-40 percent. Decorative profiles must be positioned so that moisture does not accumulate inside them from direct sources or vapors that are part of the ambient air.
The method of hidden laying of cables in strobes
Those who choose decorative plaster or others as a finishing materi althin-layer coatings, usually interested in how to lay wiring along the ceiling in an apartment in special strobes. They are cut into reinforced concrete floors, after which they are sealed with leveling compounds.
You can use different tools for chasing:
- grinder;
- chisel;
- perforator.
The effectiveness of the work will depend on the choice of a specific option. The chisel is the most affordable grooving tool. Hammer blows are applied to it, allowing to chip off part of the concrete slab. However, the downside is the complexity of the process. It is best to use a grinder equipped with a diamond disc. It allows you to easily and quickly get even strobes in the right place.
A corrugated pipe of suitable dimensions is placed in the grooves made. It is fixed to the reinforced concrete surface by means of special clamps with dowels. Instead of traditional fasteners, narrow metal plates can be used. They are pierced in the center with the same dowels. Cables are inserted into the resulting channels and released outside. The strobes are sealed with a plaster mixture.
Hidden wiring in the apartment on the ceiling improves the aesthetic characteristics of the room. This is most effective when there are a large number of conductive elements. The leveled surface can be finished with decorative plaster, wallpaper or other suitable materials.
Location of cables under tension or suspensiondesigns
Very often hidden electrical wiring under the ceiling in the apartment. In this case, suspended and tension structures are located at some distance from the floors. The presence of such a gap makes it possible to lay cables and auxiliary elements of the network.
In the presence of reinforced concrete floors, wires can be placed without a corrugated pipe, fixing them with special fasteners. They should not come into contact with the surface of the arranged structure. If the floors are made of wood, then installation work is not recommended without corrugations.
In reinforced concrete, holes for fasteners are made using a conventional drill. Dowels are driven directly into them. Self-tapping screws are simply screwed into the wooden base. Plastic clips are usually used as fixing elements for a corrugated pipe.
At the final stage, electrical wires are connected to the switchboard and lighting fixtures, under which holes are made in tension or suspension structures. After testing, the elements are inserted into the landing openings and fastened in a suitable way.
Installation of junction boxes
When wiring is installed in an apartment under a stretch ceiling or a plaster layer, sometimes it becomes necessary to route cables. In this case, distribution nodes are arranged, which are small boxes. Divergent wires are connected in them.
Distributionboxes can be built into reinforced concrete floors or simply attached to the ceiling surface. In the first case, it is necessary to make a landing nest under them that is suitable in size, and in the second - no. Surface-mounted installation is easy and fast installation.
The installation process is as follows:
- The back of the junction box is fixed with dowels or screws directly to the base.
- The wires are brought out and connected to each other (according to the color coding).
- Connection points are insulated with electrical tape, if necessary.
- The inner part with connected wires is closed with a special cover that comes with the main box. When installing in places with increased moisture resistance, a sealant is used.
For the closing part
Before wiring the ceiling in the apartment, it is necessary not only to correctly select the cable section and draw up a diagram of their location, but also to prepare the surface for future work. If necessary, all objects that can interfere with installation operations for laying an electrical network in modern-type residential premises are removed from the upper floors.
