When making repairs in an apartment, each person tries to fully restore many details. One of the important points is the replacement of wiring. Sometimes this becomes the main reason for a complete design change in an apartment or house. In addition, there are other reasons as well.
Sometimes hiring professionals becomes expensive for the family budget. In such a situation, it is worthwhile to independently understand the issue and create a design according to the instructions. Replacing the wiring in the apartment with your own hands is quite realistic. Below we describe how to do this.
When is replacement essential?
If we consider this issue globally, then those apartments or houses that were built many years ago should definitely undergo a rewiring. Because it's outdated in every sense. The fact is that then other materials were used - this is aluminum. It quickly perceives the effects of corrosion, and also becomes brittle over time. The insulation becomes thinner, which may well lead to a short circuit and eventually a fire.
There are basic problems that are inherentold wiring:
- Deafly grounded structures. These are old models - not currently found.
- The branching technique is most often used.
- No safety devices for automatic shutdown.
- Not enough outlets.
Besides all this, the load on the power grid has changed a lot in the modern world. It is for this reason that accidents and other troubles can occur if replacements are not made.
Secondary substitution conditions
According to experts, the wiring must be replaced if:
- Residential building over 15 years old.
- Sometimes sockets spark or similar elements fail.
- When working with any electrical devices, there is a smell of burning.
- Wiring breaks when bent.
When there are many probable causes of wear, then you should not hesitate and make an urgent replacement. Some make the mistake of doing a partial replacement. This will lead to even more problems. Of course, sometimes you can do this when it breaks. In such a situation, not everyone is ready to call specialists, as these are financial costs.
Having decided to replace the wiring in a private house or apartment with your own hands, you need to think everything through. You should also purchase components and carry out work according to the plan. There is no great difficulty in this. But you should not throw out any of the items, otherwise you can create conditions in which an accident is not ruled out.
Howdo the work?
So, now it is clear that partial replacement of wiring in a panel house is completely excluded. The process is simple - you just need to arm yourself with patience and knowledge. Things to do:
- Draw a diagram of the internal structure.
- The plan of the structure itself.
- To witness all this and get permission from the energy inspectorate.
- Perform wiring.
- Fix connection points and install protective blocks.
It is clear that each work will be simplified if it is carried out according to the plan, in this situation - the scheme. A one-line diagram may well be suitable.
Cable, calculations
It is worth choosing the right cable. Its thickness and cross section depend on the power of all appliances in an apartment or house. Many believe that it is better to choose denser and thicker. How to make a payment:
- You need to add up the power of each appliance in the house or apartment.
- After add 100W for each electrical unit.
- Divide by 220.
If this indicator is not higher than 15, then the cross section can reach up to 1.5 mm2. At the same time, the masters always give useful recommendations and advice. So, if this is a kitchen, then a more reliable wire with a powerful cross section should be brought there. After all, there are always a lot of units that consume energy. Each room has two branches - lighting and socket. The exception is the bathroom and the bathroom.
When drawing up a diagram, you should use special symbols. When the apartment scheme is completed orat home to replace the wiring with your own hands, it’s really possible to create a complete plan. It already describes in more detail the places where the wires are attached and how they are connected relative to the entire room. Both of these components are carried to the supervisory authorities for confirmation. This is sometimes overlooked, although professionals can make adjustments and suggest how it will be better.
What can't work without?
To fully replace the old wiring, you need to have the following items on hand:
- Puncher with all the necessary attachments to make holes for laying wiring and fixing other components.
- Soldering iron.
- Set of pliers, screwdrivers and wrenches.
- Bulgarian.
- Phase indicator.
- Tester.
- Building level.
- Flashlight.
- Sharp knife.
- Spatula.
Measure the length of the wire
It is clear that before you start you will have to purchase the right amount of wiring. It costs money, and no one wants to overpay. In this case, the calculation is performed. measurement is made from the shield to the connection point, taking into account turns and angles. It is necessary to mount the wiring turns at right angles, otherwise it will not last long.
There are also elementary rules of arithmetic - the area of the apartment is multiplied by 2. You cannot do without gating when replacing wiring. Also, the operation is impossible without terminal blocks - you need to purchase only reliable ones. How the wires will be attached, everyone decides for himself. But expertssay it is better to choose clamping plates. Socket boxes may have special designs, but it is important that they are tightly fixed. You can’t do without an introductory shield, because a lot will fit inside. A simple twist is used to create a temporary connection.
How to remove old wiring?
It is clear that before starting work it is worth dismantling the old structure. To replace the wiring in the apartment quickly, you need to arm yourself with the following tools. This is a flashlight, pliers, an indicator screwdriver, gloves and electrical tape. Before you start any work with electricity, you need to de-energize the entire apartment or house. The main machine should be turned off, after which each wire should be checked again. All work is performed only when there is no voltage.
What's next?
All wires are checked, and then in the house or apartment - sockets and switches. If the manipulations are performed correctly, then work begins. Light fixtures, sockets and switches are removed. The wires, which were created many years ago, are deep under the plaster. They are not removed, but only de-energized. Otherwise, there will be a lot of work. If a decision is made to completely dismantle, then it will also be necessary to break through the walls.
New wiring
Strobes are taken and holes are made strictly vertically or horizontally. After that, grooves are outlined and hollowed out with a chisel. Although today many people lay cables in special boxes on the surface, so that in the event of a breakdown they don’t have to look, tearing off the finish again. In such a situation, you need to purchase additional devices. Fartheryou will have to make recesses for sockets and switches. Works are carried out depending on the coating - concrete or wood.
They work with a chisel, making recesses and under the shield. With the help of adhesives, socket boxes are lowered into the holes and fixed. After that, it is worth cutting the cable and corrugation to the required dimensions. The corrugation is fixed in a strobe (it is impossible to replace the wiring without strobe), and the ends - in the socket. The second segment should be in the shield. After the ends are fastened with a clamp. The temporary building is removed, and the wires are suspended in the shield. When the rules are followed and the work is over, you need to start finishing the grooves with the cable. It is clear that the sockets will also be removed from the eyes. But they are easy to find if necessary.
In the process, it is required to do laying at the building level. Otherwise, some errors simply reduce the life of the entire system. If a person does not have experience in this area, you need to get advice from competent people before starting work by watching useful video material. It's not worth the risk, because the mistakes made can lead to a short circuit and fire.
Connecting to the shield
As soon as the wiring replaced in the panel house is in place and all work is completed in the room, you need to start connecting. To do this, the cord is connected to the shield. This is done on the terminal blocks using the same collection circuit. Before the start of the branch, they are checked so that there is no short circuit. Next, an initial fix is performed to understand zero and phase. After power supply againturns off, and the wires are fixed in the terminal blocks.
In the process of performing work, many checks should take place, since the replacement of electrical wiring is a very serious and responsible operation. An observation is made for a short circuit with the machines switched on and de-energized. And only after that it is already possible to fully turn on the network. It's not that difficult, but you need to check everything to avoid accidents.
Often at the planning stage, the question arises of how far the sockets should be located. There are standards, although people often make this decision themselves. From the floor it is from 20 to 40 centimeters. This is the limit at which sockets are convenient to use, they are not conspicuous and do not interfere with the overall perception of the interior. Exceptions are certain installations (for example, air conditioning). Some mistakenly believe that sockets will not be superfluous, but they can reduce the reliability of all wiring. This is a small recommendation for those who have no experience in replacing old wiring.
Often the question arises, is it easy to get around the paperwork? After all, a lot of work is worth doing on paper. Often people with experience neglect this, although the decision is clearly wrong. After all, with any mistake, the losses will become significant. If you do not go to the appropriate services to obtain permission, you will have to pay a fine. It's not worth the risk - let the work be done in compliance with the laws and regulations.
Some people think that wiring in a brick and wooden house is different. However, in any case, she must hide. The open version is completely excluded. Today, there are special beautiful and neat boxes in the hardware stores, so it's very easy to hide the wires in them.
Recommendations
To be completely safe in the process, work is done with rubberized gloves and tools with insulated handles. At a height, you will also have to do work, so sometimes an elementary stepladder is simply not enough. It is clear that the replacement of wiring (including in the ceiling) is a complex multi-stage process. Not everyone can do that. If the scheme and plan were given easily and are in the appropriate form, then it is possible to translate what was conceived into reality. When nothing comes out even on paper, it's not worth the risk - it's better to use the services of a master.
