In today's world, absolutely every home has electricity. There is simply no way without it! The times of torches, kerosene stoves and other things have sunk into oblivion. Of course, electricity in the house is an integral part of modern comfortable life. Today we will consider all the issues that relate to the wiring of electricians in the apartment.
This is an important point, which is quite complex and requires certain knowledge and skills. Someone can fully understand the issue of wiring in their apartment on their own, someone is able to perform only part of such work. And someone is far from all this, and in this case it will be right to seek help from qualified specialists. There is nothing shameful in this. Let's start to understand the issue gradually.
Electrical project of the apartment
This is the most correct option. If you choose a ready-made apartment electrician project, then many problems are removed by themselves. Indeed, in this case, in your finished version, everything will be painted and calculated by qualified specialists. Thus, all difficulties and errors are completely excluded. The only disadvantage of this option is that you need to pay for such a project.
As a rule, the price depends on the area of your home. The dependence is directly proportional (a large apartment is a high price, a compact apartment is a cheap project). For some people, this option is the only possible and correct one, while for others it is not suitable, and they are looking for an alternative that will help save money. We will talk about this in more detail below, and now is the time to talk about DIY wiring.
Do-it-yourself wiring
This is an option for those who want to save money. It is extremely important that you must be able to work with electricity. If you are not confident in your own abilities, then it is better not to take risks and turn to specialists, for example, by calling an electrician at home. The fact is that if you do not have experience in such work, then this can not only cause installation difficulties and some errors, but also be dangerous for your life. Electricity is no joke!
Calculation
How much does electrical wiring cost in an apartment? This is a question that worries many. There is no clear answer to it, because for a particular house or apartment, the calculation is done individually. We can only say for sure that the copper wire will be more expensive than the aluminum counterpart, but it is preferable to use it (copper wire). Experts have been preferring copper for decades.
You also need to say about the cross section of the wire. The thicker the core of the wire, the more expensive the meter will cost. Also, the number of cores in the wire has an impact on pricing. For example, a three-wire wire is more expensive than a two-wire counterpart. Highly qualified specialists always choose three-core wires to organize a ground loop. Also, the price of the wire may vary slightly depending on its elasticity, type of protective sheath and some other minor characteristics.
Calculation of electrical wiring in the apartment is always done with a margin. If you accurately measured the entire path of the wiring, then this is not the final footage. You should always take it with a margin, because during the installation process there will be waste. The most common place where wiring waste occurs is when connecting wires in junction boxes, as well as when connecting various switches and sockets. You can’t do without it, it’s a given, you can’t fight it and you can’t avoid it, you just have to accept it.
Analyzing all of the above, it is impossible to accurately answer the question of how much the wiring of an electrician in an apartment costs, but we can say for sure that high-quality wiring in an apartment will require a considerable amount. But this is done for years, and this is not a savings article! Do not be afraid, because, for example, an electrician in a one-room apartment will not cost you the cost of the apartment itself, and not even ten percent of the cost of this housing, everything is much cheaper.
Calculation of the cross section of an electric wire by power
To carry out the correct calculation of the electric cable, the following formula is used: I=P / U. P isthe total input power of all equipment that will be powered from the network via cable. U is the symbol for voltage. Practice shows that the current strength for a typical apartment usually does not exceed 25 amperes. Based on the above data, you can choose an option for organizing wiring in the house. For example, a copper cable with a cross section of 1.5 millimeters is designed for a current of about 19 amperes and a power of about 4 kilowatts. A similar cable with a cross section of 2.5 mm can withstand up to 6 kilowatts of load at a current of up to 27 amperes. These two cross-sectional options are most often used in laying wiring in an apartment.
If such calculations cause you even the slightest bit of difficulty, then you should seek help from specialists. Errors in these calculations can be fatal. It's not worth the risk if you don't understand these matters.
Main types of cables
Today there are many options for electrical cables. Consider the most popular:
- Electrical wire VVG-32.5 is an option with three copper cores, the cross section of such a cable is 0.25 square centimeters. Such a cable is used in most of the wiring in a typical apartment. This cable also connects the electrical panel to the junction boxes.
- Electric wire VVG-31.5 is a variant with three copper cores, the cross section of such a cable is 0.15 square centimeters. This cable is used to connect between junction boxes in an apartment with various lighting fixtures andsockets (when the sockets are lightly loaded).
- Electrical wire VVG-34 is an option with three copper cores, the cross section of such a cable is 0.4 square centimeters. Such a cable is required to connect the electric stove in the apartment.
These are the most popular options for electrical cables. In fact, there are a lot of options for cable products on the building materials market today.
It is also worth mentioning the varieties of VVG cables. The classic VVG cable has the usual PVC insulation; such a cable does not have any self-extinguishing and fire-retardant properties. The VVGng cable has special halogen chemical elements in its insulation layer, they prevent the ignition process. The VVGng-ls cable is also fireproof, has fire protection, but in addition, such a cable has special insulation additives that do not emit gas and smoke in case of fire.
Installation Tools
If chasing is provided, then you will need a tool for such work (chasing cutter and puncher or puncher and grinder). You will also need a tool for stripping the wire (strippers, knives, pullers, pliers). In addition, wire cutters are always needed. You will also need a ladder and a flashlight. This is not a complete list of the necessary tools, sometimes a larger set is required, but those listed above are always needed.
Installation work
If you chose an optioninstalling electricians in an apartment with your own hands, then you already know the basics. So, it makes sense to talk about the nuances of editing, as well as difficult moments where errors occur most often, according to statistics. Let's say right away that the electrical wiring in the apartment must comply with all applicable standards. It is worth buying wires, sockets and switches only in trusted places from serious manufacturers. Poor-quality wiring or a socket can cause serious problems, up to a fire in your home. Installation also requires quality tools.
Laying lines
Laying electrical wiring lines in an apartment can be done in various ways. The electrics on the ceiling in the apartment can be hidden if, for example, there are suspended ceilings in your home. Some choose the open ceiling mounting method. If we talk about the option of laying electrics in the apartment on the floor, then here you can resort to the option with special skirting boards with a cavity for wiring. It is very simple and aesthetically pleasing.
As for the walls, you can choose either an open option, or wall chasing for electrical wiring. It is worth saying that the hidden wiring method always looks more attractive than the open one, but it is expensive. Most often, an electrician in a new apartment is organized in a hidden way. In this case, for a place where there is a big repair, the accumulation of dust and dirt will not be so critical.
If we are talking about replacing wiring in a renovated apartment, then you should understand what gating will bring tothere is a lot of dust and dirt in your apartment, sometimes this is unacceptable. Everyone chooses for himself, based on his situation.
Hidden wiring
Strobling is energy-intensive, dusty and noisy. But the result is worth it. No visible wiring is an aesthetically pleasing option. You can ditch with a hand tool, but it is very difficult and time consuming. Hammer and chisel is a very long story. You can ditch with a grinder and a perforator. This is also a long and complicated option, but much faster and easier than the hand tool option. The best option is to work with a wall chaser. This is a specialized tool, it is more convenient and faster to work with it.
Stroborez is a professional specialized electric tool, as its name implies. It is widely used for wall chasing for electrical wiring. This is a modified model of the grinder. Two diamond discs are installed in the tool, they allow you to get accurate cut lines. It is possible to adjust the distance and width of the strobe. The discs are covered with a special protective cover.
The wall chaser has a branch with a hose from a construction vacuum cleaner. That is, it is possible to work without dust. After creating cuts along the entire length of the strobe, excess material (concrete, brick or something else) is removed with a perforator. A domestic wall chaser will cost about five thousand rubles or more. An imported analogue will cost several times more.
Open wiring
This is an easy and quick installation option. The advantage of this method isthe fact that the wiring is always in sight, in which case you can visually see its defect. The disadvantage of this method is that the open mounting option is not very visually attractive. An exception is the open version of the installation of antique-style wiring (the so-called vintage wiring). Open wiring can be attached to the wall along the wall finish with the help of special clips (brackets), as well as with the help of special brackets from a stapler of the appropriate shape. In addition, you can use dowel clips or a dowel tie, as well as PVC cable channels.
Wiring connection
There are several options for connecting wires in junction boxes:
- Connection with terminals (suitable for small loads).
- Connection using special screw-on "caps" on the twist of the wire.
- Twisted wire connection, additionally tinned with a soldering iron and additionally insulated with special fabric tape.
The last option is the most reliable and preferred. The twist connection should be made of at least five to seven turns.
Shield
The shield is a particularly difficult moment when wiring in an apartment. The wiring in the apartment in the shield converges on the machines. It is important to choose the right machines for different purposes. Consider an example of the correct choice of machines in the shield. In order to do everything correctly, you need to create certain groups. It might look something like this:
- Refrigerator and extractor fan in the kitchen (25 amp machine).
- Washing machine (25 amp machine).
- All lighting fixtures in the apartment (10 amp machine).
- All sockets in the apartment (25 amp machine).
- Dishwasher (25 amp machine).
- Electric stove (32 amp machine).
Sometimes sockets in an apartment are divided into groups with separate machines, depending on their placement in the apartment. If an electric water heater is provided in the apartment, then it is also “planted” on a separate machine. The option with separate machines is good because in the event of some kind of breakdown, only one of them will work, and the entire apartment will not be completely de-energized. Proper electrical wiring in an apartment means safety and no problems for many years.
Standards
There are some standards that you need to know when installing:
- All switches should be located to the left of the door.
- In apartments, sockets should be at a height of 40 centimeters from the floor, with the exception of the kitchen, here the installation height of sockets from the floor is from 95 centimeters to 1 meter 15 centimeters.
- All switches must be located 90 centimeters from the floor.
- Electrical wires must be placed strictly horizontally or vertically in the apartment.
- It is undesirable to allow the intersection of electrical wires duringmounting;
- Electrical wires usually run 15 centimeters from the ceiling and 10 centimeters from doors and windows in the apartment.
- Electrical wires are connected to the switch from above, and to the outlet from below.
Expert Help
Let's return to the option of calling an electrician for installation work. In many cases, this is a solution to problems. A qualified electrician, called to the house, carries out the installation as efficiently and quickly as possible. The absence of installation errors and compliance with all requirements are the main advantages due to which they resort to the help of a specialist.
Do-it-yourself wiring saves you money, but can lead to difficulties if you do not have work experience and specialized education. Most specialists calculate the cost of work before they begin. Moreover, this calculation is made free of charge. You can call several masters for calculation and choose the most optimal option for you for the price. I must say that in the modern competitive world, the price of services will be approximately the same, choose based on the experience of the master, his level of qualification, and so on.
Programs for creating electrical wiring projects in an apartment
You can order an electrical wiring diagram from a specialist, or you can create such a circuit yourself using specialized programs. In any case, a diagram for installation work is needed. Consider the most popular programs for creating such schemes:
- Visio- This is a simple graphical editor, it is very common, suitable for creating wiring drawings. The program is simple, even a beginner in electrical matters can easily understand it. The advantage of the program is free access and the presence of the Russian language. There is only one drawback. It lies in the poor functionality.
- Compass is a professional tool for creating electrical wiring diagrams. The main advantage is free access, because professional programs are almost always paid. Another advantage is the presence of a Russian-language interface. The weaknesses of Compass are the complexity of the program, a novice electrician will not be able to quickly figure out all the nuances.
- Eagle is a powerful program that can not only create electrical wiring diagrams, but even create PCB drawings. The drawing process is available both in manual mode and automatically. There are two versions of the program. One version is free, you have to pay for the second version. It must be said that the functionality of the free version is sufficient to create a wiring diagram for an apartment.
- Program "1-2-3". This software is a free graphic editor. With it, you can quickly and easily create a drawing of the electrical wiring of the apartment. The Russian-language interface is present, the editor is convenient, there is also a bonus from the developers. The program has a list of symbols. If necessary, you can print it on a printer and stick it in your electrical panel on the corresponding elements of the wiring diagram.
- Autocad is the most famous program in which you candraw a wiring diagram. There are many versions of this editor. The free version of the program is enough for wiring drawings in the apartment. The program has a Russian-language interface, and is also very simple and convenient.
- The Elf program is designed specifically for those who work with wiring projects. The software is suitable for creating drawings of any complexity. There is a database in which there are all necessary elements. In addition, this editor is able to automatically calculate the current strength in the circuit, and will also offer an automatic machine with the appropriate rating.
All these programs are freely available on the Internet. You can find them, download and install them on your computer. After that, you have to disassemble in one of the above programs, if you can’t master the software, then you should seek help from qualified specialists. But practice shows that the average person can quite master these programs in five to ten days of training for several hours a day.
Conclusion
Laying electrics in an apartment is an important point that requires close attention and is not an item in the cost estimate where you can save. Choose impeccable materials. The electrical wiring in the apartment must be of high quality, the work must be carried out in compliance with all norms and standards. Such work should be done by an experienced person. An electrical plan in an apartment can greatly facilitate all installation work. Compliance with all requirements and standards will protect you from burning household appliances, short circuits orfire hazards in your apartment. Do it once well, and then forget about this issue forever!
