Electrical wiring must be installed in accordance with established rules and regulations. The master who does this work must have the appropriate qualifications and experience. If the owner of a private house has at least minimal skills in the field of electricity, he can perform the entire procedure on his own. It is necessary to strictly follow the recommendations of experienced professionals.
Laying a cable in a wooden house is a serious undertaking. In this matter, it is extremely important to ensure high system reliability. The slightest spark can cause a fire. To avoid this, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the existing requirements for such a process.
Safety requirements
Laying a cable in a wooden house (photo presented below) is a responsible event. Many owners of private real estate prefer to perform the entire procedure on their own. This saves significant family budget funds.
However, professional installers argue that such work is very responsible. The safety of people living in the house will depend on the correctness of its implementation. Wood is known to be a flammable material. Therefore, there is a certain threat of fire. Statistics claim that more than half of fires in wooden houses are caused by faulty wiring.
For this reason, strict rules have been developed that can minimize this risk. Regulate the cable laying in a wooden house PUE, SNiP. Moreover, many home masters are faced with rather stringent requirements that prescribe the listed standards. Poor wiring is mounted if the master decides to neglect some rules, if the requirements seem to him quite rigid.
Fire may occur if the integrity of the wire sheath is violated. This situation is possible in two cases. If the master has not calculated the total power of the electrical consumers connected to this line, the insulation load will be high. Over time, it will melt. Short circuiting cannot be avoided. Also, during installation, the master can accidentally damage the integrity of the wire. Over time, the cable will also overheat under load. The exact implementation of all the rules of the PUE, even if they are at first glance rigid, guarantees the safety of the owners of a wooden house.
Mounting Methods
Cable laying in a wooden house according to the PUE can be performed in two ways. There is open and hidden wiring. In the first case, the wires pass along the surface of the walls and ceiling. They can be masked, but they do not cut into the thickness of the wall. The second method involves the preparation of special channels in the thickness of the wall.
Studying the norms of PUE-6, which relate to the hidden installation of electrical wiring in a wooden house, it should be noted that there is a clear limitation when choosing materials. Only two methods are allowed in this case. The first of them involves the use of a metal sleeve (special pipe) during installation. The second approach allows the arrangement of hidden wiring in a layer of plaster. It should surround the wire on all sides with a layer of at least 10 mm.
Many wizards make a fatal mistake when creating a closed system. It should be clearly understood that it is strictly forbidden to use corrugation for laying a cable in a wooden house in the thickness of the wall. Any plastic, PVC materials for this procedure are not suitable.
If the wiring is mounted by the home master yourself, it is recommended to use the open installation method. It is easier to execute, safer. However, in this case, one should also adhere to the recommendations of SNiP, PUE.
With an open installation method, it is allowed to use a plastic corrugated pipe made of non-combustible material. In addition, the wire can pass in a special electrical box. Open cable installation is allowed . In this case, it turns out to create an interesting decorative effect. It is called retrofit. The choice of installation type depends on many factors. This process must be taken as seriously as possible.
Hidden wiring
As mentioned above, determine the features of cable laying in a wooden house PUE. If the owners of the house want to perform a hidden installation of electrical cables, you should carefully study every detail of this process. The safety of property and the safety of private property owners depend on the correctness of even minor actions. The hidden installation method is the most costly and complicated. This technique will require a lot of effort and time from the owners of the house. You should be prepared for this. If there are doubts about the reality of fulfilling all the requirements and norms, it is better to give preference to an open method of wiring.
As mentioned above, there are two ways to install closed wiring in a wooden house. In the first case, a special pipe is used. This is a metal sleeve, which inside should be covered with a layer of paint or galvanizing. A pipe for laying a cable in a wooden house is able to protect wood from heating and fire in case of violation of the integrity of the cable sheath.
In order not to damage the cable insulation during installation, special rubber plugs must be put on the pipe edges. Otherwise, the sharp edges of the metal pipe can disrupt the integrity of the outer layer of the cable. It is best to use copper pipes. They are mounted under a slight slope. This will allow condensate to flow out of the channel.
Laying wires in a layer of plaster in a wooden house is almost never used. The thick layer of the solution looks unnatural. Therefore, in order to make the wiring hidden, channels for metal pipes are cut out in the thickness of the walls. It will take a lot of time. Plan the location of the channels should be very carefully. In this case, detailed schemes are surely saved where the wires in the room pass.
Open wiring
Open cable laying in a wooden house is a simpler and safer installation method for self-installation of the system. In this case, use electrical corrugations, channels. It is possible to design retro-wiring using an open cable.
The use of corrugated tubes made of special plastic allows you to create a reliable, durable system. The material of such a channel is not subject to combustion. In such a pipe, several conductors can pass.
The disadvantage of this method is its low aesthetics. To connect all the washing points in the house, you may need to install several rows of corrugated pipes at once. It looks unaesthetic. Therefore, the presented method is suitable only for bringing wires to some outlets that are mounted close to the floor.
It should be noted that the corrugated pipe cannot pass along the surface evenly. She will sag in places. It also does not add aesthetics to a similar system. During cleaning, such channels cannot be quickly and thoroughly cleaned of accumulated dust. It will accumulate in the grooves of the material. The interior in this case looks untidy. This is a safe system, but it is rarely used today.
A corrugated pipe for laying a cable in a wooden house is most often replaced by a rather aesthetic cable channel. These are special boxes made of non-combustible plastic. They look quite reserved. If necessary, you can dye the plastic in a color suitable for the shade of wood. This will make the wiring less noticeable. How to mount the cable in a plastic box, you should find out more.
Wiring in the cable channel, retro-wiring
Laying a cable channel in a wooden house is sometimes the only possible option for connecting all electrical consumers to the network. The popularity of this method is explained by its simplicity and low cost.
The channel is a plastic structure. He snaps the lid. Such channels can be easily redone over time, and audit the wiring. However, the presented method has several disadvantages. The fact is that manufacturers of cable channels offer a fairly modest list of different angles, transitions and plugs for such systems. This may affect the overall appearance of the interior.
It should also be noted that a wooden house, even of very high quality wood, shrinks over time. If you don’t redo the previously mounted cable channels, they can be deformed, crack. A year after the construction, special attention should be paid to this issue.
There is another option for laying cable in a wooden house. It is also regulated by the regulations of the PUE-6. This is a retrofit. It is not closed by any boxes, pipes. Wires pass openly along the wall. They are twisted and led to ceramic insulators.
Laying a pigtail lighting cable in a wooden house today is an extremely popular approach to creating an interior. A special cable is used for this. Conventional varieties of conductors (such as PUNP) in this case can not be used. Under them, you need to lay an asbestos gasket 10 mm thick. This greatly spoils the look. Therefore, wiring must be created in accordance with existing safety regulations.
Preparatory work
When laying the lighting cable in a wooden house with a pigtail, in a plastic channel or pipe in the thickness of the wall, a number of preparatory work will be required. There is a certain instruction in accordance with which all actions are performed.
First, a wiring plan is drawn up. It indicates all network elements, the exact dimensions and power of the equipment. Moreover, it will be necessary to determine the maximum load on communication. At the same time, they take into account which consumers will be connected to electricity in each place.
When creating a plan, it is important to consider the size of the house. It must operate several separate wiring lines. They will move away from the main shield. It is important not to forget to create a separate line for courtyard lighting. If the house will use powerful equipment (boiler, boiler, electric furnace, etc.), a separate line is created for them with an autonomous machine.
After that, it will be possible to determine which varieties of wires, sockets, switches, circuit breakers and other products will need to be purchased before installation.
The instruction for laying the cable in a wooden house involves bringing an electric wire to the house from external power sources. It is connected at this stage to a circuit breaker. In this case, a distribution panel is mounted. An electric meter will also be required in the system.
After creating this object, you can wiring the cable around the house. It is brought to each point indicated on the plan, which subsequently will play the role of a socket, switch, etc. Also, grounding and RCDs are necessarily mounted.
When all the above manipulations are completed, test the operation of the system. Posting should work in accordance with the settlement documentation. If there are any deviations, it is necessary to find the cause, eliminate it. Otherwise, the operation of the electrical system will be inappropriate.
Equipment selection
It is important, before starting the installation, to correctly calculate the parameters of the wires, how much equipment is needed and what. Doing the cable yourself in a wooden house with your own hands will be easier if you first consider the recommendations of the standards and the advice of experienced electricians. Complex calculations will be required. Each line extending from the shield is determined separately.
When creating wiring, aluminum and copper wires can be used. The second option is preferable. Aluminum varieties in this case are not suitable. Their cross section should be larger than that of copper wires. In this case, aluminum is considered a brittle metal. When bent, it can break. The reliability of such wiring will be low. Next, summarize the nominal load of all electricity consumers that will be connected to a separate line. In accordance with the result, determine the size of the wire section.
The rules for cable laying in a wooden house allow the use of cables marked NYM or VVGng. The latter is cheaper. However, the first type of wire has a special insulating layer. It is considered more reliable. It’s not worth saving on your safety.
Sockets must be connected to the network using a three-wire cable. It must have a ground loop. Postings should be designed for the equipment that will be connected to them. They may also differ in configuration. There are external and hidden sockets.
At some points, you will need to install several combined outlets. Switches also need to be selected by the number of keys. Sometimes these elements of the electrical system are also combined with sockets. The choice of such equipment depends on the characteristics of the operation of the circuit.
Switchboard and automation
It is very important to calculate the rated power of each individual line when laying the cable in a wooden house. Installation of machines in the switchboard is carried out in accordance with this characteristic of the system.
It should be noted that in the process of replacing old wiring in a wooden house, machines with a higher rated power cannot be installed than provided by the line. If there is an overload of the wire, it will not disconnect from the power. If you install automation with a low nominal value, it will constantly turn off the network, even if a significant load is not applied to the cable. A new machine is connected to the new conductors of each line.
When replacing old automation, it is also important to consider what section the lead-in wire has, which provides electricity to the entire facility. When reconstructing the old wiring, it must also be changed. Otherwise, it will not meet the requirements of the new wiring. In this case, the cable may overheat. This is a fire hazard situation.
Laying an electric cable in a wooden house may require the presence of representatives of the energy supply company. They will help to install the meter and seal it.
When choosing automation, you should consider what type of circuit the house is connected to. For single-phase and three-phase networks, appropriate equipment is purchased. The circuit breaker is most often mounted after the counter.
After completing the installation of the system elements, several mandatory devices must be located in the switchboard. These include an electric meter, machines for power supply groups, RCDs, introductory automation. The body of the shield is necessarily grounded. All internal systems are mounted on a DIN rail.
Grounding
Cable laying in a wooden house necessarily requires grounding. It can be mounted independently. To do this, you need to prepare 3 metal corners 3 m long, scraps of the same material 1 m each.
It is necessary to dig a trench in the ground. It will have the form of an equilateral triangle (length of the sides 1 m). The depth is 30 cm. At each vertex of the triangle, 3 meters long are driven in. They are connected by welding with short metal segments. A hole must be made to one of the long corners. Using a nut and a bolt, a wire for grounding is mounted to it. It is brought to the switchboard and installed in the grounding bus. All grounding circuits from electrical appliances in the house are also brought here. The ground wire is yellow-green in color.
It is also necessary to install an RCD in the system. This protective device prevents electric shock in the event of insulation failure. RCD reacts even to minor violations. This makes the operation of electrical equipment safe.
System tests
Cable laying in a wooden house ends with a test. It is not possible to independently carry out such a procedure. You will need to call qualified masters of the electric laboratory. They have all the necessary equipment for this.
During the testing process, the organization’s employees study the resistance of the insulating materials of the wires, the grounding cable, and also the phase-zero circuit. They also examine the operation of automation, check the performance of RCDs.
Only after carrying out all the tests can the owner of the house make sure that the wiring is workable, its operation is safe. Test staff give a copy of the protocol to the owner of the private property. It should be shown to the company that supplies electricity to the facility.
A diagram indicating all the wiring elements is installed in an accessible place for viewing. If you need to quickly carry out repairs, it will help you quickly find the place of failure. Most often, the circuit is glued to the inner door of the distribution panel. Only after performing all of the above manipulations, it will be possible to operate the wiring.
Having considered the features of cable laying in a wooden house, you can perform all the relevant work yourself.