Among the types of laying electrical wires inside residential premises, the method of their open location on the building structures of buildings is the oldest, time-tested.
Technically, this laying method can be carried out:
1. fixed fixing of wires;
2. temporary placement of portable cables - extension cords.
Carrying is a backup method for short-term connection of individual electrical appliances. It is not recommended to use them all the time. Load currents pass through them completely, and the entire structure is subjected to periodic mechanical stress that can cause damage. Extension cords with portable cables require frequent inspections.
Open wiring has three characteristic features at once:
1. is visible to any visitor and therefore must be beautiful and attractive;
2. exposed sun rays capable of destroying a layer of insulation that is unstable to it over time;
3. less than other types is protected from accidental mechanical impact.
Existing modern methods open wiring takes into account all these three factors, allows you to create exclusive design rooms both in a retro style, which is loved by many owners of private houses, summer cottages and cottages, and give them a different look.
This method is especially suitable for elite wooden buildings made of rounded or glued beams, when it is necessary to maintain the integrity of the wall structure and show their decorative texture.
They are also used for additional installation conductive lines in the case when finishing work has already been completed in the room, created unique interior to be saved.
Types of stationary open wiring
Fastening wires to the building elements of the building is carried out various methods. Practical use Nowadays, we have received five methods:
1. cable laying with staples;
2. retro style on rollers made of porcelain RSH-4;
3. plastic boxes-channels;
4. corrugated pipe made of metal hose with plastic corrugation;
5. European skirting boards.
All plastic products for installation must be fire resistant, do not support combustion.
Cabling on walls and ceilings
In open wiring, it is allowed to use cables with light-resistant insulation, for example, grades APPV (with aluminum core) or PPV (copper). Best of all technical specifications a cable marked VVGng-LS is suitable due to the fire-fighting properties of its insulation:
does not support combustion;
has a low smoke emission.
Since, when the network is overloaded, overheating of the wiring may occur, the heat generated from it should not be transferred to building structures. When placing the cable on wooden surface asbestos tape is placed under it and fixed in one of the following ways:
metal brackets with gaskets to the base;
tin strips with buckles;
ribbon with buttons;
bandage strips;
plastic mounting clamps.
Cabling open way rarely used inside residential premises: it greatly complicates the creation original look rooms, giving them a formal, office look. This method is better suited for technical rooms.
Switches, sockets and lamps are mounted using socket boxes, which may have decorative form and coloring. They are impregnated with a special solution that provides fire-fighting properties.
A metal plate is also installed between the wall and the socket to prevent the spread of fire. This mandatory rule must be combined with the ideas of the designer.
Wiring in retro style on rollers made of porcelain РШ-4
Beautiful stranded flexible wires for this purpose are created with two layers of insulation. Her inner part provides protection against voltage potential, and the outer, made of silk sheathing, is impregnated with a layer of varnish and reliably protects the inside from solar radiation.
The total cross section of the conductor is selected according to the current load, but 2.5 mm2 is usually used.
The wires are held on the rollers by laying with a uniform pitch and tension, they are separated from the building structure with a sufficient air gap, controlled visually.
Wiring in plastic cable channels
Electric cable and wires are laid in an open way and, at the same time, hidden from human eyes, which are selected according to color and dimensions.
The cable channel can be mounted on the wall with self-tapping screws or simply glued. In the second case, it is necessary to pay attention to the preparation of a smooth and even plane for installing the box.
When installing it in this way, first coat it with glue reverse side cable channel and press it to the marking place to transfer part of the glue there. Then the box is immediately removed from the wall for several minutes, waiting for the adhesive sides to harden. After that, they are pressed tightly for fast, reliable bonding.
When fixing the box in drywall, use a butterfly dowel. At the junctions constituent parts and in the places of their turns are used accessories: plugs, corners, adapters, connectors. They should be easy to join and well close the gaps visible to the eye.
Wiring in decorative metal pipes
This method was originally designed to work electrical systems inside technical rooms with increased risk of fire or explosion. The wires and their connections were completely enclosed in a hermetically sealed case made of pipes made of steel, aluminum or copper alloys.
Such wiring is most protected from the impact environment and separated from her. Pipes of standard length are assembled in the line by means of couplings and adapters, turns are created smoothly by special 90-degree corners.
When assembling, welding is not used, all work is performed hand tool. The technology allows, if necessary, to change the network configuration without much effort.
Application decorative coatings for copper and brass pipes made it possible to use this method for laying open electrical wiring in everyday life, to create Beautiful design, emphasizing, in combination with bronze and copper lamps, the interior of antiquity.
Corrugated wiring
This method of open wiring is considered one of the simplest. It is common, popular, but, it fits better to the outside. electrical networks located on building surfaces outside residential premises. Appearance corrugations are difficult to combine with the design of living rooms.
The corrugation is well suited for attics, basements, garages: those places where you need to quickly lay wires, protecting them with an additional plastic case. By selecting the diameter of the corrugation, it is possible to create trunks to accommodate several parallel cables in one pipe.
Another feature of this method is the need to pass a prepared cable or wires through it before fixing the corrugation on the wall, which presents certain difficulties.
For this, an intermediate element is used - a cable or wire, which is inserted into the tube from the corrugation in advance. Then one of its ends is fixed, tied to some support or held with pliers, and the other is attached to a cable or wires inserted into the corrugation. To facilitate installation, they must be pressed tightly to create a reserve of space between their surface and the corrugation.
The wire is maintained in a taut position and the wires are carefully inserted into the corrugation.
Wiring in decorative skirting boards
Using a floor or ceiling plinth allows you to hide, mask traces of electrical wiring and at the same time conveniently place it in prepared decorative gutters.
5. Installation checks and measurements electrical characteristics
This milestone it is necessary to perform it not independently, but with the involvement of specialists from an electrical laboratory who check the quality of the installation of the circuit not only visually, but also by performing electrical measurements and tests, which make it possible to provide a guarantee of its performance.
During the inspections, it is necessary to identify:
the state of the insulation resistance of the wiring in the assembled circuit;
download all circuit breakers power circuit;
check leakage currents for installed RCDs and difavtomatov;
evaluate the health of other specific circuit elements.
For all items of the measurements performed, you will receive protocols with a conclusion on the suitability of the equipment for work. Only after that it is allowed to apply voltage to it.
6. Putting into operation
Independent commissioning of equipment without testing and measuring it can lead to power outages, fire, electrical injury. The prerequisites for their occurrence can be eliminated only by measuring the electrical characteristics of the network from extraneous sources.
Therefore, the first inclusion of a newly mounted open wiring must be trusted to specialists who have the appropriate measuring, testing equipment, experience in its use.
First, let's figure out what internal wiring is. This, simply put, is all the wires and cables with fasteners through which current flows in your home.
There are several types of wiring
- passes over the surface of ceilings, walls or other parts of the building.
- Concealed wiring is laid inside walls or other elements of buildings.
- External wiring is laid on the outer parts of buildings. It can also be both open and hidden.
We figured out the types of wiring, now let's proceed directly to the installation of internal wiring. And so, depending on its type, it is produced on different stages construction sites.
Closed wiring
Closed wiring must be mounted only before the start of all finishing works, because if the finishing of the premises has already been carried out, additional costs will be required for re-finishing. Mounted in parts between junction boxes. The wires are laid in pre-made grooves (strobes), after which they are plastered.
Open wiring installation
Produced after finishing work. The wires are fastened with brackets made of tin, on porcelain insulators or special mounts made of plastic which are installed every half a meter. If the walls are made of combustible materials, then passing through them, the wires must be laid in metal or plastic pipes.
Preparation
Before picking up a tool, you need to carefully calculate everything and draw up a plan. Switches are located near doorways. If the wiring takes place in unheated or damp rooms, then you need to use wires in a special sheath, or lay them in metal pipes.
When drawing up a plan, it is calculated desired length cable. The wire is taken with a margin of 10-15 centimeters at the ends so that after that it would be possible to connect switches, lamps, sockets and twist them together in junction boxes. It is recommended that you save the plan diagram, as you may need to repair the wiring or just know where the wires go if you need to drive a nail into the wall.
Installation of electrical wiring
The cable must be laid strictly vertically or horizontally. On turns and bends, it should pass at 90 degrees. If it intersects with metal parts, the insulation must be reinforced. You can strengthen the insulation simply by winding several turns of electrical tape at the point of contact with the metal.
We punch grooves (strobes) with the help of a wall chaser, a puncher, or, in the absence of either one or the other, simply with a chisel and a hammer. If the walls are wooden, then sheet asbestos is placed under the wire.
Worth paying Special attention that the wire, even if it is flat, cannot be nailed. We isolate even the non-powered ends, and after the walls are plastered, the ends are connected to each other or connected to switches, sockets. Aluminum wires only need to be soldered together, but for copper, both soldering and twisting are suitable. In sockets, switches and lamps, we clamp the stripped ends with screws in the terminals.
Hello, dear readers and guests of the Electrician's Notes website.
In the last article about we learned what electrical wiring exists, as well as their advantages and disadvantages. Today I will tell you about the features of the installation of open wiring.
Exposed electrical wiring is laid openly on walls, ceilings and other building structures, and not inside them. IN given time it is used extremely rarely, but it is one of the simplest ways of laying.
Before proceeding with the installation of open electrical wiring with your own hands, study my following articles:
Advantages of open wiring:
- quick access to monitoring the condition of electrical wiring and its repair
- used in fire hazardous rooms ( or )
Disadvantages of open wiring:
- located in a conspicuous place
- not compatible with the decoration of the room and design
There are several methods for attaching cables and wires to surfaces:
- on porcelain rollers or insulators (usually this was how electrical wiring was done in old apartments and houses)
- on staples
- in a corrugated pipe (metal hose and plastic corrugation)
- in plastic boxes (cable channel)
- on cable trays
- European skirting boards
Consider each mounting method in more detail.
Installation of exposed wiring on porcelain rollers or insulators
Even at the beginning of the last century, this method of laying electrical wiring was used in old apartments and houses. Open wiring was laid on porcelain (ceramic) rollers or insulators with twisted wire.
Currently, this method of laying is gaining popularity again, especially for lovers of retro design - style. Such a retro installation will give your apartment or house an individual special style.
I also want to talk about the disadvantages of this method.
Firstly, these are the costs of acquiring stranded copper wire and it is desirable that it be double insulated. For example, for these purposes, a PVOp or GPVop wire of appropriate sections is suitable. True, its price is several times higher than that of the usual VVGng.
Secondly, you will also have to spend money on purchasing expensive special accessories for retro style: ceramic rollers, sockets, switches, junction boxes and so on.
Installation of open wiring on brackets
The fastening of wires and cables with this method is carried out with special plastic brackets to the surface of the wall or ceiling. Most often, cables with double insulation of the VVGng brand (copper single-core, non-combustible) and triple insulation of the NYM brand are used.
If you use for the installation of electrical wiring (universal flat wire), then it is necessary to lay a metal or asbestos gasket between the surface and the wire. Moreover, the gasket should protrude 1 cm on each side of the wire.
Mounting open wiring on brackets is one of the cheapest laying methods, but it has one significant drawback - it is unaesthetic, especially when laying several cables in parallel.
The method of laying cables and wires in a corrugated pipe (corrugation) is the most common. One or more cables (wires) are pulled into the corrugation and fastened to the surface with plastic clips or metal brackets.
Corrugated pipes are non-combustible materials (do not support combustion), and they are also additional mechanical protection.
Let me give you an example of a pad. PVC corrugation is attached to the ceiling with plastic clips.
And here is an example of fastening the corrugations with metal brackets.
From an aesthetic point of view, a corrugated pipe looks much better than a separate cable or wire on staples. And also the corrugation remarkably "lays down" on uneven surfaces.
Installation of open wiring in cable channels and plastic skirting boards
Plastic boxes (cable - channels) that do not support combustion are pre-attached to the surface of walls and ceilings. After their fastening, wires and cables are laid in them, and closed with a lid. For the installation of cable channels, special skills and experience are required, because. the difficulty lies in installing them on uneven surfaces.
The advantage of cable channels is fast and simple replacement electrical wiring, as well as aesthetics, fittings and colors that allow you to match them to the color of the design and interior.
An analogue of the cable - channels are plastic European skirting boards. They are attached to the surface of the walls with clips or dowel-nails.
P.S. Finishing the article on open wiring, I would like to note that in the conditions of electrical installation it is sometimes necessary to combine some of the listed methods of laying electrical wiring along various reasons.
One of the two options for installing electrical wiring in a country house - in an open or closed way - is chosen reasonably. Struggling with arguments? And we will advise you!
IN wooden walls it is cheaper and easier to comply with safety rules with an open method of laying electrical communications (although under certain conditions it is also possible to install closed wiring). Today, it is no longer necessary to distance the cables from the walls by 2 cm, hanging them on ceramic insulators. They are fastened with plastic chopsticks directly to wooden crowns or laid in overhead cable channels.
In a stone cottage, closed wiring is undoubtedly more convenient. It is isolated from accidental damage, does not interfere with the arrangement of furniture and does not conflict with the style of the interior. However, if you prefer retro-entourage or do not want to ditch the walls, then open wiring will provide support.
closed wiring
Closed wiring is an important component of home life support systems. In stone buildings, it is mounted at the final stage of construction, before the start of finishing work. Channels are hollowed out in the walls, they are placed and fixed in corrugated pipes cables, make recesses for mounting boxes.
Canal laying does not tolerate chaos. Just imagine the consequences of getting a hardware into the cable when trying to “hammer a stud” into the wall! For this reason, experienced electricians lay wires strictly horizontally or vertically from sockets and switches. If the wiring is located in the floor, laying is carried out along the perimeter of the room at a distance of 10 cm from the walls, and the cable does not interfere with the fixing of the skirting board.
IN wooden houses closed wiring is laid at the construction stage. It turns out that at this stage it is already necessary to have a design project that shows which electrical appliances and where will be located in the house.
✓ Note
When bringing electricity into the house or changing the wiring, it is dangerous to save on equipment and installation. It is better to entrust the choice of cable, protective modules, as well as sockets and switches to a specialist who will take into account all the nuances.
The issue of safety, especially when wiring in a wooden house, should come first. Focusing only on the price in this case is wrong, it is not an absolute indicator of quality. If, for one reason or another, the choice falls on retro-styled sockets and switches for open wiring, you need to understand that in terms of technology and safety, they are not inferior to other modern equipment.
open wiring
Immured in a stone wall electrical wiring does not represent a particular fire hazard. Of course, a socket may spark or a faulty electrical appliance may catch fire, but that, as they say, is a completely different story.
In wooden houses, a short circuit or other failure in the electrical network may well cause a fire. Meanwhile, hidden wiring in a country house often becomes the object of attention of rodents. In addition, 8 voids wooden houses where the wiring is laid, wood dust accumulates, which instantly ignites from a spark. Therefore, in accordance with the current Russian standards, electrical wiring on a combustible base is carried out openly.
The "pluses" of open wiring are obvious. It is easy to install, maintain and control; if necessary, the track can be moved, supplemented or repaired. There are also "cons". The open installation method eats up part of the space: you can’t hang a shelf over the cable, sometimes you can’t put the cabinet close to the wall.
Open wiring - retro + progress
Traditionally, open wiring was arranged with twisted wire on ceramic insulators. Today this way. most suitable for retro style, easy to repeat using modern twisted three- or two-core wire and ceramic holders. Styling will cost more than open wiring from a conventional cable on plastic or metal brackets. But in any case, the step between the holders should be no more than 50 cm, and in difficult areas they are placed more often.
To protect open wiring from a conventional cable from accidental damage, cable channels and plastic skirting boards are used. Their internal space may have partitions that allow you to lay inside the boxes at the same time both low-current and power cables. The removable upper part provides the possibility of monitoring the condition of the track and its modernization.
✓Note
Protective grounding in a three-core cable must be connected to a galvanized steel ground loop buried in the ground near the house. The lightning protection system is also connected to the ground loop. In general, this is a separate independent project that takes into account the properties of the soil, the occurrence ground water, meteorological features of the region.
Wiring starts with a project
Power supply country house should be produced according to the project, carried out in a specialized organization that has official permission for that, and approved by the bodies of Rosenergonadzor. But before ordering a project, you need to draw up a technical task. To do this, you will need to obtain information about the power allocated to the apartment or house (the certificate is issued by the operating company), draw a diagram of the location of sockets, switches and lighting fixtures(or order a design project), as well as calculate the intended consumers of electricity. The power supply system installed according to the project is tested, after which it is accepted into operation by the inspector of Energy Supervision. Only this approach guarantees electrical and fire safety Houses. In practice, often an electrical project is carried out by an architect-developer of the general construction part, or even a designer who does not have not only the appropriate permits, but also the proper knowledge.
Electric shock protection
Circuit breakers protect the electrical network from overloads, including short circuits. Residual current devices or RCDs disconnect electrical circuit in case of current leakage, which can occur due to different reasons. For example, due to aging of the insulation or mechanical damage cable. In addition, the RCD de-energizes the network in the event of a fire.
Modern differential automata perform two functions at once: RCDs and circuit breakers.
And if the wiring is installed correctly, then 8 emergency protective devices will de-energize the network, preventing human injury electric shock and house fires. If the power allocated to the house is not enough to simultaneously turn on all the necessary household appliances and heaters, it is recommended to install a load limit switch. A smart device will prioritize. For example, when a powerful vacuum cleaner or electric grill is running, the warm floors are temporarily turned off.
✓ Need to know
Natural shrinkage of 3 cm of a typical 2-storey house in the first years after construction will lead to squeezing and cracking of cable channels. The wiring will have to be redone!
Board mounting
According to the instructions of the Energonadzor, in country houses two switchboards should be installed: one outside the house, the other inside. An external one is needed for an electric meter so that regulatory authorities can check the readings at any time. The inner shield is used to install electrical modules.
On its mounting profiles or DIN rails, an introductory switch and differential automata are located. Each of them is responsible for a specific group. Let's say one for lighting, the other for sockets.
Except protective devices there is also space for auxiliary modules: load limit relays, relays that control the quality of incoming electricity.
The switchboard is selected in such a way that after assembly there is at least 30% of free space left, because over time, power supply needs may increase. In wooden houses, hinged dust and moisture-proof power shields with a shock-resistant lid that is locked with a lock are installed. In stone, as well as in urban apartments, built-in wardrobes are usually used.
✓Expert opinion
If the customer voices the task of a phased replacement of wiring in the house, then at the design stage of the switchboard it is marked which groups of consumers should be connected to the power supply at the first, and which at the second (final) stage. This is taken into account in the single-line diagram of the shield: some consumers will be connected to the power supply system of the house, while for others, backup outgoing lines will be provided in the shield.
Then in the future it will be possible to complete the wiring and connect new groups of consumers through the "reserve" lines of the introductory shield. But we do not recommend breaking down the work of replacing electrical wiring into stages. At a minimum, shields should be installed throughout the house and a power cable should be routed.
Household electrical wiring may be open or closed. If we talk about open wiring, then it is performed as follows.
exposed wiring
The wiring is carried out along the wall, in plastic pipe , in a special cable plinth, in a special cable plastic channel. As for the height of the open laying of the protected cable and wire, the descents and ascents of such laying to the shields, switches, starting devices and lamps that are installed on the walls, they are not standardized. When performing open electrical wiring in the cable plinth and channel, the wires of power, lighting and low-current types do not mix with each other. Fixation of the plinth or channel should ensure its sufficiently tight fit to the building foundations, as well as provide a gap between the plinth and the floor or the channel and the wall covering - no more than two millimeters. Skirting boards with channels must be purchased from fireproof, as well as self-extinguishing materials that have electrical insulating characteristics. Modules of a cable channel, a cable plinth in a residential building can be used if a flexible layout of the installation of fixtures, as well as lighting control devices, is provided. Such devices allow you to change wiring layouts and place electrical equipment, sockets and switches in different ways. In basements that are not heated, in closets and attics, in rooms that are built from wooden structures, electrical wiring is carried out in an open way using staples.
Closed wiring
But you can do the wiring in a hidden way - in the cavities building structures , over suspended ceiling coverings, in prefabricated partitions, in grooves that are made in wall coverings, in monolithic pipes. Horizontal places of power cabling are laid in flooring, which is made of non-combustible materials, such as "warm floors".
The processes of laying wiring under the plaster layer, in partitions, in the cavities of building structures
If you decide to lay the wiring of lighting networks embedded in the furrows of wall coverings, partitions, ceilings, under plaster or in the cavities of building structures, then it is recommended to use insulated cables or wires in a common protective sheath that provides mechanical protection. If it is necessary to dismantle such a gasket, it is necessary to make repairs almost anew. Therefore, before choosing such a method, it is necessary to calculate well.
