Electrical wiring in the apartment - what is hidden in your walls? Tips for replacing the wiring in the apartment with your own hands

We all know perfectly well that nothing is eternal and everything must be replaced sooner or later. Electrical wiring, unfortunately, is no exception. And if it is necessary to change the pipes in the house after a sufficiently long period, then the electrician needs to be changed no later than after 15-20 years. The thing is that the wiring has a service life - aluminum connections age and become brittle, as a result, the metal spreads in the contacts and becomes unreliable. What should be the replacement of electrical wiring and how to carry it out?

Replacing electrical wiring in the house: key points

Like it or not, it is impossible to run away from the need to change all the electrical wiring in the house at least once every 20 years. If the replacement is not made on time, it will simply mean that the replacement will have to be made at a less opportune moment. It is best to change the wiring during repairs, and even if it is still serving reliably, do not put off work until later. Replacing the wiring during repairs that have already been completed will negate all the efforts and wall cladding, as it turns out, was done in vain. You will have to destroy the walls and cover everything with dust again, so it is better not to postpone the difficult task for later and replace the wiring during the next repair in the room.

In a private house, especially a wooden one, it is better to replace the wiring with each update of the walls. It is better to carry out work even before plastering and plan ahead. Determine the places of accumulation of household appliances and the most energy-consuming appliances. On the plan, consider a place for each cable before making repairs, taking into account the location of electrical consumers.

Washing machine, boiler, microwave oven, kettle - each appliance is demanding on electricity in its own way and needs a separate outlet. Conduct electricity to all corners of the house, sockets will not interfere in the bathroom, and even on the balcony there should be at least two of them.

In rooms like the living room, you can’t leave a single wall without an outlet at all. When rearranging furniture, it may simply turn out that the wiring does not allow you to connect all the necessary electrical appliances to the network.

Do-it-yourself wiring in a private house

If you decide to repair the apartment and want to completely replace the existing wiring, then you should consider every detail.

Special wiring for suspended ceilings. So, for example, if as part of the repair it is planned to equip a false ceiling, then it is necessary to think over the entire layout in advance lighting fixtures and their management system. The fact is that suspended ceiling- this is an opportunity to make spot modern lighting, but we must not forget that it also requires special wiring.

Do not replace wiring with "pieces". If in old apartment in a panel house, you need to change the wiring, but you decide to make repairs in only one room, then you should not be tempted to save money in the form of replacing wiring in only one room. Extra wiring connections are highly undesirable, and it is in such places of previously unplanned connections that breakdowns often occur. Even if you still decide to partially replace the wiring, then all connections should be brought to separate protected boxes. In no case should the joints be simply hidden under the wallpaper and a layer of plaster, otherwise, in which case, you will have to completely open the wall.

Don't skimp on wiring. Aluminum wiring is cheaper, however, leads to a number of completely unnecessary problems for you. First, it serves less than copper. Secondly, aluminum connections fail in many situations, simply due to kinking. Sometimes you have to change part of the wiring just when replacing the outlet. If you don't want unnecessary problems, then do not save on wiring.

How to conduct an electrician in the house with your own hands

Many schemes are available on the Internet today that offer the replacement of electricians in apartments completely with their own hands. Moreover, you can easily find detailed videos with instructions that describe each step of any introductory action. If you are not at all friends with an electrician, then it is better not to risk it. However, if you have some experience with wiring, then you can take on its replacement in the house, if not completely independent, then at least together with a more experienced specialist.

In general, the first step in replacing electrical wiring is to draw up a detailed plan for the new wiring. Perhaps, during the renovation process, you want to change the existing order of distribution of electricity in the house.

Preparing the apartment for work. At this stage, furniture is removed from the housing, the premises are disconnected from electricity.
Applying markup. In order not to get confused in the course of the work, it is better to initially apply markings on the walls, on which the places of all electrical installation products and connecting highways are indicated.
Chasing walls. Now it's time for action. Recesses are made in the walls for wiring and all electrical installation elements.
Cable laying . When all the recesses and places for electrical installation elements have been prepared, it is time to directly lay the wiring first to the junction boxes, and from them to sockets, switches, etc.
Connection. When everything is ready, it remains only to connect the electrician and test it in operating mode.

Do-it-yourself wiring in the house for beginners

If you have little experience with electrical wiring, then the task of completely replacing it in the house can seem extremely daunting. However, this is by no means the case; you should not judge the work without transgressing to it. If you make a clear step by step plan works and steadily stick to it, then you will surely succeed. True, even with an optimal work plan, experience and motivation, something else will be required to successfully complete the task - a high-quality, reliable tool. What do you need?

Complete rewiring of the house with my own hands you need to prepare, first of all, a puncher for many holes in the walls. You may also need a grinder, with which channels for electrical wiring are cut out. Among electrical elements do not forget about the introductory shield, cables, bungee cord, terminal blocks and sockets.

The most crucial moment in the task will be the competent connection of all elements, the most difficult task will be gating. In order to make even channels for wiring, it is recommended to use not a grinder, but a concrete wall chaser.

A professional tool is expensive, but it can be rented. Without it, the gating will drag on for a long time and will require both a lot of strength and a lot of nerves.

Do-it-yourself wiring in a private house (video)

The electrical wiring in the house should be changed at least once every 15-20 years, as it will wear out and work less and less reliably every year. Timely replacement of wiring is a guarantee of peace of mind, because emergency repairs will require damage to the walls, even if it is a new repair. You can replace the wiring and on their own, however, for this you should have at least a little experience with an electrician and a clear, step-by-step work plan. First, draw a diagram of the new electrical wiring, then turn off the house from the light and, according to the markings, cut out the grooves for the new wiring. If you want to save money by all means, then you can partially replace the wiring, for example, in one room. However, in this case, all connections should be brought into separate boxes, access to which should be simplified. In no case should the joints of the old and new electrics be hidden deep under a layer of plaster and wallpaper, since it is in such places that breakdowns most often occur that need to be fixed.

It is not worth delaying the repair of such a plan, because if you already have visible signs failure, the situation is no longer safe. In most structures, aluminum wires are also used, which were installed in the 80-90s, but are already prohibited today for use in residential premises. They have a short shelf life and, with constant operation, become brittle, pierce to ground, and cause short circuits.

Therefore, delaying the time until repair, you significantly reduce fire safety your premises, risk being electrocuted, or endanger all household appliances that are in the house or apartment. Let's take a closer look at when it's time to "dry the oars" and take up the hammer with a chisel:

Sockets spark when turned on different type electrical appliances. The load on the network is too large, and the contacts are already burned. To prevent voltage drops, you need to change the sockets, as well as the wires that fit them.
"Smells fried." If you smell melted plastic or rubber when you turn on several electrical appliances, you must immediately reduce the load. Replacing the electrical wiring in the apartment should be carried out as quickly as possible, otherwise there is a risk of ignition of the braid.
Increased fragility of the aluminum cable. If you took a socket, an automatic machine, and all the wires that fit it break off like dried branches, you should immediately change them to copper ones, which have an unlimited service life and increased conductivity.
Food is missing. Put the plug in the socket, but there is no light? Do not be sad, just a few days with a hammer, chisel, grinder - everything will return to its place, at the same time “refresh” the repair.
Walls, floors, ceilings are shocking - the first sign that there is a leakage from the mains, for your safety, you need to eliminate it as soon as possible through replacement.

Replacing electrical wiring is not as scary as it is portrayed. In fact, it will take you only one day, the only big inconvenience that will be is that you will have to ruin the house repair quite well, since most of the strobes are installed in the wall vertically above the outlet, then parallel to the ceiling towards the knife switch.

We remove the old electrical wiring "without noise and dust"

The first and most important rule of a novice electrician is to de-energize the apartment. Never carry out work with the package switch on, as there is a risk of electric shock, and in places where you would not even expect it. In each apartment or house, cables are laid in different places and even when working with a grinder or a chisel (knocking down plaster, making strobes), you can run into a powered cable. The result is imaginable.

The package switch, as a rule, is located at the entrance to the apartment; it can be for one room, or several at once, depending on the layout. Sometimes you have to de-energize your neighbors, so you need to coordinate your actions and choose the most suitable time.

Then we work quickly and confidently: with a mount we pick out the old switches, sockets, after which we take the wire that fits them, pull it hard. You'll see the general direction he's going - smash the wall right on him. As a rule, the network is located immediately under the plaster, so it can be dug out with an ordinary screwdriver, even without a terrible puncher, whose work will be heard after 10 floors.

Are looking for junction box. Professional and sober electricians install them, as a rule, just under the ceiling in the corner, so that it is easier to replace the wire later. If the bookmark was made "tyap-blunder", then you will look for a distributor for a long time, it is better to follow the wire from the outlet to the box itself. Sometimes they may not be, 1 distributor is installed outside the room, for example, in log cabins, but this is rare.

cut off input cable, isolate each core. If you need to change it too, we pull it out, install a copper one, and isolate each core to be sure. After that, we remove all the “layers”, if it is impossible to pull them out or pick them out (depending on the layout), again we cut off and reliably isolate the cores.

Replacing the wiring in the apartment with a new one and a detailed description of the process

The main thing is calmness. No one pushes you (and even if he pushes you, don’t pay attention), you need to do it carefully, efficiently, so that in a year or two you don’t have to destroy repairs again, which costs money. The whole process can be divided into several stages.

Job cutting tool. Depending on the available financial resources, you can ditch the wall with the following tool: a hammer and a chisel, a grinder with a special stone disc, a drill with a special nozzle, a wall chaser. Most suitable option for price and quality - grinder. It is necessary to draw a place on the wall where the cable will lie, then cut 2 parallel strips to a depth of 3-4 centimeters, pick out the middle with a chisel.
Installation of junction boxes, sockets, switches. Make recesses of the appropriate size in the wall, then install the above devices. It is necessary to think in advance about the geometry of the room, the number of switches, sockets, as well as their location. As a rule, they rise to a height of 120 centimeters. Plaster all the space that will be superfluous around the socket or switches.
General network check. Everywhere we check the contacts by connecting a device or simply by walking with an indicator screwdriver. The tester will check the possibility of short circuits, turning on the network, putting on protective gloves and connecting the device to each wiring in order to “ring out” the line. After everything works, you can complete the installation.
Plastering the walls where you made the strobes. It is necessary to align everything to zero, and do it beautifully so that after finishing with plaster or gluing wallpaper, the characteristic strip is not visible.

Important: always make vertical strobes that will go near the wall itself, as you can damage the wiring after a while when you hang a picture on the wall, for example, or drive an Internet cable.

Before you proceed to work, you need to know a few rules and follow the recommendations of experienced electricians who have been installing networks for more than one year. Consider the main advice of experienced craftsmen.

Never install new wiring unless you have accurately measured the distance to sockets and appliances. The distance to the strobes and after cutting them can vary greatly, the purchased cables may not be enough for just a few centimeters.
Never sculpt a cable from two or more pieces. As a rule, such compounds do not go for a long time, they will heat up, spark, oxidize.
Use a cross section of 15-20% more than the total power of all electrical appliances, this will increase the life of the electrical wiring, and also protect against overheating. In order to correctly calculate maximum power, you need to add the consumed energy of all electrical appliances that can theoretically work, and then divide by 220. This will be the number of squares of the cable.
Do waterproofing in places high humidity, for example, in the bathroom, kitchen, toilet, as over time the wire can break through the wall, it will be unpleasant to “pinch” or even shock.

Remember, haste is needed only when catching fleas, and when laying new electrical wiring, progressive action, attention and accurate measurements are needed. If everything is done according to the recommendations, the repair will bring you only positive impressions.

During major repairs, many decide to immediately change the wiring in the apartment. There are many reasons for this. Firstly, if your house was built a long time ago, then the entire electrical network that was laid in it is already outdated both physically and morally. Secondly, earlier for wiring in Khrushchev or Stalinist houses, mainly aluminum wires were used, and this metal, as you know, is highly corroded, and becomes very brittle during operation. Thirdly, modern electrics are characterized by high power household appliances. About 20-30 years ago, the project laid down a load of about 3 kW for each apartment, now this figure has increased significantly.

So, as you can see, the replacement of wiring is not a whim and a whim, but an urgent need. Let us consider in detail how to carry out this process, where to start, which part of the old wiring must be changed, and in which cases it can be left.

Main stages

Immediately you need to decide whether you can replace the wiring in the apartment with your own hands or invite professional electricians. Keep in mind that when overhaul of a residential building, work related to electricity is the most complex and voluminous part.

Accordingly, material costs will also be high. If you have no restrictions in funds, then it is better to invite specialists.

Replacing electrical wiring in an apartment with your own hands is based on three main components.

Definitely all aluminum wires must be replaced with copper. We have already mentioned that the metal is susceptible to corrosion, in addition, it has a soft structure, it is squeezed out from under the screw terminals, its soldering is a complex and expensive process, and aluminum twists weaken over time. All this can eventually lead to unreliable contact connections.
It will be necessary to switch from the previously used circuit with a solidly grounded neutral (TN-C) to a circuit with protective earthing of consumers (TN-C-S). The power supply according to the previous TN-C scheme was used in the Soviet Union involuntarily, because there was mass electrification, the electrical networks were very long, and in addition, there was an acute shortage of non-ferrous metals. Since the end of the 90s, the transition to electricity supply according to the TN–C–S scheme began, which ensures the safe operation of consumers, regardless of general condition networks.

It will be necessary to mount a group connection of consumers with separate branches, while branching from the main apartment panel through junction boxes was previously used.

By new scheme you will have a separate branch from the common shield, made with a single piece of cable, for each group of consumers.

Charting

On initial stage all work will be of a theoretical nature, that is, it will be necessary to clearly define the scheme and the amount of materials.

Before you change the wiring in the apartment, draw up a diagram on which you draw a plan of the living space. It will be most convenient to take it from the technical passport and redraw it on paper in a box.

An example of drawing up a diagram and further editing on video:

In this drawing, display where all large-sized furniture will stand (so that you do not plan to install sockets behind it) and household appliances (in this case, on the contrary, the sockets must be mounted side by side). Determine the location of the switches, as a rule, they are mounted near front door into the room. Mark where you will need sockets, except for the installation sites of stationary household appliances (refrigerator, oven, air conditioner), that is, it is advisable to decide in advance where you will put or hang a TV, music center, computer.

Draw the locations of the lighting elements - sconces, bedside lamps, floor lamps.

Keep in mind that powerful household appliances such as a hot water boiler, electric stove, washing machine or Dishwasher, "warm floor", should be connected to the mains not through sockets, but with a separate line from an individual machine.

Transferring the wiring plan to the walls

Now transfer the drawn up scheme to the walls of your apartment, after all, you will be doing repairs anyway, so it’s still possible to draw on wall surfaces. Mark the location of sockets, switches, lighting fixtures and junction boxes (they are usually installed at the entrance to the room). There is no strict size for their placement, but try to adhere to the following recommendations:

Switches are located at a height of 0.8 to 1.5 m from the floor level.
The same parameter for sockets varies from 0.3 to 1 m, everything here will depend on your interior. The main thing is that you then feel comfortable using them.

In the bathroom, it is desirable to do without installing sockets. If there is an urgent need for this, then it must be connected through a residual current device (RCD). The distance from the socket to the elements of the bathroom (sink, bath, shower) must be at least 0.6 m.
Distribution boxes are located at a distance of 15-20 cm from the ceiling surface. Do not forget to take this into account if in the future you plan to lower the ceiling (make it stretch or from plasterboard sheets).

From boxes to switching devices, draw the wire paths.

These tracks must be strictly vertical or horizontal, no zigzags or oblique lines are allowed, do not try to save on materials like that.

Necessary materials

Now, based on all the work done, you can determine the amount of materials that you will need to change the wiring in the house. Count how many junction boxes, sockets and switches you have planned. If the wiring is of a hidden type, then for each switching device you will still need a socket. Measure the amount of wire you need along the drawn gasket routes using a tape measure. Be sure to take it with a margin for cutting at the joints (6-10% of the total length).

For do-it-yourself wiring, choose a three-core wire or copper cable. A section of 1.5 mm 2 will be enough for the lighting network, 2.5 mm 2 for socket groups, and 4 mm 2 for powerful electrical consumers.

We advise you to purchase a high-quality German conductor with NYM marking, with PVC insulation. Of the domestic cable products, the conductor of the VVG brand is in the greatest demand. Also, for laying conductors, you will need a corrugated pipe, and in the case open type wiring cable channels. It is better to buy metal corrugation, as in case emergency polyvinyl chloride can decompose and release toxic substances.

The choice of cable and machines on the video:

Must protect home electrical network from overloads, short circuits and current leaks, so you can’t do without automation. It will be necessary to install an RCD and circuit breakers(or combined options - differential automata). They are selected according to the rated current depending on the load that will be present on the protected line. Let's give you an example of what machines are approximately needed for an ordinary three-room apartment:

common introductory machine - 40 A;
for the socket group - 25 A;
for lighting - 16 A;
for powerful consumers - at 32 A.

When choosing automatic machines, give preference to the leaders in the market of electrical products - Legrand and ABB.

Distribution boxes are of two types and they differ from each other only in design.

Square and rectangular boxes are more spacious, while round boxes are much more convenient to install.

Drill for such a box round hole in the wall is much easier than chiseling a square or rectangular niche.

Be sure to choose sockets with grounding. If there are small children in the house, then you will need special devices with protective shutters (so that the child cannot pick foreign objects inside). Special attention pay the rated current for which the switching device is designed, otherwise problems may arise when connecting powerful consumers.

Tools

Before you change the wiring in the apartment, you will need to stock up not only with materials, but also with a fairly large number of tools. If you do not have all the necessary devices, then it may make sense to still turn to professionals. Check out the list of everything you need to install a new wiring, and then make a decision for yourself.

The ideal option is to rent a power tool.

Perforator and a set of drills for concrete (as well as a concrete drill, a core drill and a chisel). This tool is necessary for mounting holes for sockets, switches and boxes.
Level, plumb line and cord for marking the laying of wires.
Bulgarian (and a circle of stone to it) or a wall chaser for making furrows in the walls for wires.
Spatula and gypsum (or alabaster) for putty strob after wires are laid in them.
Mounting knife or special device for removing the insulating layer on the wires (stripper).
Pliers, a set of flat and Phillips screwdrivers, side cutters.
Soldering iron with solder and rosin for connecting wires.
Indicator screwdriver for determining phase and zero.
Long carry. During repair work to power the power tool, you will use a temporary hut, and its length should be enough to reach the most remote rooms and corners.

Dismantling old wiring

Replacing the electrical wiring in the apartment with your own hands begins, first of all, with a complete de-energization of the room. Turn off the introductory machine to the apartment and make sure that there is no voltage.

Dismantling the old wiring is easiest to start with switches and sockets, remove them, thereby freeing the tips of the wires. Open the covers of the junction boxes and disconnect all the switching nodes. Now, gently pulling on the old cable, release it from the puttied strobes. A special device will help you find wires in wall surfaces - a pointer concealed wiring, some in this case even use a metal detector.

If in some place there is no way to dismantle the cable, then do not try too hard, do not destroy the walls. Leave the problematic section of the wiring in the old furrow, just carefully insulate its ends on both sides.

Installation of new wiring

It should be said right away that it is not recommended to change the wiring partially. If you already undertook to repair again, then do it everywhere. The only case when it is allowed to replace only part of the home electrical network is if there is a wire break somewhere and it needs to be fixed.

And now the process of installing a new wiring. Perhaps in some of the rooms the path of the wire from the box to the sockets and switches will remain the same. This is good, you will not need to hammer new strobes.

In the case when you planned to do everything in a completely different way, start with holes for switching devices and junction boxes, and already between them make strobes for laying wires.

Note! Since you have already dismantled the old wiring, and you are only laying the new one, there will be no voltage in the apartment at all. To connect a power tool, use a temporary hut that can be thrown from the input shield, or arrange with neighbors to power them through a carrier.

Cut the necessary pieces of conductors and corrugated pipe. Tighten the wires into the corrugation and place them in the strobes made. Don't forget to leave ends on both sides for joining. Install the sockets in the holes made, tighten the wires in them and now you can fix them with alabaster mortar.

Strobes can not be covered with a continuous layer of alabaster, it is enough to grab every half a meter.

Connect wires to sockets and switches, install switching devices in sockets. Now make all the necessary connections in the junction boxes.

Keep in mind! If you want to make lighting on a balcony or loggia, then you don’t need to pull a whole branch there, the lamps are connected through the sockets of neighboring rooms.

Be sure to test new wiring before starting finishing works in the apartment.

If there are doubts between partial and complete replacement of electrical wiring, then the answer can be found in the video:

We explained to you how to replace the old wiring, there are no particular difficulties here. Those who have ever done electrical work and are well versed in electrical engineering can handle it on their own. But sometimes it is better not to take risks, and at least consult with professionals.

Old-style apartments, called "Khrushchevs", immediately have many problems with electrical wiring:

Single insulated aluminum wires

No grounding

Lack of residual current devices

Insufficient number of outlets living rooms and kitchen

Wiring is done by branching method

All this is completely unsuitable for the needs modern man and his apartment, where he is, and often works at the same time, several electrical appliances at once (stove, microwave, electronics, washing machine boiler, air conditioner, etc.).

Stages of replacing wiring in an apartment

Randomness when replacing wiring is not welcome, so you need to adhere to a strict plan:

Draw a wiring diagram

Pick up machines and wires

Prepare a wiring plan to approve it in the energy service

Triple the makeshift

Lay wiring

Mount RCDs, sockets, switches and electrical appliances

Important! Before starting work on replacing the wiring, you need to arrange a protective earth.

How to draw up a wiring diagram

Such a scheme is a special drawing of an apartment, where it is indicated:

Location of sockets and switches

Light sources

electrical appliances

Distribution boxes

Electrical panel

All wires

IN modern apartments ah each group of energy consumers has its own cable. Due to this, in the event of a breakdown, the electricity is turned off only in the problem area, while the rest of the apartment remains working.

There are separate requirements for the bathroom - there must be an RCD, as this is a room with high humidity.

The wiring diagram looks like this (of course, individual for each apartment):

Selection of machines, wires, drawing up a diagram

For modern apartments, it is imperative to replace the input machines and install an RCD.

The selection of machines is carried out in the following way:

For the whole apartment: rating from 25 to 32 A, RCD - 50 A and 30 μA

For the kitchen: 25 A, RCD for 30 A and 30 μA (wire cross section - 4 mm2)

For an air conditioner: 16 A, RCD - 30 A and 30 μA (cross section - 2.5 mm2)

For lighting: type B, rating - 10 A

For sockets: rating - 16 A

Aluminum wires must be replaced with copper wires, which conduct current much better and last longer, due to their flexibility and strength.

Attention! In no case should copper wires be connected to old aluminum ones, since an oxidation process will begin at the junction, which will lead to the destruction of the contact.

Most often, wires of the VVG and VVG NG brands (non-combustible wire) are used in apartments.

For sockets, a 3-core cable with a cross section of 2.5 mm2 is selected. For lighting fixtures, a 2-core cable with a cross section of 1.5 mm2 will suffice. But for a fairly powerful electric stove a 3-core cable with a diameter of 4 mm2 is required.

In accordance with the selected machines, another scheme is drawn up - power supply.

Its graphical form:

And schematic:

You need to start drawing it from the meter (in the diagram - kWh), then comes the RCD and all other elements of the electrical network.

Info! In the diagram, the wires are crossed out with oblique lines - this means that there are only two wires: zero and phase. If grounding is still present, then there should be 3 dashes.

The letters L, N and PE are the foreign designation of the phase, neutral and ground wires. In the diagram, the ground wire (PE) goes separately.

To clarify how certain designations look, you need to refer to the Rules for the Installation of Electrical Installations of Consumers (PUE) or to GOST 2.755-87.

How to set up a wiring plan

The most scrupulous and important point drawing up a wiring plan is considered. After all, this document will be sent for approval to the energy service.

He has this, already quite serious look:

To make it quickly and correctly, you need to take the plan of your apartment to the BTI and redraw it on Blank sheet appropriate size. At the same time, no old designations need to be transferred - the contours of the rooms, the area and everything that does not concern electrical wiring, placement of electrical appliances, lighting, sockets should remain. All this will need to be applied independently, in accordance with what is planned when replacing the wiring.

There should not be any blots on the sheet, it would be better to draw everything clean later.

After that, if everything is drawn up correctly, the plan will be approved and you can proceed to dismantle the old wiring and install a new one.

Wiring

Before proceeding with the dismantling and installation of wiring, you need to collect all the necessary tools:

Hammer drill with a drill size of at least 16 mm

Core drill (90-100mm) and chisel (25-30mm) for concrete

Bulgarian with a circle for cutting stone

Phase indicator and multimeter

soldering iron

Mounting knife

Screwdrivers, side cutters and pliers - all with insulated handles

Lantern and electric portable lamp

Alabaster and chapetelle

Level and cord to control the accuracy of strobe punching

As well as devices and materials:

Socket boxes

Electrically conductive lubricant

Corrugation for cable
Switchboard

Temporary device

During work with electrical wiring, you will definitely need electricity to operate the puncher, grinder and light supply. To do this, you will need to arrange a temporary hut, which is the design of their wooden or plastic bar, sockets and extension cords. All this is taken out of the apartment and powered by an external meter.

Removing old wiring

Important! Before any work (still at the stage of making a temporary shelter), it is necessary to turn off the electricity, check its absence with a multimeter, and even then proceed to dismantle the wiring.

Dismantling starts from distribution boxes, which are usually located under the ceiling. Having opened the box, you need to find the lead wire and remove it or cut it off and insulate it. Then you can already remove all the other wires.

Wall chasing (when laying wiring in new strobes)

Walls can only be ditched in two directions: horizontal and vertical. Any curvature will then come out sideways and lead to emergency situations.

With the help of a perforator, the boundaries are determined: the width and length of the groove, which are then manually hollowed out with a chisel. If you need to make a corner, you will have to make an oblique cut with a grinder and knock out a hole, then the corrugation with the cable will lie flat and without sharp bends.

To gouge a hole for the socket, you need to use the crown, which is put on the puncher.

Important! The crown is suitable only for walls made of brick; for concrete walls, you will need to use a chisel, since the crown will simply crumble when it hits the reinforcement.

All holes for socket boxes are made at the distance at which it will be convenient to use them.

Advice! The outlet for the air conditioner should be placed above all others so that the cord from the equipment does not hang out in plain sight.

Wiring

Before you start laying wires in strobes, you need to prepare their corresponding segments, and corrugation to them. Then, on the floor, the wires are pulled into the corrugation, and all this is placed in the gates, and the ends of the wires are brought into the sockets.

The socket boxes and strobes are smeared with a solution: the socket boxes are around the entire circumference, and the strobes are in separate segments every 0.5 meters.

As soon as the laying is completed, you need to bring the lead wire into the electrical panel and lubricate it with thermally conductive paste. All this is well fixed and connected to the ground terminal, after which the shield is fastened with dowels to the wall.

Next, you need to turn off the temporary hut, run the wires from the meter and the ground wire into the shield, which must be connected to the shield body. The drive from the meter is isolated and placed in the introductory electrical panel.

Then the whole structure is fixed and you can start plastering the walls.

Important! Before plastering, you must first push rags or foam rubber into all the gates and close the shield with a film.

The final stage of wiring replacement

When everything is plastered and painted, all that remains is to clean the sockets and install sockets, switches and fixtures.

Now the most important thing: each branch of the wires must be checked by a tester for a short circuit. To do this, you need to apply current for a while and find the indicator zero and phase that come from the counter. And only after they have been defined can one enter the right wires to the appropriate terminal blocks.

Important! Even after the wires are inserted into the terminal blocks, you need to check everything again for a short circuit, and only then turn on the main machine and supply current to the apartment.

After the control check, the operation of sockets and lamps should be checked.

Convenience of repairing new electrical wiring

After installing a new electrical wiring, you can not worry about its serviceability for a long time. But if for some reason problems have arisen, then it will be enough to use the previously drawn up wiring diagram, find the area where the problem arose, and check each junction box for the serviceability of the connections and, with the help of “ringing”, identify the damaged wire.

Advice! A dialer is a very useful device for every home craftsman and owner of hidden wiring. It consists of a conventional battery, a light bulb, connecting wires and clamps.

Self-replacement and repair of electrical wiring is the most difficult and crucial stage in the repair of an apartment. They require a careful approach to everything: to the development of a wiring plan, laying wires, connecting energy consumers. It often happens that just one mistake can cause a fire.

Instructional video on wiring replacement

Wiring can serve a maximum of about 20 - 25 years. Then it becomes unusable, and it needs to be changed. IN modern conditions replacement is required much earlier because the wiring is under a very high load. in Khrushchev and panel houses these works are done in much the same way. In this article we will talk about how the electrical wiring in the apartment is being replaced, we will give step by step instructions, as well as accompany all photos and videos with materials.

Signs of destruction

Wiring begins to break down over time. However, it can burn out much earlier. The reason for this today are various electrical appliances that require a lot of energy. A particularly "gluttonous" unit is a heater. Such devices can consume up to 7 times more energy than a TV.

If you simultaneously turn on a computer, a refrigerator, a heater, as well as household appliances such as microwave oven, then soon either electricity will be cut off, or irreversible processes in the wiring will begin.

There are several signs that signal that it is time to start a major replacement:

when you turn on the appliances, the sockets spark;
there is a distinct smell of burning;
the wiring breaks off easily, like a dried twig;
some outlets no longer have power;
current flows through the walls.

Already the first three signs indicate that it is no longer worth delaying.

Preparation

Bulgarian;
perforator;
screwdrivers;
soldering iron;
pliers;
terminal blocks;
putty knife;
level;
phase indicator.

Wiring is bought after the length of the route along which the cable will be laid is measured. To this length, it is necessary to make allowances so that the wire is exactly enough.

We must also take some Consumables. For example, you need rag tape.

Power consumption

The replacement of the electrical wiring must be carried out in such a way that failures and overvoltages do not occur. To do this, it is necessary that there is enough power for each device.

The power depends on the cross section of the cable. To do right choice, you need to do a little calculation.

It is necessary to add up the power of all devices that will be included in the network.
An additional 100 watts should be added to each device.
Now the resulting number must be divided by 220.

If the number that turned out in the end is in the range of 12 - 15, then wiring with a cross section of 1.5 mm2 is enough. This is the most common indicator. However, sometimes the result is better.

If as a result the amount turned out to be higher than the specified interval, then the master has two ways out of the situation.

Larger wires can be installed.
It is necessary to make two or three cable lines from the shield.

The second option is preferable because the thicker cable makes the system unreliable. There is a high chance of failure.

Now that everything is ready, it remains to understand how to replace the wiring.

On this, the work itself, in fact, ends. Remains only decorative trim surfaces. If it's about wooden house, then the internal laying of the cable is almost impossible here. That is, theoretically, it can be done with the help of professionals. But it’s better not to take on such work on your own. In structures made of wood, cables are carried out externally using various sleeves.