Modern life cannot be imagined without electric appliances: a TV, a computer, a food processor, a washing machine, an iron, an ironing unit, a heater, a fireplace, a coffee grinder, a kettle, a refrigerator, etc. Well, it is absolutely impossible to imagine our life without electric lamps, which help us live comfortably in the evening, morning and night.
Entering the house in the dark, our hand primarily reaches for the switch. We vaguely imagine how people used to live without electricity. But in order to use electricity in our apartments, houses, garages, offices, it is necessary to supply this same electricity.
Electrical installation
Electricity is supplied to consumers by wire. It is important to know how to connect the wires for this purpose throughout the apartment. Wiring in apartments and houses is done based on what and where it will be placed in the apartment, where lamps, lamps, floor lamps and all kinds of electrical appliances will be needed.
In order to install sockets and switches, so that life is trouble free, electrical installation must be carried out correctly. The most common damage due to the passage of current through the wires is usually an open circuit. Such a nuisance manifests itself, as a rule, at the junction of the wires (in twists, terminals, clamps). With such a breakdown, the consequences can be dire. Consider how to connect the wires correctly. It has its own characteristics. Non-observance of certain rules can lead to malfunctions in the power supply system and even to a fire.
How to connect copper wires
Copper wires allow connection in any way - twisting, soldering, screw, terminal blocks, etc. The transition from aluminum to copper wires improves the quality of the connections. Since 2001, risers are prescribed to be made only with copper wires and go to the same conductors everywhere. Aluminum wires are approved for use by consumers with a predetermined, constant, guaranteed power. To sockets that provide household appliances, where the load is constantly changing, only copper cables and wires are used. In construction, for external electrical wiring (underground cables, overhead lines, etc.), aluminum is used according to existing standards. Today, many more houses are equipped with aluminum wiring, and nobody is going to remodel it all for copper. But during repairs, for example, changes in the location of outlets occur in apartments. It must be remembered here that contact between these two materials is unacceptable.
Branch clamps
For branching from a whole wire, branching clamps are used. Electricians affectionately call them "nuts" because of their similarity to the walnut of the case.
They are arranged as follows: these are two steel plates in which there are grooves for conductors and four screws compress them, and between them there is also a flat plate that separates copper and aluminum wires. Such models are available for both home and outdoor use. Mainly used for the removal of the aluminum riser to the apartment.
Connect two wires - how?
The simplest thing is to twist the wires, they are fixed by soldering, but this is a long time. It is easier to use a terminal block, where the twist is inserted and tightened with one or two screws. In this case, it is important to clamp with a flat plate so as not to cut the cores. When there is no such plate, soldering or putting on a thin-walled tip on a twist is necessarily required - this prevents the destruction of the wires in the terminal. Soldering is carried out mainly on soft multi-wire cores, and this leads to mechanical stress, wire displacement and a break at the end of the tinned section.
Avoiding simple twisting
Anyone who wants to do something on their own with electrical wiring: hang a chandelier, install a socket, a switch, asks himself the question of how to connect the wires? Previously, they simply twisted two wires (and more) and insulated, but this is often unsafe and clumsy.
The situation is changing for the better every year. When connecting rigid single-wire cores, they are fixed with caps, soldering, spring terminals, welding, screw clamps. In mass construction, earlier connections were fixed with plastic caps. Now they are widely used and accessible to everyone. Inside the caps there is a special gel that prevents oxidation, or a conical spring screwed onto twisted joints, as if by thread. Spring caps are used for a certain number of wires: two of 4 square meters. mm or four of 1.5 square meters. mm and no more.
Now a newer three-wire circuit is being applied, and it is safer than a two-wire circuit. A new embedded circuit is when no current flows through the protective conductor in the operating mode, and therefore the connections made do not experience stress.
Nowadays, for electrical work, a flexible, multi-core PVA is preferred (“P” - wire; “B” - insulation and sheath made of PVC - plastic (vinyl); “C” - connecting), which is produced according to GOST 7399-97. Designed to connect electrical appliances, household appliances and similar purposes to power supply networks of rated alternating voltage up to 380 V and for systems 380/660 V).
Isolating Compounds
How to connect two wires, ensuring tightness? There is an insulation tape for this. According to the PUE, tape insulation must be performed with at least three layers of it, both cotton and vinyl.
Cotton tape is more heat resistant. It can withstand 70-80 degrees, vinyl is less stable and flows at 50-60. But over time, the cotton material loses its water-repellent properties and begins to absorb water. In this regard, for greater tightness and heat resistance, the inner insulation layer is made of fabric, and the outer vinyl.
Spring connection
How to connect copper wires with aluminum? For home use, spring clips are very good. The stripped wire is inserted into the hole and there it is fixed by a spring. Such devices are for soft and hard wires. In this device, it is simple to connect the copper and aluminum wires, because they do not contact each other, and this eliminates electrocorrosion. Moreover, the gel inside eats up the oxide film on aluminum. You can connect wires of different diameters and only the amount for which the terminals are designed. When connecting more than two wires (maybe a different cross-section), not only spring terminals, but ordinary terminal blocks will do.
Terminal Block Connections
Professional electricians most often use terminal blocks. They have many insulated screw sockets (usually two). Under one in the nest we bring the wire, and with the other we press the comb, which connects all the jacks of the block to each other. The required number of cells is cut with a knife or hacksaw.
Very comfortable pads on one clip. Two wires inserted into the hole are fixed with a screw. There are terminal blocks, which with one screw press immediately two wires placed in parallel.
Another very convenient option involves fixing the wires not with a screw, but with a special lever. The terminal blocks are designed in such a way that they do not need additional insulation. It is impossible to touch live parts. The degree of protection they have is high and equal - IP20. Another protection frontier is the plastic housing of the junction box.
Wire connection terminal blocks
To connect several conductors (as many as you like) it is easier to work with the terminal block. This is a copper strip with holes and screw clamps. Such designs can be mounted in control cabinets of several pieces. With this design, it is very easy to connect the wires in the junction box. This design is especially good for hard conductors. But the terminal blocks must be firmly fixed in the junction box so that they do not touch each other.
How to connect wires in mixed installation, when they hide in the wall gates and behind drywall structures with built-in lamps? A flexible wire is used for such light sources. In this case, the quality of the connection of flexible wires should be treated with particular care.
Junction Box Options
Wiring, disconnection is a connection of wires in order to distribute current flows. Twisting the wires with their further wiring, welding or without it is a wiring. Connecting wires or cable conductors to terminals, sockets is an exception.
According to the installation method, junction boxes are divided into the following types: for flush and open installation. Accordingly, some are used for hidden, and the second - for open wiring. You can use boxes for open wiring for wiring into the wall when doing hidden wiring. But the box for hidden wiring can not be used for external wiring .
Metal boxes are necessarily grounded. These boxes are used only when laying electric cables in metal pipes, for example, in wooden houses.
Box wire connection
For ease of control of connections, they are performed in junction boxes. Any master knows how to connect the wires in a box. Typically, terminal blocks are located inside the junction box. Box models are available with different numbers of inlets and outlets. In accordance with the number of wires and their cross section, the size of the box is selected. Above, there are recommendations for choosing a method of connecting wires. All of them are equal, have their own shortcomings and advantages.
For example, a method such as soldering takes too much time to connect even two wires. The instant connection is provided by spring terminals. They are good for everyone: they are compact, reliable, but they are intended only for single-wire conductors (there are models for multi-wire as well, but they are used to connect one rigid wire to one flexible wire) and for a strictly defined number of them (it is impossible to make another branch when all the places are occupied )
The wires in the box are connected according to their purpose: phase, common and grounding. For installation, a three-core or two-core cable is used, in which the cores are marked with a different color of insulation. As a rule, observe the binding of the purpose of the wires to their color: phase - white, general - blue (blue), earth - yellow-green. In any case, how to connect 2 wires (by color), the master decides in a specific situation. The main thing is that he is well versed in the matter.
How to connect aluminum wires
You need to know that aluminum is not only fragile and can break after several bends, but also softening from a slight heating of the contacts when current flows, it flows out from under the screw. In this case, the clamp is significantly weakened, and the temperature rises even more.
An ideal rule for the installer: they assembled today, pulled it up tomorrow, and again in a week. In the future, another check with a lift is arranged every six months. This is the answer to the question of how to connect aluminum wires. But it is advisable to monitor screw connections and copper wires at least once every two years. Connect the wires in the junction box so that they are accessible for repair or inspection. These rules exist to avoid electric shock, to exclude the possibility of fire. Violations of them increase the likelihood of accidents, which can lead to death.
Headphone problem
How to connect the headphone wires if they are torn? How to properly solve the problem so that it is neat and quality is not compromised? Here the wiring is very thin. To twist them simply with each other - the quality of the perceived sound is violated. Solder? But for this it is necessary to get rid of the varnish that wiring is coated with. It is necessary to remove it, but the wiring is very thin and to strip them with a knife is not easy - they are torn.
So, which method of connecting wires to choose? Each of the methods has “pros” and “cons”. Each of the masters knows how to connect the wires correctly, and does what is more convenient, more familiar and easier for him. There will be no problems if the work is carried out efficiently and in good faith. No wonder it is believed that the safety of electrical wiring in a house depends on the decision on how to connect the wires correctly. Therefore, to think through all the options and repeat again will be useful.
So how to connect the wires? We take four hundred emery paper, drip rosin on it, put one wiring on the rosin and with a soldering iron and solder we begin to carefully remove the varnish from the wiring. After spending two or three times, we will see that he starred and the wires were exposed. Then we do the same with the rest of the postings. Everything, the ends of the wires are prepared, they can be soldered by connecting to each other in color.