Frame technology for the construction of suburban private real estate is becoming increasingly popular. Basically, due to low cost, when compared with other types of construction of objects. In addition, it does not take a lot of time. Nevertheless, such buildings are fire hazardous, especially when using wood. Therefore, the electrical wiring in the frame house should be carried out with utmost care.
When the house is built, it is necessary to conduct electricity. But before you begin, you need to understand a number of important points. This will allow you to get a reliable, safe, and no less important - an aesthetic result.
Main cable feed
First of all, to the newly erected mansion, you need to bring the main power cable from the common electrical main. There are two ways to connect to power lines:
In the first case, the posts and the air type of cable are involved, and for the second method only a special conductor is suitable. At the same time, underground laying is characterized by a higher cost due to excavation work and cable protection underground. Nevertheless, this method has high reliability during wiring in a frame house.
For underground cable laying, a meter deep trench breaks out, after which its bottom is covered with sand. Then an electric cable is laid, which has an armored protective shell, and everything is covered with rubble from above. Then the wire is marked with a special signal material, and everything is finally buried underground.
It is worth noting that before connecting to the power line, you must first obtain permission from the local network company. In this case, a project for the power supply of the building and the site will be needed.
In no case should you try to independently connect to the power lines, since this is not only life-threatening, but also leads to penalties. This work is the prerogative of specialists.
Wiring options
After the main power cable is connected, you can choose which of the two types of wiring is preferable:
- Hidden (internal).
- External (external).
Moreover, both hidden and open wiring in a frame house has its advantages and disadvantages, which you should be aware of. And to begin with, we will analyze what the strength and weakness of hidden wiring is.
Pros . Its main advantage is that it is reliably hidden from view, which is important for owners with a high aesthetic taste. Another advantage is that the work is final. That is, all sockets and switches cannot subsequently be moved from place to place. Although for some it may seem more like a flaw.
Cons The total cost of internal wiring significantly exceeds the cost of an external power grid. It is not possible to connect additional points in a common electrical network over time. In addition, not every insurance company undertakes the design of a house in which hidden wiring appears. In addition, it is not possible to periodically evaluate the physical condition of the wires.
And what about the external option?
Pros . All external wiring in the frame house is in the public domain, which allows timely identification of flaws. If necessary, replace any elements is not a problem. In addition, it will be possible to launch an additional line in order to add connection points for new electrical appliances.
Cons Here, the main difficulty is associated with the harmonious combination of wires with the interior of the premises. There are also a number of special requirements.
Features of internal wiring
With all its advantages in terms of aesthetics, hidden wiring poses a certain risk of fire. And here certain difficulties arise, because according to the Electrical Installation Rules, frame houses are equated to wooden buildings. Therefore, with hidden wiring, it is necessary to use metal pipes. At the same time, their inner part must be processed with something (painting, galvanizing). In addition, they must be grounded.
At the same time, another document (JV), which is adhered to by the builders of frame houses, allows for concealed wiring in a frame house using boxes, corrugations made of PVC, metal hoses. Only in the case when they are covered with fireproof material along the entire length of the wiring.
It is equally important to consider that hidden wiring must be carried out at the stage of building a house. Choosing this option, it is worthwhile to prepare in advance for overstated material costs. Time and effort will be required no less.
Features of external wiring
External wiring, in turn, can be done in several ways:
- Using a non-combustible corrugated pipe.
- In special channels made of special PVC.
- Open cable.
On the corrugated pipe, a lot of dust usually accumulates, which is not so easy to remove. In addition, the appearance is far from perfect.
As for the channels, due to the natural shrinkage of the wooden house, the boxes can crack, which leads to the need to redo the wiring. Among other shortcomings, it is worth highlighting the meager assortment of accessories, the unattractive appearance. But in the external wiring diagram in the frame house there are advantages - low labor intensity coupled with low costs, as well as the fact that subsequently it is easy to make appropriate changes.
Aluminum or copper?
An eternal question that worries any electrician: which is better for wiring - aluminum or copper? In the conductive veins of all electrical cables, these metals are mainly used, due to their good conductivity. If we take a wire with a cross section of 1 mm 2 and a length of 1 km, then the resistance of metals will be as follows:
- aluminum - 28.5 ohms
- copper - 17.5 ohms.
At the physical and chemical level, their differences are more significant. But at the same time, both varieties are chemically active metals and are easily oxidized under the influence of ambient air. However, the conductivity of an aluminum film is much worse.
Silver metal is very fragile - just do a few bends and extensions to break the conductor. Copper does not have such a drawback, and therefore this option is more preferable for conducting electrical wiring in a frame house with your own hands.
Aluminum has another unpleasant property - over time, being under load, it contracts. As a result, this leads to a weakening of the contact, and the connection begins to sparkle. And if a gap appears, an electric arc of several thousand degrees will appear. For this reason, all connections must be periodically tightened.
Thus, it is clear that copper wins in many respects, and the strength of aluminum - only in its low cost. This factor became decisive in the mass construction of residential buildings during the Soviet era.
Power scheme
In fact, there is practically no difference in functionality between a private house and an apartment. And therefore, the first thing to do is to draw up a clear diagram of all the wiring with the inclusion of all used consumers. It is best to connect a professional electrician to the work. He can tell you how to make wiring in a frame house in the best way.
But you can do everything yourself. To do this, armed with a tape measure, measure the dimensions of all the premises of the house. Then a drawing is made indicating all sizes. You should also indicate how the wiring will take place and where all consumers (sockets, chandeliers, etc.) will be located, without forgetting about the shield. Russia has adopted the European standard for switches and sockets. The first should be located at a height of 90 cm from the floor, and the second - 30 cm.
You should immediately determine the number of electrical appliances and their installation location, which will reveal how many outlets are required. Along with this, calculate the required number of wires. This will determine the total cable length. It is worth considering that after 2 years a few more pieces of equipment can be added to existing devices. That is, the power grid should be performed with a certain margin of load.
Proper load distribution
When wiring in a frame house with your own hands, it should be noted that at least on each floor, in the case of multi-story construction (2 or 3), there must be one junction box. However, for large buildings, several will be required. Moreover, the less load per box, the better and safer.
For example, if wires from sockets supplying both the split system and the refrigerator lead to one box, it will not be able to withstand such a load and will turn off. In the absence of another choice, electrical appliances should be connected to stabilizers. This is especially true in the event of periodic blackouts or power surges.
During installation of the cable in rooms with a high level of humidity, special vigilance should be exercised. If possible, all wires and sockets should be located as far as possible from moisture.
The wires must be fastened with special fasteners. Just nailing them categorically is not welcome. In order to be able to conduct wiring in the frame house without excesses, it is worth using insulating corner elements at the joints of the walls.
All that is required
To perform wiring in the house yourself, you will need a certain list of materials. For electrical wiring, you should take a cable with a cross section of 14 mm and with some margin in length. If necessary, use insulating material, its amount is also based on the entire length of the wiring. Also required:
- Junction boxes.
- Sockets.
- Circuit breakers.
- Fasteners.
- Adapters
Boxes should be taken at the rate of one per floor. It is not necessary to purchase too complex sockets and switches, it is better to take simple designs, but with grounding. This will make it easy to replace them if necessary. Adapters and fasteners should be taken with a large margin so that you do not have to screw in again.
Without tools, too, can not do. Permanent helpers are:
- drill;
- hammer;
- pliers;
- screwdrivers (a whole set is better).
Also, during the arrangement of wiring in the frame house, an indicator screwdriver will be useful for detecting voltage. There will be application for a construction knife.
Electric Network Switching
Junction boxes are needed for wiring divorces, in order to conduct electricity to all rooms of the house. They are made of different materials and can have a different shape.
Some of them are mounted on the surface and are suitable for external wiring. Others are relevant for hidden wiring.
During self-installation, it is important to consider the color of the wires:
- phase (L) is white;
- at zero (N) - blue;
- grounding (PE) has green and blue stripes.
For reliable contact, it is recommended to use terminals from good manufacturers with a simple design with a spring mechanism.
Part of the insulation is removed from the wires, and the loose ends are inserted into the terminals, where they are firmly fixed by the spring. The connection is high-quality, and the contacts themselves do not heat up.
It is not difficult to distinguish grounding sockets - from the outside they have two springy contacts. That is, during the installation of the plug, they are first involved, and then the phase with zero is already connected. This will allow you to safely connect devices in case of damage to the wiring.
Useful Tips
As many experts advise, it is better to carry out electrical wiring in a frame house with copper wires. Yes, it is not cheap, but your own safety has no price! In addition, it is recommended to install a power distributor in the switchboard, which allows disconnecting unused consumers.
In order to save money, it doesn't hurt to put motion sensors, which are more convenient to place on the stairs or in the pantry. If there is any movement near them, the light will turn on. A kind of know-how.
And finally, the most important advice is to follow safety precautions in order to avoid electrical injuries.
Finally
Usually, anyone who plans to build a house using frame technology starts to be intimidated by a fire hazard. Yes, there is a certain risk, but it all depends on what materials are used. Therefore, doing electrical wiring in your home, it is necessary to approach the matter with all responsibility. Also, do not forget about state standards.
It is best to consult with a specialist on a number of important issues before wiring in a frame house. Drawing up a clear outline and the use of only high-quality materials will allow us to perform all the work at the proper level. As a result, you can live in your own home not only comfortably, but also safely.