Bringing light into the house. How to organize lighting in an apartment: diagrams and rules (installation of electrical wiring). Halogen lamps connected via transformer

Any novice electrician can install light in a house with his own hands; the main thing is to create the lighting scheme correctly, choose the appropriate cable cross-section and, of course, the most optimal types of lamps for each room. Next, we will consider in detail the essence of electrical installation work and a visual video instruction in which each of the stages will be demonstrated.

Preparatory work

So, the first thing you must do is to independently choose suitable lamps for all rooms. It all depends on your preferences, but we recommend using the following product options:

• bedroom - there is a sconce near the bed, a chandelier or LED strip on the ceiling;
• bathroom - there is a lamp near the mirror and soffits or a waterproof lampshade on the ceiling;
• corridor - ceiling spotlights;
• living room - floor lamps and chandelier;
• kitchen - directional lamps, spotlights or LED strip.

You also need to decide on the light bulbs, what they should be. Today, incandescent and halogen lamps are becoming a thing of the past, giving way to a more economical and reliable option for lighting in the home -.

When you have already precisely decided on the types of lamps and types of light bulbs, you can move on to an equally important stage - calculation work. To install light in a house, you need to calculate the number of light bulbs in relation to each room. For example, four spotlights will be enough for a small bathroom, which cannot be said for a spacious kitchen.

So, you must find two values:

After the number of light bulbs has been calculated, you need to move on to the final stage - creating an electrical circuit for lighting in the house.

By the way, as for the cable with which you are going to conduct light in the house, it is best to choose a three-core copper conductor with a cross-section of cores of at least 1.5 mm 2, which will be quite enough for home conditions. The most suitable price-quality ratio is for domestic cable, which is used most often.

The last thing you need to do is draw it yourself, on which the following elements will be marked:

• types of lamps in all rooms (for example, a chandelier and sconce can be installed in the bedroom, and only LED lighting in the kitchen);
• cable route along the walls;
• installation location of the distribution box;
• switch connection points.

When the project is created, you can buy all the components and install light in the house with your own hands.

Video review of a new country house with modern lighting:

Cozy cottage

Main process

The technology will be provided from scratch, that is, when the premises will be fully implemented.

So, to make light in the house with your own hands, you need:

1. Turn off the power.
2. Make grooves in the walls for laying the cable, according to the diagram.
3. Cut the cable into suitable sections (from the input panel to the distribution box, from the box to the chandelier, sconce, etc.).
4. Draw a lighting line starting from the input panel. The wires in the junction boxes must be connected either by soldering; there should be no twists.
5. Connect switches and lamps in the rooms.
6. Test the finished line with a multimeter to check for a short circuit.
7. If everything is in order, cover the grooves with gypsum mortar. Otherwise, you need to redo the problem area yourself; perhaps there are bare wires touching in one of the mounting boxes.
8. Turn on the introductory machine and check the functionality of the finished lighting system in the house.

Often, already at the initial stage of construction of a private house, summer house or country cottage, the developer has to solve such an issue as supplying electricity to the site. It is worth noting that this procedure is quite lengthy. Moreover, the bulk of the time is not occupied by the technical part (i.e. directly connecting electricity to the house). The consideration by the relevant authorities of documents giving the right to connect to existing power lines may take several months.

There are special companies that deal with this type of paperwork. For a fee, their specialists will go through all the bureaucratic red tape and provide the client with a ready-made permit to conduct electricity to the site (commissioned house). However, in order to save money, the developer or owner of the finished housing construction may well do the paperwork themselves.

Where to begin?

The first thing you need to do is find out the location of your local electrical utility. You can get its address from your neighbors or by typing the appropriate request on the Internet. Then you can begin to create a package of documents.

What kind of papers are needed to obtain permission to connect electricity to a plot or a finished private house? The list includes:

• application for connection to electrical networks
• a list of energy-consuming equipment (for the site where construction is underway) or the main energy-consuming household appliances (for a house that has already been commissioned)
• copies of documents on ownership of the plot, house
• site plan
• a plan for the placement of the power line pole closest to the site (it can be drawn up using the map available on the official website of Rosreestr)
• a copy of your passport (this will be required to draw up an agreement for connecting electricity)

The application for electricity supply to the house must be filled out in two copies. One copy (with the signature of the employee who accepted the documents) remains with the applicant.

When will the lights be turned on?

There is a period specified by law within which the power grid organization is obliged to consider the accepted application and make an appropriate decision - 30 days. After its expiration, a letter with two copies of the contract and technical conditions for connecting the site/house to the power supply line is sent to the applicant’s home address.

The technical conditions reflect data such as:

• permissible power consumption of electricity
• type of electrical network (three- or single-phase)
• voltage consumption ( 380v or 220v)

The contract stipulates the period during which the electrical district is obliged to supply electricity to the house. Typically the company specifies a period of up to six months. But in practice, everything can happen much faster. If the nearest pole is located in close proximity to the site, usually all the necessary work is completed within a month or two (there are even cases when it takes up to ten days to connect).

The work may be significantly delayed if the wires need to be pulled to a private house from a long distance. It will take at least several months:

• search for a contractor
• public auction
• technical measures for the construction of a new power line

If we take into account weather factors (no one will install poles in winter), then even in the most favorable scenario, the wait can last more than six months.

What are the restrictions for connecting electricity to private housing construction?

According to existing rules, connecting electricity to a site is absolutely impossible if there is not at least a temporary building there to install a meter for metering electricity consumption. Moreover, even if this condition is met, such a connection is still considered temporary. As a rule, owners of plots in gardening partnerships act in a similar way. To do this, they just need to reach an agreement with the leadership of the gardening society.

Bringing light to a private home is a much more difficult task. The first thing you need to start with is calculating the required power consumption.

Any private consumer is guaranteed connection 15 kW, but in practice this value does not always suit the owners of private houses. To be able to receive more electricity, you need to send a special request to the district energy commission to receive special technical conditions.

If the available capacity in the area is limited, then the commission's decision is unlikely to be positive. It is useless to challenge the conclusion - it is final. Therefore, before purchasing a site for development, it is worth first finding out whether there are opportunities in the given territory to connect increased power to private households. For a person intending to install energy-intensive equipment in his yard (for example, a powerful electric boiler for heating a greenhouse) this is a prerequisite.

What are the dangers of unauthorized connection to power grids?

Unauthorized power supply from a power line to any object (regardless of its type and purpose) is illegal and entails penalties. After the intruder is disconnected from the power supply system, subsequent connection will be very difficult for him.

You shouldn’t really trust companies that promise to legalize unauthorized connections without any problems. It's better to do everything according to the rules. Yes, this will take more time, but in the future you won’t have to worry about your home being left without electricity.

Without the ability or desire to independently run through the authorities to draw up the necessary documents, you can hire an outside specialist. He will do everything professionally. Having some experience and good knowledge of current legislation allows such people to cope with the task in the shortest possible time.

Services for preparing documents for connecting a house or plot to the electrical network can today be ordered in almost any city in Russia. Their cost is quite affordable. At the very least, the costs of this cost item cannot be compared with the size of fines for the illegal use of electricity.

Lighting installation begins with calculations and drawings. Determine where lighting points, lamps and switches will be located. After the diagram is drawn up, the installation of wires for the lamps begins.

The most typical cross-section of the lighting wire is 1.5 mm², which represents a maximum load of 4 kW. It is unlikely that the lighting in the apartment will reach such an indicator, because this is equal to 40 100 W bulbs turned on at the same time. Don't worry: you might install jupiters for professional video shooting at home.

If you don’t want to pay extra money for a cable, you can calculate exactly what cross-section of wire will be needed in each individual case. It's simple. Let's say there is a lighting area that consists of 3 spotlights, each with a 60 W bulb. A wire with a core cross-section of 1.5 mm² is suitable for the junction box. For 180 W this is a bit much.

We take the total power of the lamps - this is exactly 180 W (60 + 60 + 60) - and divide it by 220. If the number is less than 10, then you can safely install a wire with a TPG cross-section of 0.75 mm² from the box to the lamps. When it is less than 15, the TPG cross-section is 1 mm², and if it is more than 17, then a TPG of 1.5 or 2.5 mm² is suitable. In this case, it turned out to be 0.8 - less than one.

If you have a wire with a cross-section of 0.35 mm², then that will do. The difference in price for cables with cross sections of 0.75 and 1.5 mm² is at least 1.5 times, not to mention 0.35 mm². After the thickness of the wire in various parts of the lighting network has been determined, it is necessary to decide which wire is needed - two- or three-wire. If there is no grounding in the apartment and it will not be installed in the future, then the three-wire wire disappears by itself. What remains is a two-wire one with phase and neutral conductors.

Most light fixtures do not have a ground wire connection, so don't worry. A three-core wire will be useful if the apartment has grounding and fluorescent lamps with electronic ballast will be installed.

Remember that it is advisable to place separate boxes for lighting. In this case, there will be less confusion and it will look neater. Whether to use stranded or single-core wire is a personal choice. In some cases, for example, when installing lighting in a tight space on a suspended plasterboard ceiling, it is better to use a flexible wire such as PUGNP.

Installation of switches

One of the basic rules in installing any type of switch, lighting or automatic, is that it is always placed on a phase wire. It would seem that it makes no difference - after all, if you install a switch on the neutral conductor, the circuit will still be open and the light will go out.

There is a difference. Let's say the switch is installed on the neutral conductor. The light bulb in the lamp burned out and needed to be replaced. Your first step is to flip the switch, disconnecting the circuit, and calmly unscrew the faulty light bulb in full confidence that there is no current in the circuit (the light bulb is not lit). However, if the circuit is broken at zero, the voltage in the phase wire does not go away. Having accidentally touched the phase contact in the cartridge, a person instantly becomes a freshly baked zero, that is, he gets an electric shock. If the TPG contacts the lamp body as a result of a breakdown, then touching such a device may be the last.

For an analogy, we can give an example with a water pipe: having turned off the tap, the would-be plumber begins to drill the pipe before the tap, and not after. As a result, a fountain of water will come out of the pipe, although not a drop will flow out of the tap.

There is always one wire going to the switch, which opens and closes inside the switch. From the outside it looks like there are two wires. This is easy to explain - the phase conductor forms a loop that goes down or up to the switch. At the top, the loop is cut and the ends of the disconnected wire are connected to the switch contacts. Now, by clicking a key, you can connect and disconnect the circuit. The wire becomes 3 if the switch is two-key. Current flows in through one conductor, and out through two conductors. One key breaks one line, while the second one works. Accordingly, a three-key switch will have 4 wires - 1 for input and 3 for output.

For example, you can show how it happens installation of wires in a chandelier with several light bulbs. Let's say there are 5 light bulbs in a lamp. It is required to install a two-key switch so that when you press one key, 3 light bulbs light up, and when you press the second, 2. Almost every chandelier has a block in the bowl through which the wires are connected. A phase wire is inserted into this block on one side, and a cable on the other end, which branches into 3 - according to the number of connected cartridges. The second phase conductor is connected in the same way, only it branches into 2 wires. Neutral wire 1, and it, joining the second contact of the cartridge, is combined into an outgoing conductor. In order not to remove individual wires from the outer shell, a regular two-core wire is used to supply and drain current to the switch, a three-core wire to the two-button switch, etc.

If you install a dimmer as a switch, then the first thing you should pay attention to is what power it is designed for. If the dimmer says 300 W, it means it is designed for a chandelier of 5 bulbs of 60 W each. There are devices for home use with a power of 1000 W. With the help of such a dimmer, you can change the lighting level in several rooms at once. The dimmer is installed in the same way as a regular switch. The only difference is that on the contacts of the dimmer there is a designation indicating which wire to connect to which contact. The correctness of its operation depends on this. The contact for the incoming wire is designated by the Latin letter “L”.

Pass-through switch

A pass-through switch differs from a regular switch in the number of contacts. If a regular single-key has 2 of them, then a pass-through has 3 contacts. The incoming wire is connected to one, the wire going to the light source is connected to the other, the third goes to another similar switch.

The two-gang switch has 4 contacts. The pictures clearly show how to control the light source using pass-through switches from 3 different places. On the block, special symbols show which contact corresponds to what. It is important not to confuse the connection order during installation.

Installation of lamps

After the wiring is installed and the switches are installed, you can attach the lamp to the surface. There are several ways to do this. Recessed spotlights are the easiest to attach - a round hole is cut in the drywall using a crown with a variable cutting blade diameter, after which the lamp is simply inserted inside. In this case, you need to hold the spring legs with your fingers, pressing them against the body of the lamp.

After the lamp has entered to a sufficient depth, the paws will press it into place. Of course, before this you need to connect the wires to the contacts. Spotlights come in different sizes. In everyday life, lamps marked R39, R50, R63 and R80 are most often used. These numbers and letters indicate the size of the bulbs, which corresponds to the diameter of the internal hole in millimeters.

Spotlights can be mounted not only in the ceiling, but also in any hollow structures - partitions, cladding and volumetric figures. The spotlight is very easy to remove from the hole in the ceiling. Repairing it, replacing or changing the light bulb will not be difficult.

The main problem when changing a lamp (let's say you didn't like the color) is to make sure that the wires don't dive into the hole. It will be difficult to get them out of there without disassembling the structure. The phase wire is attached to the furthest contact in the socket, that is, not the one that contacts the thread, but the one that contacts the tip of the base. This is the safest thing.

Installation of a recessed lamp on the Armstrong ceiling is not difficult at all. Due to the fact that the frame cells have the same dimensions as the lamp itself, all that remains is to insert it and connect the wires to the contacts.

A regular chandelier is attached in 2 ways: hung on a hook or screwed with dowel nails or screws. For this purpose, there are holes on the plate, which is located inside the decorative bowl covering the joint. If the chandelier is hung on a hook, special dowels are used, which have a hook instead of a regular screw. When the chandelier is quite massive, instead of dowels and nails, a metal anchor with a diameter of 8–10 mm is used, which can withstand a load of up to 80 kg. Before screwing in the hook, it must be wrapped in two layers of electrical tape.

There is an option when the ceiling is broken through to the channel running in the slab, and the hook is hung on a piece of steel rod. Its edges fit into the opening of the canal. Then the opening is sealed with plaster or gypsum glue.

To place the chandelier in the center of the ceiling, a simple method is used - lines are drawn from one corner to another. At the point of their intersection there will be a center in which the lamp can be installed.

Wall lights are attached using dowel nails or screws. When it is necessary to hang a sconce on a wall, an additional beam or profile must be included in the design of the plasterboard frame. If there is none, the sconce should not be heavy (no more than 1 kg), and it is attached using butterfly dowels.

Halogen lamps connected via transformer

To save and operate electricity safely, lighting circuits are used that use not 220 V, but much lower rated voltages. An example is halogen lamps of 6, 12 and 24 V. Low-voltage halogen lamps shine no brighter than conventional lamps, and consume an order of magnitude less energy. In addition, low voltage guarantees human safety.

Typically, such lamps are installed in bathrooms for safety reasons. The only “but” when using halogen lamps is that they require the installation of a step-down transformer.

Halogen lamps of this voltage are installed in built-in lamps in suspended ceilings. Modern electronic transformers are small in size, which makes it easy to mount them directly on the ceiling frame. You need to choose a transformer for a lamp in this way.

First, a lighting diagram is drawn, which indicates the number of lamps and their power, then the last value is summed up and 10–15% is added to the resulting number (just in case).

For example, we can suggest the following scheme: the room is illuminated by 6 lamps of 12 V each. We multiply 12 x 16 = 196 W, round up to 200 W - this will be an indicator of the power of the required transformer. When installing and operating such a device, you must remember that during operation it can become very hot (up to +90 °C). You should not purchase a transformer with too much power. It's best when it's running at full load. For example, if there is a 300 W transformer, and you plan to connect light bulbs with a total power of 250 W to it, then it is better to add another pair of 24 V.

The ceiling behind which such a device is located must be equipped with special hatches so that in case of breakdown or adjustment it can be easily reached. If there are several lighting zones, then instead of one powerful transformer it is better to purchase several weaker ones - it will be cheaper and easier to install. For a lighting group powered by transformers, it is better to allocate a separate circuit breaker that does not allow overload. It is very dangerous for such devices.

Note. For low-voltage halogen lamps, you should not install a dimmer. It begins to work incorrectly and its service life is reduced.

Today, carrying out European-quality renovations in your apartment is not uncommon. But no matter what interior is chosen, without decent lighting it will not make the right impression. Considering that the presence of electrical appliances in apartments has increased significantly, the old wiring cannot cope with the load. To achieve stability and safety, the correct lighting scheme for the apartment is necessary. It is not necessary to invite specialists. If you have the desire, you can replace the old electrical wiring yourself.

To ensure proper distribution of light, home lighting is planned and thought through. It should not only correspond to the interior design, but also provide residents with convenience and comfort.

How to do it right

There are two types of lighting: local and general. From the names it is clear that general is used to illuminate the entire room, and local - only in a certain area. If we talk in more detail about local lighting, it is divided into working and spot. Thus, work-type lighting is provided to illuminate the work area: the dining table in the kitchen, a place in the office, etc. Spot lighting emphasizes details: lighting of paintings, mirrors, decorative elements.

When planning the arrangement of light, you need to carefully think about what you want to achieve as a result. They focus not only on matching the interior, but also on the personal preferences of the owners.

What do you need

To arrange proper lighting, you must remember the following facts:

• Light must be provided individually for each room. If bright light is suitable for the living room, then for the bedroom it is necessary to provide a soft light flux.

• The layout of lamps and other light sources is based on the location of functional areas that require lighting.

• The correct selection of power and number of lighting fixtures will create a comfortable environment.

The most important thing is to accurately determine the location of the lamps

Lighting plan

If you approach the provision of light in an apartment according to all the rules, then initially carry out the design. The lighting scheme in the apartment is based on the design of the house itself and the rooms itself, the shape of the ceiling, finishing materials, and placement of furniture. After assessing all the factors on the apartment plan drawing, you need to select the placement of light fixtures, as well as switches and sockets.

Calculation of lighting (standards and number of lamps)

To ensure proper lighting design, you need to determine what power will be optimal for a particular home. From here, an indicator such as the number of light sources and incandescent lamps needed for a certain area is calculated. According to all the rules, the light power is distributed in the following way: every 5 m2 is illuminated by a lamp with a power of 60-65 kW. Based on these indicators, it will not be difficult to correctly calculate the number of light bulbs needed for a certain room.

Let's consider an example of how many lamps are needed to illuminate a living room with an area of ​​15 m2. The table below shows different types of lamps.

Connection diagram

After the number of devices to provide light has been determined, they begin to formulate a lighting plan for the apartment. It displays the locations of lamps or lighting groups, as well as elements that are used to turn light sources on and off.

The type of switches used should also be noted. For example, you can set one-key or two-key. Sometimes, if the room has a large area, duplicate light switches are used. They are intended to regulate the same lighting fixture, but are located at different ends of the room.

Example of a lighting plan with redundant switches

The type of lighting - ceiling or wall - is also indicated on the diagram drawing. Be sure to mark on the diagram which control element the lighting point belongs to.

Example circuit

Let's give an example of a light supply scheme for a one-room apartment with an area of ​​about 40 m2. In accordance with the standards, no more than 8 lamps will be needed.

Lighting with devices in a one-room apartment can be done in the following way:

• 3 spotlights on the ceiling;
• one chandelier;
• two sconces;
• one floor lamp;
• lamp for lighting a desk.

Lighting scheme in a one-room apartment

Installation of lighting in an apartment having a similar area, but consisting of two rooms, is ensured by:

• two chandeliers;
• 3-4 ceiling lamps;
• table lamp;
• two sconces and a floor lamp.

Lighting gasket

Lighting should be carried out using different types of light sources:

• Spotlights are built into a suspended or suspended ceiling.

• Conventional chandeliers are mounted in two ways: mounted on a hook in the ceiling surface or using dowels.

Wall lamps and table lamps are also used to illuminate a certain area. LED strips have also become widespread to provide additional illumination. Depending on what types of lighting fixtures will be used, the electrical wiring diagram is selected.

On video: principles of designing lighting in an apartment.

Do-it-yourself electrical wiring: from diagram to installation

Installing electricity in a house is quite a responsible task. You can’t do without experience and certain skills. The main thing is to know the correct aspects of wiring, read and create diagrams, and have electrical installation skills. But if you wish, you can master all this and make the gasket yourself. To do this, we will present recommendations on all aspects.

Basic Rules

All the rules that must be followed when installing wiring, as with other types of construction work, are covered in SNiPs and GOSTs. Regarding electrical wiring, please refer to the section “Rules for electrical installations (PUE)”. When starting work on wiring, be sure to study this section.

We will provide a basic list of rules for installing wiring in an apartment:

• It is necessary to place the main components, such as a meter, sockets, switches, automatic machines, etc., in easily accessible places.

• The switch placement parameters vary from 0.6 to 1.5 m from the floor level. The location should be in an easily accessible place near the door when entering the room. Wires must be laid starting from the top.

• The installation parameters for sockets are 0.5-0.8 m from the floor level. This is due to the prevention of short circuits when the apartment is flooded. Do not place sockets near gas or electric stoves, or near grounded objects. The distance from them should be at least 0.5 m.

• According to the standard, the number of sockets is planned to be 1 piece per 6 m2. A larger number of them is allowed in the kitchen, as they are necessary for connecting electrical appliances. There are no sockets installed in the bathroom, and it is better to provide a separate transformer for the bathroom.

• It is necessary to lay wires only along horizontal and vertical lines, which must be marked on the plan.

• When laying, it is necessary to take into account the location of pipes, ceilings and other obstacles. In the case of horizontal wires, the distance should be about 10 cm, and vertical - 15 cm.

• Be sure to ensure that the wires do not come into contact with metal objects.

• When laying several wires, ensure a distance of at least 3 mm between them. It is also advisable to insulate the wiring in a special corrugation.

• Special boxes should be used for routing wires. The connections are carefully insulated. Experts categorically prohibit the connection of aluminum and copper wires.

Electrical wiring design and diagram

Like any work, electrical wiring begins with design and drawing up diagrams. To create them, specialists are involved, of whom there are quite a lot in Moscow. After all, safety in the apartment, and throughout the house, depends on them. This service costs some money, but safety and peace of mind are paramount.

If you decide to do the work yourself, and have initial knowledge in the field of electricity, then you should adhere to all the rules described above. Make sure that all light loads are calculated correctly.

To draw up a project and diagrams, you need to start with mastering the symbols. Their decoding is given below in the photo.

They begin the project by creating an apartment plan, which marks all the lighting points, the location of switches and sockets. Next, taking into account all the rules, the lines for laying the conductors are drawn. In order for the wiring diagram to be practical, the location of the devices is thought out in advance.

At the next stage of drawing up the diagram, the connection to the connection point is thought out. This point requires more detailed consideration. This is due to different types of connection: parallel, serial or mixed. The latter method is the most economical in terms of material use and operational efficiency.

To facilitate the process, connection points are divided into groups:

• lighting layout for the kitchen, corridor and living rooms;
• ensuring illumination of the bathroom and bathroom;
• arrangement of sockets in the residential area;
• electricity supply for the kitchen;
• installation of sockets for electric stoves.

This is one example of grouping for a wiring diagram. The bottom line is that the more carefully the groups are thought out, the more economical the costs of materials will be, and the simpler the drawing of the circuit. The dimensions of the apartment also matter. In a one-room room, design is carried out in one way, and in a room with a large area - with the addition of elements.

The next important point is load calculation. It must be indicated in the project. Calculations are made using the formula I=P/U. It uses the values ​​P - the sum of the powers of all devices that are planned to be used, U - an indicator of the voltage in the network.

An example of voltage calculation: electric kettle - 2.2 kW, lighting with 10 light bulbs with a power of 100 W, power of the refrigerator and microwave in total 1.4 W. In apartments, the current strength is traditionally 220 Volts. After calculations we get: (2200+1000+1400):220=20.1 A.

There are some minor assumptions. You can add a little to the calculated load. But, according to the standard, it is required not to exceed 25 A. Having calculated the load, they begin to purchase the necessary materials based on the result. To make the choice easier, the table below shows the main parameters of the wire and cable.

Electrical wiring installation

Important! When installing new wiring, first dismantle the old one. In this case, it is necessary to use a voltage tester.

Drawing the diagram and preparing channels

All work begins with transferring the drawing directly to the walls. Prepare the surface according to the following algorithm:

1. According to the plan, we mark with a marker the necessary places for the wiring to pass. Then mark the installation locations of the elements: sockets, panels, machines, etc. Everything is marked out according to plan.

2. Using a drill with a “crown” attachment, holes are made for boxes for them at the locations of sockets and switches.

3. Using a hammer drill, grooves are made. You can also use a turbine for this. The groove must be of a certain size so that the wire fits easily into it.

After the surface is ready, wires are brought into the space from the corner side. To do this you need to make a hole in the wall. It is best if it is placed in the corner of the room.

Installation of open wiring

At the initial stage, the shield is installed at a certain height. An RCD is placed directly into the shield. By quantity they are determined according to lighting groups. The structure of the shield looks like this: terminals for neutral wires are located at the top, and grounding terminals at the bottom. Between them there are machine guns.

The connection in the panel device is carried out in the following way: blue wire to the neutral terminal, white wire to the RCD in its upper part, yellow wires to the ground terminals. The connections of the machines are made in parallel.

For an open type of installation, first fasten along the marked lines of the box. Fastening is carried out using dowels with self-tapping screws. The extreme ones are arranged at a distance of about 5-7 cm, and then they adhere to a step of 0.5 m.

Important! When installing open-type wiring, there is no need to prepare holes for sockets and switches. They use products that are hung on the plane of the wall.

All wires along marked lines are placed in boxes and led to distribution boxes. Connections are made directly there. This can be done by tightly twisting, after which the wires must be carefully insulated.

Installation of hidden wiring

Hidden electrical wiring is installed a little easier in terms of the amount of work. According to the principle of connection, it differs from the open type only in that it is placed inside the walls, in a groove prepared in advance. Before placing the wires in the groove, boxes for switches and sockets are installed. They are fixed with alabaster. When the material has hardened, electrical wires are inserted into them and, according to the plan, they are led into the distribution boxes in the groove.

After all the sockets and switches are installed, the lighting fixtures are connected, and the wires in the boxes are connected, you need to check the correctness of the connection. To prevent mistakes, the connections are “ringed” with a special device for electrical testing.

On video: TOP 10 electrical wiring rules.

Which wire to use

Cables for providing electricity in an apartment must be selected according to certain criteria. It is advisable not to change anything at your own discretion, since the safe operation of the system depends on this.

Material and design

The materials used to make wires come in two varieties: aluminum and copper. Aluminum ones are inexpensive, but copper ones are much more reliable and can provide high-quality operation.

According to their structure, wires are divided into single-core and multi-core. In the first case, the material is covered with an insulation shell. The characteristics of single conductors include: they are cheap, easy to install, and have a high degree of rigidity. The latter property leads to frequent fractures of the conductor.

Craftsmen prefer to work with stranded wires. They have good resistance to twisting and bending. If the circuit involves a sharp turn, then you can be sure that the conductor will not break.

Cable cross-section for wiring in an apartment

Cable cross-section is one of the important characteristics. Its indicator directly determines whether the conductor can withstand the applied voltage. Measured in square millimeters. Thus, in aluminum conductors with a core cross-section of 1 mm 2, a voltage of 8 A can be withstand. With regard to copper products, 1 mm 2 can pass 10 A.

The choice of conductor cross-section must be carried out under load. It is not allowed to use wires whose cross-section is smaller than the intended load.

Core insulation thickness

Any conductor has insulation. To ensure this, plastic materials are used. The thickness of the core insulating layer is determined by the articles of regulatory documents. For example, for a conductor designed for a load of 660 V, with a cross-section of 1.5-2.5 mm 2, the insulation thickness is 0.6 mm.

Shell thickness

The next point to pay attention to is the outer sheath of the cable. It is she who closes several wires of the conductor. Similar to core insulation, plastic materials are used for external insulation, but its thickness is much greater. Mostly 1.4-1.8 mm. Take into account the fact that there are permissible deviations.

Marking

On any cable there are signs called markings. It allows you to better read information about the characteristics of the product:

• The first letter indicates the material from which the outer shell of the product is made.

• The following letters can indicate properties such as the degree of tightness, flammability of the insulating layer, the presence of steel strips in the insulation, flatness or flexibility.

• The material from which the conductor is made is marked only on aluminum cables with the letter “A”. On copper products the letter of the material is not indicated.

• Additionally, you can read information about the manufacturer and date of manufacture.

Core colors

The core insulation can be of a single color, or sometimes it can be applied in a 1 mm thick strip along the entire length of the product.

The color of the core insulation characterizes the purpose of the conductor:

• the first is the phase, this is red, brown and white insulation;
• second – zero, blue;
• the third is grounding, green or green-yellow.

The process of planning lighting in a home is quite a responsible one. But if the goal is achieved with all compliance with the rules, then this will lead to an amazing result. The right light in the interior enhances the effect several times. Consumer impressions are assessed from comments found on the Internet.

How to choose cables and circuit breakers for an apartment (1 video)

It is not difficult to install lights in the garage if it is located near the house, electrical panel or power line. If you have electricity, using the garage will be much more convenient, moreover, you will be able to work in it with electric tools and equipment.

We should start with the fact that the wiring needs to be hidden - not so much for the sake of aesthetics, but for security reasons. If the garage is made of sheet iron, then, of course, there can be no talk of any hidden wiring, but in this case, you can use various boxes, sleeves and corrugated pipes.

Important! For safety reasons, a grounding device should be installed in the electrical panel at the input, which can be metal rods with a diameter of 1.5-1.6 cm (they should be dug vertically into the ground and connected to each other with a steel plate).

In addition, all sockets, switches, etc. must be well protected from dust and moisture (it is advisable to use IP44 class devices).

How to install electricity into a garage legally

If you plan to turn the garage into a full-fledged workshop, then you will need a three-phase input, for which, in turn, you need to visit the local Energosbyt and obtain technical conditions there (in the future you will need to comply with each of the points) and the appropriate permit.

And if we are talking about garage areas, then cooperatives are often created in them. It is in such a cooperative that you should obtain permission to electrify the garage, find out where the electrical panel is located and under what conditions you can connect to it. In addition, it is necessary to conclude an energy supply agreement.

DIY garage light: step-by-step guide

The procedure consists of several stages; let’s get acquainted with the features of each of them.

Stage one. We are developing a scheme

We begin work by drawing up a wiring diagram - this will help prevent possible errors during installation. In the diagram we indicate the location of cables, switches, sockets and lamps, observing a number of the requirements below.

1. The distance between the ceiling and the cable should be at least 10 cm, and from the floor to the socket - 50 cm. As for the general switch, it should be located to the right of the gate, approximately 150 cm from the floor.
2. We also note exactly how we will connect each network element. The socket must be located in front of the switch, while the switches with the lamp must be connected in series.
3. To connect elements, we use straight lines located perpendicular to each other. We start the connection from the distribution panel.

After this, we transfer the compiled diagram to the walls. To draw lines, use a long cord, first dipping it in paint.

Stage two. We prepare tools and materials

To work we will need:

• hammer;
• indicator screwdriver;
• chisel;
• hammer drill (if the garage is not metal);
• screwdriver;
• electric drill, set of drills;
• side cutters;
• insulating tape;
• pliers;
• building gypsum;
• self-tapping screws;
• dowels

We also prepare the most important thing, that is, the electrical cable. It is advisable to use copper wires, although aluminum wires are also suitable. We also buy switches, lighting fixtures, sockets, corrugations and cable boxes.

Stage three. Installing wiring in the garage

Installation is divided into two parts:

• external wiring (to the garage from an energy source);
• internal.

Important! If the internal installation can be done with your own hands, which many do, then the external installation should be done exclusively by a professional electrician who has access to high-voltage lines.

External wiring

Electrical energy can be transmitted into a room in two ways:

• underground;
• by air.

When choosing one option or another, we are guided, first of all, by the relative position of our garage and other buildings. If it is located further than 25 m from the pillar, then with an “aerial” installation we will have to install an additional pillar. Moreover, the wire must be 2.75 m from the ground (next to the garage), 3.75 m (above sidewalks) and 6 m (above the roadway). We introduce the line through the wall at a height of 2.75 m, for which we use insulators on hooks.

Important! We make a hole for the input with a slope towards the street so that water does not penetrate inside.

After work, carefully seal all the cracks. If the height of our garage is less than the regulated 2.75 m, then we install a pipe stand - a special steel pipe, the upper end of which is curved at an angle of 180 degrees. In this case, the cable entry can even be made through the roof.

As for underground installation, the cable here needs to be protected using a steel box. The entry is made through a hole in the foundation; the cable in this place is protected with a pipe. What is important is that each cable needs a separate hole.

At the end, the electrician who carried out the installation leads the wire to an input box equipped with fuses and a meter. After this, we proceed to the second part of the process.

Inner gasket

It can be of two types (as noted above):

• hidden;
• open.

For metal buildings we use the second method, in which the wires should be secured in special boxes or baseboards. Flat cables (such as APPR) are most suitable for this. The cables are attached to the walls with nails or staples in increments of 40 cm. The wiring is done horizontally (about 20 cm from the ceiling line), and we use screws or glue to fix the boxes.

If the garage is made of concrete or brick, then we resort to a hidden type of laying, and we do this even before plastering. If the work is carried out after applying the plaster, then in the right places we groove the walls (we make grooves 0.5-0.6 cm deep), into which we lay the wires, securing them with small nails.

Important! The peculiarity of this method is that the ends of the wires must be soldered to each other, otherwise they will unwind or oxidize. After soldering, secure the joints with insulating tape.

Additional events

Almost every garage has a basement or inspection hole. It would seem that it would be easier to make the lighting portable for them, but the fact is that the humidity level there is usually high, so the maximum allowable voltage is only 42 volts. For this reason, we buy and install a small step-down transformer. We also buy special equipment that is designed specifically for such low voltage.

Do-it-yourself wiring in the garage (video): where to start

Bottom line

As a result, it is worth paying a little attention to safety precautions. When performing work, it is imperative to adhere to the requirements below.

1. There is no need to rush, because the main thing when working with electricity is safety.
2. Any manipulations associated with electric current (even a banal replacement of a light bulb or socket) should only be carried out in the absence of voltage. For this purpose, you can unscrew the plugs (if you are still using them) or the circuit breakers on the switchboard.
3. For work at height, trestles or platforms should be used (no barrels, chairs placed on tables, or similar structures).
4. Shoes and clothing should be as comfortable as possible so that body movements are not hampered.
5. The tools used must be intact and - more importantly - have an insulated handle. The same applies to electrical equipment.

And remember: if you install the wiring correctly, it is guaranteed to serve you for at least 30 years.