The most complicated thing at the time of your new home building and construction is electrical installation. Installation of the electric system demands careful design according to the overall building structure. Most of the time the electric system of homes remains unchanged. People don’t pay heed to the importance of electric safety measures even when they buy a new home. That happened because some of us were sleeping in our physics class where our teacher taught us that the electric world can be quite scary.
Little mistakes make the whole circuit erupt. People face death and many withstand serious injuries because of electric work when they approach it with zero knowledge or safety measures. That’s why electrical safety is essential. So, know about all the basic and important terms that you need to know while building a new home or even changing or upgrading the old system or self-check the safety measures in your home.
Few things you should be aware of before approaching the new electric system
- Electric Installation Basics
- How does power work?/Important terms of the electric power.
- Types of wiring
Let’s get started with the basics!
Electric Installation Basics
An extensive range of electric installation is a need of new technology, which is quite different from the old system. The most improvement needed in IT areas, and the media system.
Some important quality checks at the time of electric installation. Installation of electric setting must:
- Comply with country power standards
- Comply with best safety requirements
- Conducted by the licensed contractors
These fundamental safety checks are good components for any electric installation.
If you find electric installation looking old or messy then it is a dead giveaway of unprofessional electric installation. Bad wiring and connection can be a real hazard if not done properly in the first place. Professionals would never jury rig the election installation. So, instead of hiring handymen, it’s better to invest in a professional team for your home safety. If anything looks out of place contact the electric professional team right away, delaying it can be too risky. It’s good to get yourself trained in electrical safety so you can deal with electrical defects or related problems at the time of emergency.
Things Need to Look Out for Them
Overheating appliances: It can be a power issue or an appliance is unstable
The smell of burnt plastic: it happened because of wiring issues
Odd noises from home machinery: An operating machinery can defect the electric installation which can damage the wiring system.
Scorch mark: Electric board gets damaged.
The water around electric appliances or fittings: It can damage the power sources, it needs to be repaired quickly.
Flicker: It is either an appliance or it is power, better to take caution in both cases.
Terms to Know
Amps
Amp or Amperes are the units for measuring electricity.
Watts
Watts are units that are used to calculate the power used by an electric device and can also measure by multiplying apes times volts.
Volts
Force contained in a power source called volts. 120 volts are average volts carry by most common household wires.
How Does Power Work?
Few sources are responsible for power. Your home gets the power through distribution lines that pass through your meter. From this line, the power enters into the panel and from there into circuit wires. Lastly, the power passes through the medium outlet of your home.
Meter
Meter is engaged or connected with the direct power source that comes from the electric company. It keeps track of energy used in a month. Measuring the power of the meter is kilowatt-hour units (KWh). It is placed outside of the house that enables the electric company to read meters.
Main Breaker Panel
From the meter, electricity goes through the main breaker panel. The maximum amps of electricity that can pass through these panels depend upon the capacity and size of the panel.
The panel has a main switch, which you can turn on and off in case of overloading or fire. There is another small breaker switch right below the main breaker which transmits electricity to each room, they can also be put on or off to cut electricity to one room.
Circuit Wiring
Through the panel, electric power passes through a red and black encased wire. The power returns toward the panel through white insulation, neutral wire. The third is wired insulated in green and provides ground. The wire case could melt off because of overheating. For safety measures, opt for thick wires.
Fuses and Breakers
In case of overloading, Fuses, and Breakers are turned off automatically to prevent the wires from getting overheated. The breaker can be turned on again but the fuse blows out because of overloading and that needs to be replaced afterward.
Types of Wires
Cleat Wiring
The cleat is an old type of wiring which is not used anymore. These wires hold on to the wall with supporting object and their cables are installed outside of the wall.
Cleats are sometimes made of poor electricity conductors like wood. These wires may also have insulation sheaths. It is best for temporary events that last a few days. Its cable is outside and they are easy to uninstall.
Batten Wiring
Another simple type of wiring is Batten. Just like a cleat, it’s better for low-key installation.
It requires
- Around 10 mm think the wooden battery
- Cables
- Brass pins
- Buckle clips
Several cables clip together with the help of a buckle clip onto the wooden battery to install the batten wire.
Conduit Wiring
The most protective type in conduit wiring. The installation design to protect it from humidity. It can be metallic or non-metallic.
Conduit wiring a little costly compared to others. The installation process should be conducted by professionals.
Keep in Check the Quality of Your Electric Installation
The best practice for quality checking is to get the electrical contractor to do the regular general audit. During the maintenance program, electrical testing: operational status and safety checking is conducted, to find faults and fix them. Then Audit is the next stage of quality check and control. In an audit, future installation needs also measured, this provides information about the cost of the new installation of electricity and the required equipment.
