Home wiring is not a task that newbies should take on without supervision. Wiring comprises a vital component of every home infrastructure and is also a task that should be executed with caution.
Wiring or rewiring a home should be a job for professionals since the slightest mistake can result in damaged assets, injury, even death due to electrocution or electrical fire for you and your loved ones. With millions of casualties annually, you simply cannot afford to fool around with a force such as electricity.
Things to Keep in Mind
The very first thing that you need to remember when installing or changing the wiring of your home is to make sure that the power supply has been cut. Even the smallest possible work repair area must have its power supply disconnected.
Electricity is not to be meddled with, statistics show that many have already given up their lives because of carelessness or negligence.
Next, you need to follow some electrical codes; each locality has its own set and you are expected to follow it. The reason why there are electrical codes is mainly safety. These codes are not things that are supposed to hamper the wiring project. Be sure to contact a local inspector so that the wiring project can be done correctly.
It is also wise to learn about the structural components of your home’s wiring system. Service entry is its first component as it is the point where your home gets its power from the main grid.
The wiring path that delivers electricity to your home coming from the main grid must always be uncluttered, meaning, tree limbs and other types of obstructions must be kept away from that area.
The wires must pass no less than 10 feet from the ground and must not be accessible from the balcony, windows or a terrace.
Another component that you have to learn about is the panel board where you need to look into when there are faults in the system. The areas where the panel board is able to direct the electrical flow are the branch circuits. If you do not know how these components work with each other, then ask an electrician to discuss it with you.
There are mainly five kinds of cables and wires that are used in most home wiring systems. The main electricity supply pole is tapped with the triplex wires. THHN wires are main feeder wires that come out of service heads.
The panel feed wires are those that are tasked to work against the increasing amperes. These protect the wires. The most common type that is used in many homes, though, is the non-metallic sheathed wire. Piped homes, on the other hand, make use of single-strand wires.
It is crucial to take precautionary measures by choosing the right type of wire from the onset.
Remember that electricity is not something that you should mess with. Even experts are afraid to deal with high voltage components as safety is of paramount importance to anyone.
Once again, the most important rule is to have the power supply turned off when you are installing wires or even when you are just examining the house’s wiring system. If cutting off the entire house’s power supply cannot be done at the moment, then at least cut off the power on the area where work is going to be done. Certain localities ask for stricter regulations when it comes to residential wiring. Legal authorities of a particular locality are implementing such laws. You must follow these guidelines religiously if you want to be safe while finishing the wiring task – there is simply no other way.