How to completely turn off the electricity in an apartment

In any family, situations often arise when it is necessary to de-energize a single room or an entire room. The event may seem simple at first glance, but this opinion is often mistaken. There are many nuances that are characteristic of old houses, where internal communications and shields are in a worn out and neglected state. Not knowing how to turn off the electricity in an apartment correctly, you can get into an unpleasant situation or pay with your life for a mistake.

Why do you need to turn off the electricity

Disconnecting the power supply assumes a break in the phases and the neutral wire, made manually using devices installed on the line. We are not talking about switches or toggle outlets. Shutdown assumes a complete lack of power on the lead-in cable coming from the common shield on the staircase. At the same time, there is not only voltage in the network, but also random stray currents arising from incorrect connection of measuring and protective devices.

The decision to turn off the light in the apartment is made voluntarily or under pressure of circumstances.

The reasons for turning off the electricity can be as follows:

• Going on vacation. The risk of short circuit and fire due to old wiring or in case of flooding by neighbors from above is eliminated. In addition, after a lightning strike, household appliances connected to the network may break.
• Emergency situation when there is arcing in the outlets or smoke from the melting insulation of the wires.
  
• Replacing or checking the meter when these procedures are accompanied by the removal of the device.
• Survey, maintenance and repair of communications. Partial line replacement.
• Overhaul in Khrushchev, when the old wiring is dismantled and new wiring is installed.

Before turning off the electricity in the apartment in the dashboard at the entrance, you should gain access to its internal contents. In some houses, the keys are held by the responsible persons who do not give them to anyone. Therefore, it is necessary to resolve the issue of turning off the electricity in the dashboard in advance. The corresponding line about common property is spelled out in the contract.

How to find the right machine

In old buildings, the shields are in a deplorable and emergency condition. If the electricians have not marked the lines and devices, it is extremely difficult to find your direction.

Action options:

• Try with the help of a flashlight to find previously applied inscriptions that have been partially erased or covered with dust.
• Observe the direction of the cable. On sites where there are 2-3 apartments, it is not difficult to calculate your wire.
• By increasing and decreasing the load, identify your device by the rotational speed of the disk or the blinking of the indicator.
• Find your accounting device by the serial number specified in the contract.
• Call a specialist and ask him to show his machine gun.

You should not experimentally identify your device.This can lead to complications in relations with neighbors who may be doing important work on the computer or cooking on an electric kitchen appliance at this time.

How to safely turn off the electricity in the dashboard

Since not all apartments are yet equipped with common electronic systems, a wide variety of power cut-off devices can be found at the entrance.

Depending on their type, you can turn off in the following ways:

• Plug without button (manual). Both products are simply unscrewed from the nests. Taking this opportunity, you can change the fuses in them and remove the bugs.
• Automatic plug (with buttons). The power supply is interrupted by pressing the small red buttons. In this case, the white button should rise with a characteristic click.
• Automatic switch with toggle keys. Both toggle switches are moved to the down position.

Do not manipulate the terminals. After de-energizing, check the mains voltage, as the devices may not work.

What to do if there is an RCD in the dashboard

Due to worn out communications and an unstable level of current supplied to houses, the installation of residual current devices (RCDs) is carried out. These products stabilize the voltage, turn it off at a high load level, short circuit and breakdown on the housing of household appliances in the absence of grounding.

To turn off the light in the apartment, if there is an RCD in the dashboard, you just need to turn off the device using a toggle switch specially designed for this. There is no need to remove the device or disconnect the wires from it.

Safe power off

Gaining access to a dashboard requires care and caution. One awkward movement can cause major troubles and troubles.

Pay attention to the following points:

• If it is not possible to determine your bag, it is worthwhile to act at random only after the neighbors on the site have been warned. This will allow them to complete important tasks and prepare for a blackout.
• A separate switch should be installed inside the apartment, even if there is such a device in the dashboard. This will allow the power supply to be interrupted when it is necessary to switch to conservation mode. The possibility is not excluded that someone can unauthorizedly connect the power to the dashboard.
• It is forbidden to use self-made protection devices or interrupts, to put fuses in the plugs, the power of which is designed for an industrial load. This leads to fires due to short circuits where the wire does not burn and the energy supply to the housing continues.

In all cases, it is better to coordinate your actions with the board of the house.

If the machine is in the entrance, and the meter is in the apartment

This is a common occurrence in homes where the entrance doors are not equipped with combination locks or intercoms. People spend money and move meters to apartments for safety, since attackers often steal metering devices from open panels.

To de-energize the housing, it is enough to unscrew the plugs from the sockets, if the device has such a design. When the device is electronic, and there is a separate machine at the entrance, the power is turned off through it. Next, you need to put an observer at the bag for the period of work in order to prevent its unauthorized activation when people are working on the line. Another option is to disconnect the leads of the lead-in cable from the terminals of the machine. It must be remembered that it is impossible to carry out such manipulations with the meter, since self-breaking of the seals entails a large fine.

Safety measures when disconnecting the apartment from the power supply

If mishandled and negligent, electricity poses a deadly threat to human life, a fire hazard to buildings and structures.

During electrical work, the following safety measures must be observed:

• in order to avoid electric shock, carry out all manipulations while standing on a dielectric mat;
• do not touch bare wires with your hands;
• use tools with a protection level of 1 kW;
• do not carry out work under voltage;
• remember the location of the wires in the terminals;
• at the slightest risk of outside interference, set the security at the machine.

When carrying out a shutdown, it is advisable to wear assembly gloves to avoid accidentally touching live wires.

When not to tamper with the flap

There are a number of cases when you should not open the flap and carry out any manipulations in it.

• The door is sealed, there is a warning sign about the prohibition of opening. Only a representative of the management company has the right to break the seal.
• Counter malfunction. In this case, it makes no sense to carry out any actions before the repair of the metering device is completed.
• Breakage of the junction box, which is responsible for routing cables around the apartment.
• Inability to access the machine due to the connected wires located around it, the belonging and purpose of which cannot be determined.

With the right approach, turning off the current in the apartment will not cause problems and complications.