Construction of houses and major repairs of apartments include the issue of conducting or replacing electrical wiring. To make it safe and functional, you need to choose the right wire and cable. You should carefully familiarize yourself with the properties and characteristics of each proposed type of wires, as well as familiarize yourself with the GOST standards and safety requirements in advance.
Why change the wiring
House wiring is an essential system. Without it, no household appliance will work. At the same time, it also carries a danger. There is a risk of electric shock or fire if the materials are not selected correctly or the operating conditions are not followed.
There are two main reasons people change the wiring in their home. First: any wiring has a limited lifespan. Usually, replacement is required 15-20 years after the builders have handed over the apartment. If you do not make timely upgrades, it will be dangerous to use electricity. Second: replacement is required if new powerful electrical appliances are added.
It is not recommended to make connections of new electrical wiring to the old one, since the conductors may not have the same characteristics and the material used.
Criterias of choice
There are a number of characteristics that you should pay attention to for the correct selection of wiring. The above requirements apply to a 220 V or 380 V electrical network. Heating, computer and other conductors are selected taking into account other recommendations. The wiring for an apartment is determined by the properties of the conductors.
Mandatory characteristics:
- Core material. Household wiring uses copper and aluminum conductors. Copper is a higher quality, long-term and reliable material, therefore, according to the recommendations of the PUE, it is it that must be used to create open and hidden wiring.
- Core construction. There are solid and stranded conductors. Stranded wires are highly flexible.
- Cross-sectional area. Shows what kind of load the conductor can withstand. For a home network, a 2.5 sq.mm copper cable is used. and 1.5 sq. mm. for lighting.
Cross-sectional area of wires and cables depending on the amperage - Insulation thickness. This indicator is regulated by GOST. The wire must be reliably protected from external aggressive influences. For household cables, a thickness of 0.6 mm is recommended (not less than 0.44 mm.).
- Shell thickness. Protects and fixes the conductors. For multi-core cables, this figure is 1.8 mm, for single-core cables - 1.4 mm.
- Conductor marking. A set of letters and numbers shows the characteristics of the product - material of manufacture of cores, insulation, manufacturing plant, year of manufacture, number of cores, cross-section.
- The colors of the veins. It can be solid colored or stripes. By the shades, you can understand what this or that vein is responsible for (phase, zero, earth).
- Packaging. Coil or drum is used by standards. Coils for chain stores, drums for wholesale. A tag with a description must be attached, which indicates the brand, GOST, date of issue, length and number of segments, weight, drum number, conformity marks.
- Availability of required licenses and certificates. There must be two documents - a certificate of conformity and fire safety.
- General condition of the product. Externally, the cable must not be damaged, otherwise it becomes unusable.
Learning about these parameters will help in buying the best electrical wiring cable.
Types of cables for electrical wiring
There are different types of conductors that can be used for a home's electrical network. They all have markings by which you can determine the material of the conductors and insulation, the class of flexibility and the cross-section. Color coding is also used to identify the purpose of the conductors.
VVG
The cable for electrical wiring in the VVG apartment is the most famous and used domestic cable in home power grids. It is possible to obtain the required current values and ensure appropriate safety with its help. The product is a copper wire with PVC insulation and sheath. It can work at normal and high humidity. The operating voltage should not exceed 660 V. This is a flexible, unarmoured cable for house wiring. It contains up to 5 cores, depending on the modification, the cross-sectional area reaches 240 sq. Mm. Round, flat and triangular types are distinguished in shape.
The main modifications include VVGng - non-flammable, VVGng-ls - non-flammable with low smoke emission, VVGng FR-LS - with additional fire protection made of mica (used in rooms with increased fire hazard). For sockets, VVGng 3x2.5 or VVGng-LS 3x2.5 are usually used. For switches, the same cables are selected, but with a cross section of 1.5 sq. Mm. Suitable for installation in all rooms, including the kitchen.
NYM cable
The European analogue of VVG is NYM cable. It is manufactured both at Russian and foreign factories and complies with all accepted EU and GOST standards. There are two types of cables - single-wire with a cross-section of 1.5-10 sq. Mm. and multi-wire with a cross section of over 16 sq. mm. Working voltage does not exceed 660 V. PVC is used as insulation material.
To connect the sockets and to the input, the NYM 3 × 2.5 model is used, for the switches - NYM 3 × 1.5. When buying, it is important not to confuse NYM with the cheaper NUM cable. It has reduced characteristics, so they cannot be used to create home electrical wiring.
The pluses of NYM and VVG include:
- high quality workmanship that meets all the necessary requirements;
- ease of installation, ease of wiring;
- safety;
- fire resistance;
- self-extinguishing;
- low smoke emission during combustion;
- a wide range for any finance.
Which cable is needed for wiring in a private house - BBH or NYM - each owner decides independently. These conductors are considered to be the most common.
PVS wire
The connecting copper inner conductor is vinyl insulated. You can buy it to connect household appliances to the mains and create extension cords. Its structure contains from 2 to 6 copper wires, the total cross-section is from 0.75 sq. Mm. up to 10 sq. mm. The voltage limit is 380 V.
The main difficulty of working with a PVA wire is its multi-wire structure. All the ends must be tinned, which takes a lot of time and effort. Also, this factor leads to an increased fire hazard. Due to the high heat, the insulation is destroyed and a short circuit can occur. Unlike cables, the wire cannot be laid in bundled bundles. A separate strobe is required for each line.
ShVVP and PVVP wires
These are types of assembly cords with single or stranded conductors made of copper. The main area of application is the connection of household appliances. The shelf life is short, difficult to install due to the need for soldering. The insulation is flammable, so it is not suitable for household wiring.
Since 2007, the use of the PUNP wire in electrical wiring has been prohibited. It is unsafe and does not meet the specifications.
Equipment for laying cables
Installation of electrical wiring requires a competent selection of conductors and the purchase of appropriate accessories for them.These are components, wiring devices and materials that will have to be consumed during work. To understand in advance how many devices you need to purchase, a diagram with a wiring plan is drawn up.
Additional devices that must be selected and purchased include:
- protective equipment: automatic switches and RCDs;
- socket boxes;
- sockets, switches;
- cable channels;
- mounting boxes;
- corrugated tubes;
- shield;
- insulation, clamps.
All products are selected for the appropriate load and individual characteristics of the apartment. You can close the wiring with plaster, since all cables are laid in protective channels.
