How to replace the input cable in an apartment and a private house
Reasons for replacement
There may be several reasons. Firstly, due to a failure of the input cable or the need for replacement is dictated by its service life. Secondly, the modern man’s housing is equipped with an extensive fleet of electrical appliances, the operation of which creates a significant current load exceeding the calculated power value for which the cross section of the current input cable is designed. Thirdly, the desire to equip a personal apartment distribution board. It's no secret that access panels, for example, in an old prefabricated house are equipped, at best, with one circuit breaker that provides power and protects the entire apartment. At the same time, not everywhere else has it been possible to get rid of such a difficult legacy of the past as cork fuses.
The realities of our time suggest dividing the apartment power supply system into several groups wound up on separate machines, as well as the need to connect modern surge protection devices, RCDs, differential machines that guarantee trouble-free operation of home electrical appliances and electrical fire safety of housing.
Before installing and connecting an apartment panel equipped in accordance with the latest requirements, it is advisable to change the input cable to a new and larger cross-section. In addition, you need to choose the right section of current-carrying conductors corresponding to the planned total load of consumers. Next, we will talk in detail about how to replace the input cable in an apartment and a private house.
Where to begin
Initially, organizational issues need to be addressed. In order to replace the input of electricity, an opening of the sealed meter is required. Since the homeowner is strictly forbidden to do this on his own, coordination with the organization involved in the control and supply of electricity will be required. As a rule, the relevant departments of district or municipal electric networks do this.
At the first stage, you need to determine the amount of related work for the planned installation. The degree of complexity and time spent and laboriousness will largely depend on the material of the walls of the house, how the old line was laid, the distance from the access panel to the wall of the apartment, as well as the decision on how much work will be done, with or without a meter replacement.
When deciding whether to do the work yourself, you should remember that this type of installation requires a professional solution to the problem by an experienced electrician who knows and complies with the requirements of regulatory documents. To attract specialists, it is better not to try to solve the painful question of who to call as an electrician, but to contact the management company or another organization engaged in the operation of electrical equipment at home.
How to replace the input in the apartment
The ideal option is the case when the access panel is located on one wall through which the entrance to the apartment will be made, in this situation it is enough to drill a hole in it and insert a new cable there. In other options, you first need to determine how the old wiring is laid. It is possible that the wiring is laid in a chambers under the plaster, in this case, you can carefully dismantle it and put a new input in the same place with the subsequent restoration of the wall covering. This method is not always possible, for example, if a repair has recently been made at the entrance, the neighbors will not be delighted with the destruction of the decoration that has just been done, smelling of fresh paint.
Most often, the cable is dragged through the channels of the ceiling, it is not realistic to perform the same operation at the stage of completed construction in most cases. The best option in all cases is to lay the input cable in a box or corrugated pipe, as shown in the photo below:
For safety reasons, in order to avoid damaging the existing hidden wiring, it is better to lay the cable on the ceiling. If dismantling of the old cable is not possible, its loose ends must be insulated.
An example of replacing the input cable in the apartment is provided in the video:
Features of replacing the cable entry in the house
In most cases, the power supply of a private house is carried out by a branch from the overhead power line, for which a self-supporting insulated wire with aluminum conductors of the brand is usedSIP. It is possible that part of the lead-in line will be laid along the facade of the building. Replacing part of the input from the pillar to the wall does not cause any special problems, it will be easily performed by specialists.
It is very important to install the wiring on the wall of the house in accordance with the requirements of electrical fire safety standards, as well as correctly enter into the wall. If the facade is made of non-combustible materials and not finished with siding, the lead-in cable can be laid in a box or corrugated pipe. The owner of a private house needs to know that the self-supporting insulated wire has a combustible shell, and therefore it is forbidden to lay such wiring on wood, therefore, before connecting the line to the wooden wall, you must connect to the cable with copper conductors using special tight clamps.
In the case of walls or their finishing from wood and other combustible materials, self-supporting insulated wire, even if it is laid in a protective shell, must be at least 6 cm from the wall (according to Chapter 2.4 of the EMP 2.4.60), although the PUE says only the following: “The distance in the light between the self-supporting insulated wire and the wall of the building or structure should be at least 0.06 m.” As you can see, not a word is said about the degree of flammability, therefore it is recommended to maintain this distance when laying on brick walls and walls made of other non-combustible materials.
Entrance into the building through a wooden wall is equipped with a metal sleeve, which is used as a thick-walled pipe (according to chapter 2.1. PUE, clause 2.1.58 and SNiP 3.05.06-85 (in clause 3.18) - in these clauses of the indicated documents the requirements for cable passage through walls.
A special issue is the replacement of the input cable in a wooden house, since it requires strict implementation of fire safety standards. In this case, it is better to use a metal cable channel for laying, or even better, a pipe. It is important to remember that only cable products with a three-layer non-combustible shell are allowed to work.Of domestic products, the VVGNG-LS brand is best suited. Entrance in a wooden wall should be equipped with a metal glass wrapped in asbestos and fixed with alabaster mixture. The placement of the cable in metal protective equipment is possible only if there is an earthing circuit, since their required grounding.
Who pays for the work
An extremely topical question remained at the expense of whose expense the above-described works are carried out. Replacement of the input cable, regardless of where it will be done, in a private house or in an apartment, is carried out at the expense of the owner of the housing. The exception is the option of planned replacement of the input, overhaul or modernization of the power supply network.
We hope our instruction has helped you understand how to replace the input cable in an apartment and a private house. As you can see, there are many nuances that you need to know about before proceeding with work. Especially if you want to change the input of electricity yourself.
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