How to replace the wiring in the apartment with your own hands

During major repairs, many decide to immediately change the wiring in the apartment. There are many reasons for this. Firstly, if your house was built a long time ago, then the entire electrical network that was laid in it is already outdated both physically and morally. Secondly, earlier for wiring in Khrushchev or Stalinist houses, mainly aluminum wires were used, and this metal, as you know, is highly corroded, and becomes very brittle during operation. Thirdly, modern electrics are characterized by high power household appliances. About 20-30 years ago, the project laid down a load of about 3 kW for each apartment, now this figure has increased significantly.

So, as you can see, the replacement of wiring is not a whim and a whim, but an urgent need. Let us consider in detail how to carry out this process, where to start, which part of the old wiring must be changed, and in which cases it can be left.

Main stages

Immediately you need to decide whether you can replace the wiring in the apartment with your own hands or invite professional electricians. Keep in mind that during the overhaul of a residential building, work related to electricity is the most complex and voluminous part.

Accordingly, material costs will also be high. If you have no restrictions in funds, then it is better to invite specialists.

Replacing electrical wiring in an apartment with your own hands is based on three main components.

• Definitely all aluminum wires must be replaced with copper. We have already mentioned that the metal is susceptible to corrosion, in addition, it has a soft structure, it is squeezed out from under the screw terminals, its soldering is a complex and expensive process, and aluminum twists weaken over time. All this can eventually lead to unreliable contact connections.
• It will be necessary to switch from the previously used circuit with a solidly grounded neutral (TN-C) to a circuit with protective earthing of consumers (TN-C-S). The power supply according to the previous TN-C scheme was used in the Soviet Union involuntarily, because there was mass electrification, the electrical networks were very long, and in addition, there was an acute shortage of non-ferrous metals. Since the end of the 90s, the transition to electricity supply according to the TN-C-S scheme has begun, which ensures the safe operation of consumers, regardless of the general state of the network.

• It will be necessary to mount a group connection of consumers with separate branches, while branching from the main apartment panel through junction boxes was previously used.

According to the new scheme, you will have a separate branch from the common shield, made with a single piece of cable, for each consumer group.

Charting

At the initial stage, all work will be of a theoretical nature, that is, it will be necessary to clearly define the scheme and the amount of materials.

Before you change the wiring in the apartment, draw up a diagram on which you draw a plan of the living space. It will be most convenient to take it from the technical passport and redraw it on paper in a box.

An example of drawing up a diagram and further editing on video:

In this drawing, display where all large-sized furniture will stand (so that you do not plan to install sockets behind it) and household appliances (in this case, on the contrary, the sockets must be mounted side by side). Determine the location of the switches, as a rule, they are mounted near the front door to the room. Mark where you will need sockets, except for the installation sites of stationary household appliances (refrigerator, oven, air conditioner), that is, it is advisable to decide in advance where you will put or hang a TV, music center, computer.

Draw the locations of the lighting elements - sconces, bedside lamps, floor lamps.

Keep in mind that powerful household appliances, such as a water heater, electric stove, washing machine or dishwasher, “warm floor”, should be connected to the mains not through sockets, but with a separate line from an individual machine.

Transferring the wiring plan to the walls

Now transfer the drawn up scheme to the walls of your apartment, after all, you will be doing repairs anyway, so it’s still possible to draw on wall surfaces. Mark the location of sockets, switches, lighting fixtures and junction boxes (they are usually installed at the entrance to the room). There is no strict size for their placement, but try to adhere to the following recommendations:

• Switches are located at a height of 0.8 to 1.5 m from the floor level.
• The same parameter for sockets varies from 0.3 to 1 m, everything here will depend on your interior. The main thing is that you then feel comfortable using them.

• In the bathroom, it is desirable to do without installing sockets. If there is an urgent need for this, then it must be connected through a residual current device (RCD). The distance from the socket to the elements of the bathroom (sink, bath, shower) must be at least 0.6 m.
• Distribution boxes are located at a distance of 15-20 cm from the ceiling surface. Do not forget to take this into account if in the future you plan to lower the ceiling (make it stretch or from plasterboard sheets).

From boxes to switching devices, draw the wire paths.

These tracks must be strictly vertical or horizontal, no zigzags or oblique lines are allowed, do not try to save on materials like that.

Necessary materials

Now, based on all the work done, you can determine the amount of materials that you will need to change the wiring in the house. Count how many junction boxes, sockets and switches you have planned. If the wiring is of a hidden type, then for each switching device you will still need a socket. Measure the amount of wire you need along the drawn gasket routes using a tape measure. Be sure to take it with a margin for cutting at the joints (6-10% of the total length).

For do-it-yourself wiring, choose a three-core wire or copper cable. A section of 1.5 mm 2 will be enough for the lighting network, 2.5 mm 2 for socket groups, and 4 mm 2 for powerful electrical consumers.

We advise you to purchase a high-quality German conductor with NYM marking, with PVC insulation. Of the domestic cable products, the conductor of the VVG brand is in the greatest demand. Also, for laying conductors, you will need a corrugated pipe, and in the case of an open type of wiring, cable channels. It is better to buy a metal corrugation, since in the event of an emergency, polyvinyl chloride can decompose and release toxic substances.

The choice of cable and machines on the video:

It is imperative to protect the home electrical network from overloads, short circuits and current leaks, so you cannot do without automation. It will be necessary to install RCDs and circuit breakers (or combined options - differential circuit breakers). They are selected according to the rated current depending on the load that will be present on the protected line. Let's give you an example of what machines are approximately needed for an ordinary three-room apartment:

• common introductory machine - 40 A;
• for the socket group - 25 A;
• for lighting - 16 A;
• for powerful consumers - at 32 A.

When choosing automatic machines, give preference to the leaders in the market of electrical products - Legrand and ABB.

Distribution boxes are of two types and they differ from each other only in design.

Square and rectangular boxes are more spacious, while round boxes are much more convenient to install.

Drilling a round hole in the wall for such a box is much easier than hammering a square or rectangular niche.

Be sure to choose sockets with grounding. If there are small children in the house, then you will need special devices with protective shutters (so that the child cannot pick foreign objects inside). Pay special attention to the rated current for which the switching device is designed, otherwise problems may arise when connecting powerful consumers.

Tools

Before you change the wiring in the apartment, you will need to stock up not only with materials, but also with a fairly large number of tools. If you do not have all the necessary devices, then it may make sense to still turn to professionals. Check out the list of everything you need to install a new wiring, and then make a decision for yourself.

The ideal option is to rent a power tool.

1. Perforator and a set of drills for concrete (as well as a concrete drill, a core drill and a chisel). This tool is necessary for mounting holes for sockets, switches and boxes.
2. Level, plumb line and cord for marking the laying of wires.
3. Bulgarian (and a circle of stone to it) or a wall chaser for making furrows in the walls for wires.
4. Spatula and gypsum (or alabaster) for putty strob after wires are laid in them.
5. Mounting knife or a special device for removing the insulating layer on the wires (stripper).
6. Pliers, a set of flat and Phillips screwdrivers, side cutters.
7. Soldering iron with solder and rosin for connecting wires.
8. Indicator screwdriver for determining phase and zero.
9. Long carry. During repair work, you will use a temporary hut to power the power tool, and its length should be enough to reach the most remote rooms and corners.

Dismantling old wiring

Replacing the electrical wiring in the apartment with your own hands begins, first of all, with a complete de-energization of the room. Turn off the introductory machine to the apartment and make sure that there is no voltage.

Dismantling the old wiring is easiest to start with switches and sockets, remove them, thereby freeing the tips of the wires. Open the covers of the junction boxes and disconnect all the switching nodes. Now, gently pulling on the old cable, release it from the puttied strobes. A special device will help you find wires in wall surfaces - a hidden wiring indicator, some in this case even use a metal detector.

If in some place there is no way to dismantle the cable, then do not try too hard, do not destroy the walls. Leave the problematic section of the wiring in the old furrow, just carefully insulate its ends on both sides.

Installation of new wiring

It should be said right away that it is not recommended to change the wiring partially. If you already undertook to repair again, then do it everywhere. The only case when it is allowed to replace only part of the home electrical network is if there is a wire break somewhere and it needs to be fixed.

And now the process of installing a new wiring. Perhaps in some of the rooms the path of the wire from the box to the sockets and switches will remain the same. This is good, you will not need to hammer new strobes.

In the case when you planned to do everything in a completely different way, start with holes for switching devices and junction boxes, and already between them make strobes for laying wires.

Note! Since you have already dismantled the old wiring, and you are only laying the new one, there will be no voltage in the apartment at all. To connect a power tool, use a temporary hut that can be thrown from the input shield, or arrange with neighbors to power them through a carrier.

Cut the necessary pieces of conductors and corrugated pipe. Tighten the wires into the corrugation and place them in the strobes made. Don't forget to leave ends on both sides for joining. Install the sockets in the holes made, tighten the wires in them and now you can fix them with alabaster mortar.

Strobes can not be covered with a continuous layer of alabaster, it is enough to grab every half a meter.

Connect wires to sockets and switches, install switching devices in sockets. Now make all the necessary connections in the junction boxes.

Keep in mind! If you want to make lighting on a balcony or loggia, then you don’t need to pull a whole branch there, the lamps are connected through the sockets of neighboring rooms.

Be sure to test the new electrical wiring before starting finishing work in the apartment.

If there are doubts between partial and complete replacement of electrical wiring, then the answer can be found in the video:

We explained to you how to replace the old wiring, there are no particular difficulties here. Those who have ever done electrical work and are well versed in electrical engineering can handle it on their own. But sometimes it is better not to take risks, and at least consult with professionals.