A well-designed and high-quality installed electrical panel in a private house is a guarantee of the safety of the entire power supply system. Since metering devices, as well as distribution and protective equipment are located inside the cabinet structure, increased attention is paid to its selection and self-production. According to the main provisions of the PUE, the input shield must meet the most stringent requirements regarding operational safety and the possibility of expanding its functionality.
What is a shield for?
Previously, in private houses, separate opening cabinets, which occupy a place in the premises and do not fit into the interiors, as a rule, were not made. They were traditionally installed outside the building in separate booths on a high-voltage pole. Today, the situation has changed dramatically, so it’s not possible to manage with junction boxes alone. The need to assemble a 220 Volt electrical panel for a private house is caused by the following reasons:
- an increasing number of users prefer to independently monitor the status of equipment that provides control of energy consumption, as well as surge protection and short circuit;
- the number of devices used for these purposes is growing steadily every year and requires more space for its placement;
- cupboard products have appeared that do not spoil modern interiors with their design: they have an attractive appearance and are convenient to use, and are characterized by increased safety.
In a wooden house, the value of the distribution cabinet increases significantly, since in the private sector there are great opportunities for building up electrical equipment. They are limited only by the limit of electricity recorded in kW / h.
Types of guards for a private house
Electrical panels are designed for the safe connection and distribution of electricity throughout the private house. Depending on their functional purpose, they are divided into the following types:
- Introductory devices to be installed in the place of the power cable supply.
- Boxes for installing a remote electric meter.
- Switchboards installed directly in the house and designed for wiring internal supply lines, as well as their protection.
They practically do not differ from the same products installed in apartments of urban buildings. The difference usually manifests itself only in that they install significantly more samples of control, protective and distribution equipment. In private farms there is also the opportunity to make a separate shield, designed specifically for the maintenance of lighting lines.
Choosing an installation location
Before you make an electrical panel for a summer house or do it yourself, you should worry about choosing a place for it. It is most convenient to hang a cupboard on a wall section near the front door in the hallway area. In this case, the distance from the post with the tap will be minimal, the length of the cable to be laid is small. It is placed in height taking into account that it is convenient to take meter readings and switch distribution (linear) machines.
Unlike old guards with an open arrangement of plugs and knife switches, new products do not need to be placed high under the ceiling.
The body of the product reliably covers elements of switching equipment that are dangerous for children. The main thing is to provide a reliable lock that can only be opened with a key.
When determining where to install the shield, it is also important to consider how and where exactly the power cable is wound up. When electrifying a new building, data on the layout of external networks can be obtained from specialists of the local branch of Energosbyt.
Buy a ready-made electrical panel for installation in an apartment or assemble it yourself
Typical cabinets and panels for single-phase or three-phase networks are available in a wide variety of configurations, often their design is developed to order. You can buy a ready-made cabinet that is already fully equipped with everything you need and then add the necessary equipment to the DIN rail. It is even simpler to purchase only the case of the future shield with all installation accessories, and then assemble it yourself from scratch.
The positive aspects of this approach are:
- significant cost savings;
- the ability to mount installation elements and devices at your discretion, without going beyond the fundamental restrictions;
- a clear understanding of how the circuit of an electric panel assembled on its own is arranged.
A competent approach to choosing the right solution takes into account factors such as ease of maintenance of equipment and its maintainability. It will be much easier to carry out these operations with a self-equipped cabinet.
Shield elements and assembly order
A properly assembled shield scheme is the basis for the normal operation of the entire power supply system of the house. Therefore, it is important to immediately understand the composition of the future switchgear. You will need to place the following elements:
- DIN rails used for fixing electrical devices.
- Grounding busbars, made in the form of strips with a set of mounting holes.
- Introductory machine.
- An electric meter mounted next to it.
- Residual current devices (RCD).
- Linear circuit breakers.
- Surge protection relays and other devices.
As a rule, there are no special difficulties with the installation and connection of most of the listed devices. The only thing you should pay attention to is the rationale for using an RCD and a voltage relay. The electrical panel in an apartment with an RCD and a voltage relay guarantees its user protection against electric shock and potential drops. Therefore, their installation in a private residential building is considered mandatory.
When assembling the shield, they are guided by the documentation applied to any samples of products of this type. It provides step-by-step instructions on how to install all components and how to fix them.
Calculation of the number of modules
Cases are sold with DIN rails already fixed in them, designed for a given number of devices, which is indicated in the product name. This characteristic is understood as the number of elements with a multiplicity of one module (18 mm), freely placed on the fixing guide. To determine their exact number, it will be necessary to add up the sizes of all installed products in the modules, taking into account the margin for the gaps between them (3-4 mm).
In the description of some cabinets, mounting rails with end caps are mentioned, after removing which one more seat can be freed. With self-assembly, the number of such modules is best planned with a small margin. If the approximate calculations gave the number 66, it is advisable to choose a box for 72 module places.
Choice of housing
Cases of shields differ in the material used for their manufacture (metal or plastic), as well as the degree of tightness. Metal cabinets are highly durable and can withstand significant loads.They are suitable in a situation when a three-phase power supply is required in the house, requiring the installation of a large number of protective devices.
Since in a private household such a cabinet is usually installed inside the house, taking care of its tightness is not so important. An exception is the case when it comes to a box for a remote electric meter, placed on the front wall of the house. By the method of installation within the boundaries of the structure, the cabinets can be hinged or built into a special niche in the wall.
In the first case, they will protrude outside, occupying a certain part of the living space, and in the second, they will be completely sunk in the thickness of the walls. The choice is at the discretion of the landlord. Plastic cabinets are available in both versions and are usually selected to accommodate small-volume assemblies serving cottages or small cottages. In terms of strength and degree of climate protection IP, they are not inferior to metal counterparts.
Useful Tips
When choosing, installing and subsequently disconnecting a shield in a private house, it is recommended to take into account the following nuances:
- the size and number of mounted din rails should be taken with a margin, this is useful if you need to place new equipment;
- at three-phase power supply of the line of power sockets and control of lighting it is desirable to be powered from a separate panel;
- to increase the reliability of such systems in the cabinet will have to provide a breakdown of devices into groups and levels of protection.
Subject to all the rules and recommendations, anyone will be able to independently assemble and disconnect a cabinet serving the electrical network of a private house.
