In the garage, it is impossible to do without electricity, otherwise it is an ordinary box for storing a car, tools and equipment. At the stage of construction and electricity, you need to take care of arranging a shield for the garage. Its housing is additionally equipped with a device for metering electricity consumption. You can buy ready-made designs in specialized stores, which are called electric garage shields, or make them yourself.
Why install an electric switchboard in a garage
When installing and registering the device, the garage becomes a room that must be fully equipped in order to optimize its functionality. When choosing equipment, the layout and area of the room should be thought out in advance. This is due to the fact that it is these factors that determine the amount of electricity consumed. For maximum comfort, the room is divided into several zones:
- The main part intended for car storage.
- An additional area for storing tools, as well as for placing the working area and repair pit.
Many car owners themselves carry out tire fitting and other repairs, therefore, lighting in the room requires full. To carry out a large number of works, the installation of a quality shield is required.
Description of electrical panel
The device is a convenient and functional panel, inside which there is a special electrical equipment. Thanks to his work, current is received and distributed. They make equipment from materials resistant to mechanical and thermal influences. The switchboard is equipped with a door, which must always be locked. When leaving the garage, the device can be easily de-energized. The device also includes such parts:
- An certified electric meter, on which the results of the check are recorded in the organization of Energosbyt.
- Mounting box and patch panel, as well as metal mounting rails located in several rows.
- RCD device that performs a protective function. Protects people and equipment from leakage and drainage of currents along bridges with good conductivity.
- Single-phase bags that can automatically break the circuit when short circuit is detected.
We are talking about an electrical device that supplies a voltage of 220 watts. The supply and arrangement of a three-phase circuit should be carried out only by employees of RES, according to a previously agreed project.
The supply voltage of the lamps in the inspection pits and basements should not exceed 26 V.
Which device can be installed in the garage
Electrical panels are made of plastic and metal. You can mount a plastic case, but given the number of metal objects in the garage, it is better to give preference to a box of metal, it will be safer. It is also worth mentioning the increased resistance to mechanical damage.
If the garage is not heated, a high concentration of moisture periodically accumulates in the air, which contributes to the formation of corrosion on the metal housing. To prevent the development of this unpleasant phenomenon, the climatic modification of the shield should be additionally equipped with ultrasound. These devices are specially designed for unheated rooms and operate in the temperature range from -40 to +40 degrees.
In addition, the housing must be equipped with a locking device, to the bolt of which a grounding part is connected.
Mainly, an electrical panel is needed to place protection devices and an electric meter in it. Before you purchase a specific meter for electricity consumption, you need to consult with a consultant which of the presented models will work properly in garage conditions.
The most common equipment is single-phase electromechanical with a maximum current of 50 A. The electric meter must be checked by the employees of the RES and sealed.
Quite often, owners of garages do not use a store box when carrying out electricity to store all control devices in it. To save money, they make an electrical panel in the garage with their own hands from a PCB or getinaks. They place single-phase packets and hang up an electricity meter. Sachets should be placed in black ebony cases.
The self-made device does not have special advantages, so it is recommended that you still purchase a modern electric device.
Connection diagram for controls inside the box
Algorithm for connecting electrical appliances inside the shield:
- A line with three conductors is drawn from the pillar, and is wound through a special channel into the electrical panel. As the channels through which electric cables will be conducted, pipes made of steel or metal plastic can be used. To avoid unpleasant situations, it is recommended to enter the box through the back wall of the shield.
- On the mounting plates in the internal part of the device, an RCD protection unit, a short-circuit breaker and an electric meter are sequentially connected. Further, it is important to correctly install the socket boxes, the ventilation system of the basement, the power transformer of the lamps and lighting devices.
- One by one, all devices are connected into a single circuit with the help of switching blocks, after which they are connected to power wires and lighting wiring, to a socket block with a maximum allowable consumption current of no more than 25 A.
Experts recommend stripping wire strips to mark with colored electrical tape. This will make it possible in the future to know exactly where the phase-to-ground is and to simplify the connection to the blocks.
Of great importance in the installation of the electrical panel is a full-fledged grounding circuit of the wiring. Electricians say that you should not rely on the neutral and grounding of its voltage lines. When a line is shorted, a large power surge can be observed, which will lead to the burning of the connected electrical devices.
Scheme of the electrical panel in the garage
During the construction of the electric network, it is important to consider that each consumer is connected separately through a protection device. The shield must be equipped with circuit breakers. In addition to distribution machines, establish introductory. The choice depends on the type of network from which the electrical power is supplied.
If the wiring to the garage is laid from a single-phase network, the input circuit breaker should be 220 V. If we are talking about a three-phase network, it is preferable to install a circuit breaker at 380 V.
The type of network is taken depending on the needs of the premises owner. If a welding machine is often used, a three-phase network must be connected.
The choice of automatic fuses is carried out in accordance with the type of consumption. The technical specifications of the equipment are also taken into account. Passports are often attached to the devices, where there is information about the rated voltage and current strength.
In the garage, it is recommended to mount not only traditional household outlets, but also differential machines. Other consumers can connect via conventional fuses. For example, if the receivers belong to the same category, you can connect them to a common machine.
In the garage, the most energy-consuming appliance is the welding machine. Therefore, in the case of its regular use, it is important to provide for the need for power reserve.
Experienced electricians are always guided by the results of calculations when carrying out work. Be sure to take into account the passport characteristics of electrical appliances. In addition, at least one machine with a permissible current of 16 A is installed for the reserve. To account for the consumed amount of electricity, an electric meter is installed in the panel.
For grounding, a system is made of rods with a diameter of approximately 1.5 cm. They must be connected to each other by a steel strip.
