Panel houses are old buildings. Communication systems in them are already outdated, so they need to be changed. The old wiring is made of aluminum wires, which is unacceptable by modern standards. Their service life is limited to 20 years, after which the wiring may catch fire. According to new requirements, the house must have copper wiring. You should understand how to replace old wiring in a panel house.
Features of electrical wiring in a panel house
Panel houses are economy class buildings that were built quickly and using inexpensive materials. Floors, walls, ceilings were made of reinforced metal with concrete. Each wall is a carrier, so it is impossible to redevelop. Nowadays, buildings of this type are not being built, they prefer brick.
The electrical wiring in the panel house was laid in special channels. They were made at the factory inside reinforced concrete slabs. It is impossible to move communications to a more convenient place. There is another option for laying wires - between ceiling and wall plates. When replacing wiring, you need to pay attention to the method of laying electrical wires.
Conductors for chandeliers in a panel house are laid through special channels in the ceiling or between the ceiling panel and the wall. It is important to note that even within the same house on different floors, wiring can be laid in different ways. It is impossible to rely on full compliance with installation requirements, even simple rules could be violated during construction and repair.
Reasons to replace
Change the old wiring in the following cases:
- physical wear of aluminum wires;
- end of cable life;
- inability to withstand the load of modern household appliances;
- with old wiring, grounding cannot be done;
- major repairs in the apartment, redevelopment.
Replacing all the wiring in the house will be quite expensive. You can replace not only cables, but also old sockets and switches. But this must be done so that housing is safe. You can save if you change the cables yourself. But this must be done if you have certain skills and abilities in compliance with safety precautions. Otherwise, it is recommended to seek help from a specialist.
Wiring Methods
Before changing the wiring, you need to make a new layout in advance or change the old one. You can perform both partial and complete replacement of wiring in the house. In the diagram, it should be noted what load will be consumed in each room, how many outlets and switches will be installed, at what height.
In the kitchen, it will be necessary to put electric wires of a larger cross section and powerful sockets, since the main load is concentrated there. For the rooms, two outlets of 5 sq.m. are enough. Particular attention should be paid to the bathroom, in which special climatic conditions. Sockets, if provided in the bathroom, must be connected via an RCD or a differential machine. Also, RCD should be carried out on powerful appliances - a washing machine, a water heater, an electric stove, a dishwasher.
The cheapest way to lay electrical wiring is to place the wires on the surface of the walls. Cables are secured with clips, cable ties or brackets. Then a layer of plaster is applied on top.The disadvantage of the method is that an additional budget is required for plastering surfaces.
If you make a concrete screed, you can lay cables on the floor. They are laid in corrugated pipes, placed on the floor and poured with concrete. Similarly, you can put the wiring on the ceiling. The disadvantage is the inability to install the outlet on the floor and ceiling, which will have to additionally ditch the surface of the walls.
You can make an open wiring. Then the cables are placed in plastic channels, PVC pipes or corrugations and installed on the walls. It is possible to lay electrical wiring in an open way even after the repair is completed. A prerequisite is a vertical or horizontal arrangement of lines. It is recommended to mark in advance with a pencil on the wall where the lines will be laid. Minus - an unaesthetic look.
Cables must pass through the old channels, then additional wall chipping is not required. For repair work, the master must have a professional tool.
Strobing slabs
The walls in prefabricated houses are load-bearing, therefore their integrity cannot be violated. But such a ban applies to horizontal gates, vertical ones can be made. But you need to take into account the restrictions - the strobes should not be deep (more than 10 mm) and metal reinforcement should not be broken. Strobing should be carried out only on straight lines without slopes and zigzags.
Channels should be located at a distance of more than 40 cm from the gas supply system and water supply. The distance from the door and window openings should be more than 15 cm.
From the materials you will need a grinder with a diamond disk or a chamfer.
Step-by-step replacement instructions
After considering the main methods of wiring, you should go to the rules of replacement. Step-by-step instructions on how to change the wiring in a panel house:
- Turn off the power supply. You need to make sure with a multimeter that there is no voltage entering the apartment. It will take one temporary outlet for a drill, punch, and other tool. It is better if the necessary devices will work on battery power. You also need to take care of alternative autonomous light sources in advance.
- Dismantling accessories. It is necessary to remove all the interfering equipment and furniture from the walls and get convenient access to all sockets, distribution boxes, switches. All sockets and switches must be removed, only electric wires to connect new products must remain. Then you need to disconnect the wires in the junction box.
- Dismantling the wiring. In some cases, it is impossible to remove the old wires, then they can be left in the wall. Old cables must be disconnected from the shield, their ends must be insulated.
- Drawing up a gasket diagram and choosing a wiring method. You need to immediately purchase all the necessary cables, sockets and other items. According to modern requirements, outlet and lighting groups use copper electric wires with a cross section of 2.5 sq. Mm and 1.5 sq. Mm, respectively. When buying outlets, it is recommended that you take the old version with you to the store, otherwise you can buy a model with the wrong socket.
- Installation. It is necessary to put junction boxes, lay lines to powerful household appliances, sockets and switches. You should collect the shield. Wires can be connected using terminals, crimping with sleeves, soldering, welding spring clips. Twisting is strictly prohibited.
- Verification It is necessary to check all connections and wires for a short circuit using a tester in ohmmeter mode. The insulation should be carefully examined for possible integrity violations. If everything is in good condition, you can begin to finish.
You can call an electrician to check the wiring. For a small amount, he will test the assembled system, and then the residents of the house will be confident in the safety of the apartment.
Mounting holes for outlets
If the drawn up scheme provides for the installation of new outlets, one more tap of work will be required - drilling holes in the wall. This will require a pencil and a ruler, a perforator with a drill of 8 mm, a nozzle-crown, a blade for excavating concrete from the hole.
In the place where the socket will be installed, you need to draw a pencil with a diameter of the socket. In the center of the circle you need to make a hole 50-60 cm deep. Using a crown, outline the contour of the hole and drill about 14 holes with a drill according to the intended pattern. Now you can drill a hole to the full depth and knock the remnants of concrete into the spatula. Similarly, holes are made for junction boxes.
