How to Map House Electrical Circuits 540
by Admin
Posted on 20-08-2022 09:42 AM
The consumer unit or commonly known as fuse box is the heart of a
home
wiring installation. It is usually mounted near the energy meter. A modern consumer unit as pictured above houses modular electrical devices called circuit breakers.
There are 4 main kinds of circuit breakers in a common household: main switch, mcb and rcd. The main switch functions like a master switch that is able to isolate the incoming electrical power supply to the house. After the main switch the incoming power supply is split to several circuits such as power, light and appliance. Each circuit is protected & controlled by a miniature circuit breaker mcb.
Throughout the house, one hot wire and one neutral wire power conventional 120-volt lights and appliances. Both hot wires and the neutral wire make a 240-volt circuit for large appliances such as air conditioners and electric furnaces. An electric meter, monitored by your electric utility company, is mounted where the electricity enters your house. The main panel is usually right next to or under the meter. This is the central distribution point for the electrical circuits that run to lights, receptacles, and appliances throughout the house.
Electric service panels have a number of different names: fuse box , fuse panel, and circuit breaker panel. Today, most homes have what is officially called the electrical service panel, or simply, the service panel. A circuit breaker panel is not exactly the same as the fuse box because it has mechanical, toggle-switch circuit breakers, not fuses, but it does perform the same function. The older fuses screw or pull in or out, as opposed to the rocker-style method of installing and removing circuit breakers. Power comes into the house from a service drop, connects to the service lugs within the service panel, and is split into separate circuits throughout the house.
It is recommended that systems are tested every 10 years or upon change of ownership. To check the condition of your electrical system it’s advisable to arrange for a thorough electrical inspection and test by a qualified electrician, who will provide a test certificate. This is essentially an mot for your home, and can be a lifesaver. It typically involves unscrewing and checking around 40% of all sockets and switches and lighting points in the house and takes several hours. This is followed by a series of tests carried out on the wiring as well as testing the insulation resistance to cables, and checking the circuits, consumer unit and rcds.
Troubleshooting Home Electrical Problems
Your power company takes care of getting power to your home, but once it enters your home, everything related to your home’s electrical system — wiring, switches, outlets, fixtures — is your responsibility. As a homeowner, it’s important to know enough about the basic components of your system to make smart decisions about safety, maintenance, and upgrades. Safety. Over 6% of home fires are caused by electrical issues. That’s a significant number. Knowing the basics of how electricity works in your home may prevent an unnecessary electrical fire. Maintenance.
An electrical problem in your home may not be quite as obvious as a leaky faucet.
Over a third of home buyers then went on to discover electrical problems that they were not aware of before purchase - something that could easily be avoided by getting a registered electrician to inspect the electrics and issue an electrical installation condition report.