Now that spring has sprung, many homeowners are taking on home projects and checking things off of their honey-do-list. Some people may knock out simple chores like spring cleaning and tidying up, and others may take on more challenging tasks like wiring their home.
We recommended working with a local electrical company that will send an experienced electrician to wire a house. With over thirty years in business, Denny’s Electric Service has helped thousands of customers with their electrical needs. We’d love to work on any household wiring projects that you may need help with.
That said, if you’re considering tackling a household wiring project yourself, here are some things you should know before you get started.
Put Safety First
Safety should always be the top priority for anyone working on a project involving electricity. When doing any sort of electrical work, be sure to shut off the power to help reduce the possibility of any injuries or damage to your home.
Safety is the number one reason why you should work with a professional electrician during your electrical projects. When things are done incorrectly during an electrical project, it can cause issues ranging from the wiring not working as intended to shocks, fires, or even death.
Create A Wiring Diagram
Before you start your wiring project, create a wiring diagram. Designing a wiring diagram is a crucial step you do not want to skip, since it will detail exactly where and what is wired in your home.
Include everything electrical in your wiring diagram, such as light switches, outlets, and appliances. A wiring diagram will help you determine if you have enough outlets. If you know how many outlets a room will have, you can space them out properly or install additional ones.
Know About Electrical Codes
It’s essential that you know and understand electrical codes when working with household wiring. Violating electrical codes can put you and your home at risk. They also can lead to costly fines and may require expensive repairs.
These codes exist to ensure that electrical systems are safe and in working order, so research or consult with a professional before starting your project.
Recognize Different Wire Types
Generally speaking, there are three types of wires you must know about for a household wiring project. These wires are known as hot, neutral, and ground wires, and you can tell the difference by looking at them.
Here are the types of wires:
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Black wiring in your home is the hot wire. These wires carry electricity from the power source to an outlet.
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White wiring in your home is the neutral wire. The neutral wire completes the circuit created by the hot wire.
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Bare copper wiring in your home is the ground wire. Ground wires act as a defense against unstable electrical currents. Normally, these wires do not carry any current, though this may not be the case if a short circuit occurs.
All electrical wiring in a home should be treated with the same care and precaution, regardless of type.
You should also ensure you have the correct wire size for the job, which is measured in gauges. The higher the gauge, the thinner the wire. The lower the gauge, the thicker the wire. Circuits in your home power different things and will use a specific gauge wire, so be sure you know which gauge is required for the circuits in your project.
Understand Electrical Circuits
Different types of electrical circuits in your home serve different purposes. One type of circuit may provide power to your outlets while another provides power to a baseboard heater.
Large appliances like dishwashers or an HVAC system should have a dedicated circuit. Appliances should never be on the same circuit as another appliance or even on one that powers lights or an outlet. This runs the risk of too much power going to one circuit, which is unsafe.
A lot more can go into an electrical wiring project, but these are just some of the basic points you will need to know before you get started.
If you have read this far and think you might want to leave this to the professionals, look no further than Denny’s Electric Service. We are a local electric company in southeastern PA that can help with household wiring projects and many other residential services. Contact us today to see how we can help you with wiring or any other electrical project in your home!
