Electrical wiring in a wooden house: design rules + step-by-step installation

Wooden houses are chosen as housing for many reasons: some people are contraindicated from living in concrete “boxes,” while others like beautiful log houses. However, living in them is closely related to the concept of safety. That is why electrical wiring in a wooden house is considered one of the key aspects.

We will talk about how to properly install electrical wiring in a wooden house. We will tell you what diagrams, consumables and electrical installation products are used in laying lines along walls made of timber or logs. With our advice, you can create a secure and trouble-free network.

Electrical supply project for a wooden house

Even if all logs, beams and boards are treated with fire retardants, they remain vulnerable to accidental fire. For this reason, the stages of constructing an electrical system - from design to installation of sockets and switches - need to be known to both skilled “do-it-yourselfers” and owners who supervise the work of hired builders.

According to the legislation of the Russian Federation, for residential buildings with a power consumption of no more than 15 kW, drawing up an electrical network design is not required.But the company supplying electricity must provide a diagram and data on the total power consumption. This is necessary for calculating the allocated power on the line and installing a meter.

Some electricity supply companies, when concluding a contract, still require a project that includes, in addition to the internal wiring diagram, installation points for sockets, switches, junction boxes, and an electrical panel with a meter

In the process of developing a project, you need to take into account all the nuances: the exact location of electrical installations, the choice of cable and wiring method, the need for grounding, etc. Let’s look at how the project is drawn up and preparation for installation work in more detail.

Step #1 - drawing up a diagram and work plan

You can do the design yourself if you have experience in such work, or with the help of specialists by concluding an agreement with a design organization.

A professionally drawn up document contains the following points:

• electrical panel diagram;
• electrical installation plan;
• calculations for installing a ground loop;
• outputs outside the house, if any - autonomous sources of electricity;
• equipment installation plan with specifications;
• if approval is required, a package of permits;
• explanatory note.

But first you should contact Energosbyt to obtain specifications - technical conditions, which are signed in accordance with SNiP.

Owners who apply for a connection with a power of less than 15 kW will have to collect the least amount of paperwork. They need to write a list of electrical appliances and calculate their total power. If the power consumption is more than 35 kW, a linear power supply circuit is required. For 380 V networks, a three-phase circuit is drawn up.

As a basis for drawing up a diagram, they usually take a house plan with verified dimensions and directly in it indicate the locations of lighting fixtures, switches, sockets, powerful equipment - boilers, washing machines, refrigerators

In the kitchen, 1-2 sockets are not enough, as in the bedrooms, you should definitely plan installation of socket blocks. The location of power points is not strictly regulated by either the PUE or building codes. Socket mounting height justified only by ease of use.

It is rational to use in corridors pass-through switches, in the rooms there are ordinary 2-3-keyboards. They are installed at a height of 90 to 160 cm.

The scheme should include lighting of the local area, as well as the garage, summer kitchen and bathhouse - usually the power is distributed to all objects connected to a dedicated line

The location of the electrical panel should be planned so that it is easily accessible, but only for adults - that is, it is better at a height of 150 cm.

All rules regarding the project apply to any houses, not just wooden ones. But the risk of accidental fire due to improper planning or installation of networks is higher in buildings made of wood.

Step #2 - study the rules and requirements for electrical wiring

If activities are carried out independently and questions arise regarding the use of certain materials, as well as cable laying technologies, you should rely on the rules and regulations for connection electricity in a wooden house, set out in the PUE and SNiP.

Installation in accordance with the requirements of the PUE is more difficult, more expensive, but more expedient than acting at random.You need to remember that it is compliance with the rules that will protect your home, protect it from fire, and the wiring from overload, short circuit and current leakage

For example, one of the requirements is to use only copper wires, the cross-section of which is selected according to the network load. They are more expensive, but have better conductivity and mechanical strength, last a long time and are easy to install.

A few more requirements, the fulfillment of which will protect a wooden house from harm:

1. To protect against damage, condensation, and contact with dust, the cable is placed in metal pipes, metal flexible hoses or plastic boxes.
2. The joints of protective pipes or boxes must be carefully sealed.
3. It is prohibited to lay electrical wiring through ventilation shafts and ducts.
4. Before purchasing a cable, you must correctly calculate its cross-section, which must correspond to the current load.
5. For closed wiring, it is recommended to use only metal pipes; flexible and self-extinguishing hoses are not suitable.
6. One of the conditions for complete protection is a properly assembled electrical panel with a set circuit breakers And RCD.

It is also not recommended to save on materials and buy cheap products from unverified manufacturers. If you have no experience in electrical installation of closed wiring, it is better to make an open one - there are many ways to safely install and decorate.

Step #3 - preparing materials and tools

Before making an estimate, you need to determine which tool will be useful and how much installation material you need to purchase. A pre-drawn diagram indicating all electrical installations and cable runs will help with this.

For installation you will need both hand and power tools:

• hammer;
• Screwdriver Set;
• voltage indicator (tester);
• pliers;
• construction knife.

A distinctive feature of tools for electrical work is their insulated handles. In addition, you should prepare protective gloves and shoes with rubber soles. Materials are selected taking into account the load, installation method, and subsequent decorative finishing. The basis of the electrical network will be the following products:

In addition, it is necessary to purchase insulating materials for wiring - metal hoses, ducts or cable channels, mounting clips, self-tapping screws, aluminum tape for insulation, metal pipes for adapter sleeves. It is recommended to buy the cable with a margin of 10-15%.

After drawing up the project, calculations, approval (if necessary) and preparation of materials, you can begin to work.

Stages of electrical installation in a wooden house

The process of equipping electrical networks includes not only the installation of wires, everything is important here: entering the power cable into the house, installing a grounding loop, filling the electrical panel. Some difficulties are associated with planning and arranging hidden wiring. Any activities must be carried out in accordance with the norms and requirements of SNiP and PUE.

Stage #1 - supplying electricity to the building

Over the past decades, electricity consumption has increased, and along with this, the requirements for arranging the entry of power lines into the house.

There are two ways to enter cables:

• aboveground or aerial, implemented using high supports;
• underground or trench.

The first method is traditional - power communications are pulled from the power line directly to the house. To do this, use insulated polyethylene SIP wire, which is called self-supporting. It does not require the installation of an additional cable and is supported by its own load-bearing capacity.

If the length of the input line is more than 25 m, it is necessary to install additional support. Often an external electrical panel is also placed on this support (pole)

The underground method of entering the power line is more modern. The wires are laid in a trench with a depth of 0.8 m or more. The security zone on the ground surface is marked with signs. Underground wires, additionally insulated and placed in a metal pipe, are maximally protected from moisture, damage and stress.

The wire is inserted into a wooden structure using a metal sleeve, which can be made from a piece of thick-walled pipe. The main purpose of the sleeve is to prevent contact between the cable and the wooden parts of the house.

Stage #2 - installing a ground loop

There is an old proven method of grounding for a private home. Not far from the point where the power cable enters the house, a triangular hole 0.5 m deep is dug in the ground. Metal rods - pins, fittings - are driven into the corners of the resulting triangle, and they are connected with thick wire or a corner.

The ground loop does not have to be in the form of a triangle; round, rectangular and linear options are also designed. The number of electrodes can be more than three

Then a metal conductor is drawn from the circuit to a pole or wall, the end of which is connected to the grounding bus in the electrical panel. The circuit also includes a lightning rod. The underground structure is covered with soil.

Stage #3 - setting up an electrical panel

The electrical panel of a wooden house is the “brain” of the electrical network, on which the operation of the system and the safety of residents depend.

In order for it to function correctly, a number of important rules must be followed:

• shield sizes are selected according to quantity RCDs and automatic machines, but with a reserve - free spaces on DIN rails;
• in addition to automatic machines and RCDs, it is necessary to allocate places for the electric meter, grounding and neutral busbars, and connected wires;
• if the shield is placed outdoors, it must be protected from precipitation;
• installation height is at least 1.5 m so that children or animals do not have access.

The denomination of the machines, as well as wire cross section, depends on the current load. The input parameters of the machine are focused on the electricity limit from the supplier.

A sealed box with the ability to take meter readings and a convenient door - reliable protection of electrical installations from rain and possible mechanical damage

To connect or connect wires, it is recommended to use more efficient and replaceable terminals; twisting is not suitable, and soldering takes a long time and requires practiced skills.

Stage #4 - install the wiring correctly

Option 1. Installation of hidden wiring. Before starting installation work, you should decide on the type of electrical wiring.The fact is that without protection it is impossible to fix the cable inside wooden elements: beams, logs, etc.

According to PUE-6, it is possible to install hidden wiring, but using a metal pipe.

Installation of wires in steel pipes. Plastered grooves, monolithic factory structures are practically not used, and flexible corrugations and boxes are considered not strong enough - they burn out when ignited

Hidden wiring is risky and difficult to do on your own: each wire will have to be placed inside a metal pipe, and the junctions of the two pipes will have to be hermetically sealed together.

Firefighters do not recommend using this method, but if it is still important for home owners to disguise the wires under the cladding, they should follow the following instructions:

1. Prepare grooves in logs/beams.
2. Install distribution boxes so that they can be accessed even after finishing work.
3. Drill holes in the walls and partitions and insert pass-through sleeves with machined edges into them.
4. Also install metal mounting “glasses” in the places where switches and sockets are attached.
5. Select the diameter of the pipes so that the wires occupy no more than 40-50% of the internal space.
6. The ends of the pipes, as well as the sleeves, should be sanded or protected with plastic rims so that the wires do not bend or break.
7. Secure the pipes to the ceiling or walls with clamps, to metal sleeves using the flaring method.
8. Route the wires according to the diagram inside the pipes.
9. Connect the wires in the junction boxes, connect them to electrical installations and the electrical panel.

After this, you can cover the wooden surfaces with clapboard, plasterboard or other material.

To protect the metal from corrosion, galvanized or stainless steel pipes are chosen. Plain steel is coated with anti-corrosion paint. If high humidity is noticed, the pipes are laid at an angle to drain condensate.

Option #2. Installation of open wiring. Exposed wiring is in plain sight, mounted on top of wooden surfaces, so it should look attractive.

Used for camouflage corrugated pipes, hard plastic boxes and baseboards made of non-flammable material. But many people don’t like the “office” design, and they use retro wiring specifically designed to create the internal electrical network of a wooden house.

If your budget is small and retro wiring is too expensive, boxes made of self-extinguishing plastic will do. You can choose the color that best suits the wall cladding: white, brown, beige, wood-look.

Electrical installation instructions:

1. Select cable channels and baseboards that match the diameter of the wires.
2. Remove the top part - the cover, and fix the base on a wooden surface with self-tapping screws.
3. At joints and corners, install distribution boxes for connecting wires.
4. Install sockets and switches in accordance with the rules for installing electrical installations in wooden houses.
5. Place the wires in the cable channels.
6. Connect all lines.
7. Attach the upper parts - the lids, and snap them into place.

Protection is considered complete when the wires do not contact the wooden surface anywhere and do not protrude outward.

Stage #5 - install switches and sockets

Installation overhead electrical points is carried out according to general rules, with one exception - an additional insulating non-combustible material, for example, aluminum or asbestos, is placed under each device.

Switches are mounted on the same principle as sockets.

If the inside of the device is partially recessed into a beam or log, you should use only metal sockets - protective sleeves that will not ignite or melt in the event of a short circuit or accidental fire

For accurate installation, wood overlays and inserts are often used. To reduce the risk, they must be treated with a fire retardant - additional protection will not hurt.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

Video #1. Risks of incorrect installation and recommendations for correct installation:

Video #2. General rules for electrical wiring devices:

Video #3.Review of electrical installation results in a log house:

Even if you know the basics of electrical work, do not start installing wiring in a wooden house yourself without the appropriate education, skills and experience.. There are a number of nuances and rules known only to qualified installers.

Please write comments in the block below. Ask questions about unclear or interesting points, post photographs related to the topic of the article. Share useful information that may be useful to site visitors.