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Switchboard in the apartment. Electrical panels, distribution cabinets, boxes
Electrical panels, cabinets and boxes
Electrical switchboard - the general name of switchboard equipment that is used for domestic and industrial purposes. The distribution cabinet (or box) performs the role of a protective and distributing device in one and three-phase networks. The use of cabinet equipment protects people from electric shock and protects installed appliances from damage both inside buildings and premises, and on the street.
Metal and plastic shields are produced, which are used as:
- main electrical panels;
- introductory electrical panels;
- input distribution cabinets;
- switching nodes;
- mounting boxes for electric machines.
Selection of electrical panels
To choose the right electrical panel, you need to determine its purpose and installation location. For ease of selection, all equipment is divided into several types, depending on the purpose and characteristics.
1. According to the material of manufacture
metal shields
They can be used as main, introductory, input-distributing devices and switching units. For installation inside buildings, metal shields with a degree of protection IP 40 are chosen, for outdoor installation - with an index of IP54-66. Sealed switchgear electrical boxes, ABB metal shields, Legrand Atlantic cabinets will ensure the safe operation of electrical equipment at high humidity indoors and when installed outdoors.
Plastic boxes
They are intended for indoor installation as a group, floor and apartment shield, as well as a switching or mounting box for automatic machines.
Application area:
- residential buildings
- public infrastructure
- healthcare facilities
- children's institutions
- construction, industrial and production facilities
- energy infrastructure
- communication networks (communications, data centers)
Electrical plastic boxes of a moisture-proof type are installed outdoors and inside buildings in areas with high humidity, temperature and dustiness. They have a degree of protection of at least IP65 and guarantee the tightness required for harsh environments. These include shields Schneider Electric Kaedra, Legrand Plexo, ABB waterproof boxes of the Mistral and Europa series.
2. By type of installation
Mounted or wall-mounted
Suitable for installation as a distribution and input cabinet, for installation of a wide range of modular and conventional electrical equipment (automatic devices, RCDs, relays, measuring and accounting devices). As well as for the installation of telecommunications equipment (telephony, Internet, TV, conference calls).
For damp, dusty and "hot" rooms, sealed metal switchboards and boxes for automatic machines with a protection factor of IP65 are used. They can be mounted outdoors, in open warehouses, underpasses, in temporary and unfinished buildings. These are shields Legrand Plexo, Kaedra from Schneider Electric, boxes for IEK machines.
For normal conditions, you can buy a switchboard with a protection value of IP 40.
Application area:
Wall cabinets and boxes are installed in wooden houses and buildings to ensure safe electrical installation. In addition, they are used in brick, concrete, modular buildings, if external wiring is used there.
Hidden shields in a niche
A niche shield for electric machines is convenient for installation when hidden wiring when all cables are connected directly in the wall without output to the surface. Modern design, high-quality plastic and a wide variety of door types and colors make it possible to combine niche boxes with any design solutions.
Application area:
They are used only indoors with solid or hollow walls made of brick, concrete, gypsum and drywall, as well as for installation in partitions made of non-combustible materials (glass, plastic, metal). Any boxes in a niche are not sealed, so they cannot be used in wet conditions, such as outdoors or in wet rooms.
Among the interesting solutions are the series
There is an electrical panel in which all circuit breakers, RCDs, difavtomats and even an electric meter are installed. It is from the switchboard that the wiring is carried out through the rooms, so you need to take the issue of choosing a variety of this product very seriously. Next, we will tell you how to choose an electrical panel and which one is better for an apartment, house, cottage and even a garage.
Installation method
The first thing you need to decide is which design of the electrical panel to choose - outdoor installation or built-in. If you have plasterboard walls in your apartment or house, it is better to choose a built-in electrical panel that does not spoil the interior of the room so much. However, if the walls are concrete and there is no way to make a niche, it is allowed to install an overhead electrical panel.
In the country, you also need to look at the circumstances. For example, in a wooden house or in a bathhouse, it is better to install a safer overhead shield.
As for the garage or industrial premises, you don’t have to worry and install a hinged electrical panel on the wall, which is an order of magnitude easier to install.
Production material
When choosing an electrical panel, special attention should be paid to the material from which it will be made - plastic or metal. The plastic shield is much more beautiful, so it is recommended to choose it for an apartment, private house or office.
The metal case is more durable, strong and reliable. This version of the electrical panel is better to choose for a production room, garage or street.
We draw your attention to the fact that if you decide to choose a plastic electrical panel, be sure to buy a product from a reliable manufacturer. Cheap Chinese switchboards quickly turn yellow and are also famous for the fact that they break quite simply.
Number of modules
Another equally important criterion for choosing an electrical panel is by the number of modules. In order to choose the right size of the shield, you first need to indicate the exact number of machines, RCDs, difavtomatov, and also determine whether there will be a meter inside the electrical panel. With the scheme drawn up, choosing the number of modules is not difficult. Please note that the width of one module is 18 mm (single-pole switch width). To correctly perform the calculation, be guided by the following values (the number of modules that one device occupies):
- Electric meter - from 6 to 8.
- Three-phase RCD - 5.
- Single-phase RCD - 3.
- Three-phase circuit breaker - 3.
- Bipolar machine - 2.
- Single-pole machine - 1.
Usually for an apartment, if the meter is installed on the landing, it is enough to choose an electrical panel for 12-16 modules (it is better to take it with a margin, you never know, suddenly you want to protect the wiring in the future). If the apartment is three-room and the counter is in your corridor, it is better to choose a building for at least 16 seats.
In a private house, in fact, as in a country house, there are more consumers of electricity, so it is recommended to install an electrical panel on a larger number of modules - at least 24. Although, again, everything will depend on the wiring diagram you have chosen. Perhaps you will put only one machine on the lighting, or it may be that each room will be served by its own. In addition, you need to take into account the input voltage - 220 or 380 volts. For a three-phase electric meter, RCDs and machines, more space will be needed.
If you are at a loss with the method of choosing a switchboard for your home, we recommend that you go to the store with the drawn up scheme and there, after consulting with a specialist, choose the right size of the switchboard!
Manufacturer
Well, the last selection criterion is the manufacturer of the product. If you do not know which company to choose an electrical panel, we recommend giving preference to the following manufacturers:
- Makel.
These three shield companies are most often used in electrical work. ABB switchboards are of the highest quality, IEK and Makel are slightly inferior to the competitor, but they will also be cheaper in price.
If you want to choose a beautiful and at the same time reliable switchboard for your house or apartment, give preference to the Greek manufacturer FOTKA. You can see the range of products in the photo example:
Compare manufacturers
What else is important to know?
For an office in which only 2-3 circuit breakers will be installed, we recommend choosing not an electrical panel, but a compact plastic box, which will be smaller in size and, of course, in price.
Hello, dear visitors and guests of the site "Electrician's Notes".
Section 4 sq. mm. After the introductory machine, the counter is turned on, followed by a common (introductory) RCD, then linear (group) automata. Automata. And finally, after the "washing" machine - the second RCD. I made an outlet on a separate machine so that you can turn on the lamp in case of repair in the shield or. Zero tires connected with a copper wire with a cross section of 6 sq. Mm.
All wires and jumpers mounted in compliance. Phase - white, zero - blue. Where it was not possible, (old wires are the same in rubber insulation) I marked the wires with electrical tape of the desired color.
I sealed the holes in the body of the shield with adhesive tape so that it would not blow.
Pay special attention to the correct. The fact is that the counters are sealed and after that there will be no possibility to tighten the screws. Therefore, the clamp must be as reliable as possible. This is provided by two screws and an increased length of the terminal itself.
Well, the correct connection of inputs and outputs must be observed. The point here is not even that stealing is bad, but that modern meters recognize the wrong connection. And still think in the right direction. Only twice as fast. So you can only deceive yourself.
A lot has already been said about the installation of wires, so in short: we bite the wire with wire cutters, remove the insulation with special pliers and clean the contact surface with a knife.
We don’t have a protective wire at all and, according to our people, we never will, so I didn’t even mount the PE protective bus. I just threw it to the bottom of the shield and attached the wire from the outlet to it so that it would not get lost. For the future.
The result of replacing the built-in apartment electrical panel
The last one remains. Seal the meter and hang the covers on the front panel. Before starting work, I took them off so as not to scratch them.
Included with the shield was a sticker for marking the modules. I signed everything I could so as not to forget.
Well, the old counter, along with the shield, is retired. While in, and then we'll see.
Next in line is the final plastering of the walls, wallpapering and furniture arrangement, but that's another story.
P.S. Ask all questions about replacing the built-in apartment electrical panel in the comments to this article. Thank you for your attention.
