New practical tutorial in which you can learn everything you need to know about How to carry out an electrical installation in your smart House and that everything works correctly, as if you were a professional. Everything is explained step by step and in a very graphic way, so that you don't miss a single detail.
In addition, We will show you some product and tool recommendationss necessary for the entire process. This way you can save thousands of euros on the installation of your new home, and you won't have to depend on specialized electricians.
Tools needed
To know the tools needed for electrical installations, I recommend you See the section dedicated to this type of tools in the article I dedicated to it. You may already have many of them at home, since they are quite common, although others may not... On the other hand, as for the materials or specific things that you are going to need, I will tell you about them in each step in the following sections.
Precautions
When working with an electrical installation, remember that you are dealing with an energy that can do you a lot of harm, therefore, you must take all necessary precautions to avoid accidents:
- Always work on dead circuits (unplugged) whenever possible. Keep in mind that in Europe we have voltages of 230 volts AC at 50 Hz. However, it is common to find a range between 220V and 240V, but either way, it is enough to harm you.
- Wear appropriate footwear with rubber soles and good grip.
- Always wear insulated gloves.
- Keep the tools you use in good condition. Sometimes, the deterioration of the insulating handle of some of them can cause you to come into contact with the metal part and suffer an electric shock.
How to install the electrical wiring in a house step by step
To carry out the electrical installation, you will have to follow a series of steps. If it is a new installation, and you did not have a connection to the electrical grid because it is a new home, etc., you should always contact an authorized electrician registered in the Electrical Installations Registry from your autonomous community and associated with the electricity distributors (Endesa, Iberdrola, Repsol, etc.) so that they make the appropriate connection to the electrical grid in the area and install the meter and other necessary devices.
You cannot do this yourself, as it would be illegal. Even if you do it according to the regulations (see REBT or Low Voltage Electrotechnical Regulations), it will not be suitable, as these installations have to be be approved by a professional, and is sealed with a lead seal to prevent tampering. In addition, the counter is a device that you rent from the company.
Once the contract and the legal connection/installation have been made, you will now have the starting point that will supply the rest of your installation…
How to make grooves in the wall and install the corrugated pipe
Although you can use exposed cables and conduits, the most appropriate, aesthetic and professional option is to introduce the wiring inside the wall (grooves) or under the floor (between the floor and the concrete structure of the floor). This will require construction work. If the house is new, you can do it as you go along. But if the house is already built, then you will have to do it. to open up ditches or grooves (depending on how it is said in your area). That is, opening channels in the wall to embed the corrugated tube through which the cables will pass. It is important to put corrugated pipe, not only protects the cables, but also allows old wiring to be removed and new wiring to be inserted if necessary, without having to carry out any works.
Before you start, I recommend you do a drawing or diagram of how you want the electrical installation to be, from the main panel where the power will arrive, to the different sockets, lighting, switches, etc. Keep in mind that to distribute wiring from the main panel to the different areas of a room, you can use boxes or registers to carry a main branch there and from there make the necessary connections and branches for the entire room.
To make the grooves, you know, either use a groover or a mallet and chisel…
Remember The width and depth of the groove must be sufficient to be able to embed the corrugated pipe and that it does not protrude, and even has a margin to later apply a layer of plaster to cover the defect again and polish it.
How to place boxes for electrical installation
Now, once you have made all the cuts and placed the corrugated tube for your electrical installation, each of these tubes will end up in an area where it should go either to a distribution box or register, or to a box for a plug or switch. In addition, all the main branches must go to where the main box will be placed, remember that. In those areas where the main box will go, Box for the main switchboard (ICP), registers and small boxes (universal boxes for mechanisms), you will also have to make a hole large enough to fit them in and glue them with plaster as in the image above.
A note, when in There is more than one mechanism in the same area, such as a switch next to a socket or several sockets, or several antenna sockets, etc., you must fit the universal boxes together by their sides and embed the entire block together, so you will not have problems with the trim.
How to make a ground connection
La Grounding is a fundamental element in any electrical installation, as it guarantees the safety of people and equipment. by conducting leakage currents to earth in the event of a fault or shunt. This is not an option, as it was decades ago, when many older homes lacked earthing. Now it is essential.
To carry out the installation of the ground connection from your home, you must follow these steps:
- Find a nearby location outside, on your plot, on the ground. And that does not have pipes or other electrical installations nearby. It should not be far from the main panel, since the greater the distance, the longer the wiring and corrugated pipe for exteriors you will need.
- Dig a hole in the ground at least 80 cm deep and wide enough to work comfortably.
- There you will have to nail the 2-meter copper stake that you have bought. You can use a hammer to make the stake stick in so that only about 15 or 20 cm sticks out of the ground.
- Now install the connector and the bare ground wire (it must be 16mm in section), tighten the nuts so that it is well secured and makes a perfect electrical connection.
- You can then make a construction register around this installation, but without covering the rod or the wiring. It must be visible for inspections.
- You can then install a manhole cover to protect the installation. Others simply bury the installation…
- The other end of the outdoor corrugated pipe and ground wire must go to the main panel or ICP.
Install the main electrical panel
El Main Electrical Panel (CEP) is the heart of the electrical installation of a home. It is the point where electricity enters the house and where it is distributed to the different circuits. It is not only the entry point for electrical energy and distribution, it is also the control and safety panel, where you will have the different protection systems or to disconnect the different sections of your home to carry out future repairs, extensions, or maintenance without risk.
In this box you will now have 2 hoses, one coming from the grounding installation you have made, and another from the main meter that the professional will have made for you, and which is the one that will bring the energy. In addition, you have to install the following devices:
As for the connection, here I show you some sample diagrams to guide you, but you already know that the number of PIAs elements will depend on your electrical installation, depending on whether you have more or fewer zones:
As you can appreciate, The installation is very simpleOn the one hand, you will have a plug to connect the main ground wire and from there you will connect all the ground wires that will go to the different rooms or circuits in your home. On the other hand, you must connect the phase and neutral wires as they appear in the image, the first three are important, and then from there you must bridge the different PIAs.
What PIAs should you put? Well, I recommend that you separate the sockets and lighting for each area or room in the house. Depending on this, you will have to install appropriate PIAs for each thing:
- 10A: They are generally used for lighting circuits, where the current demand is lower.
- 16A: They are the most common and are used for general power outlet circuits (wall sockets).
- 20A: They are used for circuits that supply higher-power appliances, such as washing machines, dishwashers or electric boilers/water heaters.
- 25A: for high demand circuits, such as those for electric stoves or ovens.
Regardless of the type of amperage of the PIA, they are all installed exactly the same. Of course, you will have to take into account how to connect the wiring according to the circuit to which it corresponds... It is important to read the following section to see the wiring you need for the main panel.
Install the house wiring
So far I have only talked about the grounding cable, but it is important that you keep in mind what types of cables are used for each connection. We have different copper sections or diameters, and not all of them are suitable for everything:
- 1,5 mm²: for lighting circuits and low-consumption mechanisms (switches, lamp sockets, etc.).
- 2,5 mm²: general power outlet circuits (wall sockets) and for bathroom and kitchen circuits.
- 4 mm²: for greater power, such as washing machine, dryer, dishwasher, oven, electric stove, and electric water heater.
- 6 mm²: It can also be used for circuits with a higher power demand, but I recommend that you use it to make the connections from the main panel to the different boxes or main registers that you have installed for each room, and in each of these boxes make the connections for the wires of the lower sections for the different purposes…
In addition to the sections, it is important know the colors that we have for each of the lines:
- Brown, black or grey: Generally used to identify the phase conductor (L). This is the conductor through which the electric current flows from the power source to the load.
- Blue: It is used to identify the neutral conductor (N). The neutral completes the electrical circuit and returns the current to the power source.
- Green and yellow (longitudinal stripes): This is the exclusive color for the protective or ground conductor.
A common question is whether the phase and neutral wires could be interchanged. The answer is yes, since it is alternating current (AC), and that means that it oscillates changing polarity 50 times every second (50Hz) in Europe, and it does not happen like in a direct current (DC) circuit, where you cannot reverse the polarity... However, I advise you to always respect this diagram so that it will be easier for you to identify in the future or for other people who did not do the installation.
Also I recommend you prepare/crimp the tips strip the wires (reducing the risk of sparks, fraying, etc.) for the connections you make, and buy chips to join together the various cables in the register boxes:
Install the basic mechanisms
Now that you have wired from the main panel to the various boxes or registers, and from them to the various mechanism boxes, the next thing will be make the connections for these mechanisms, whether switches or plugs. This part is also critical, since it will depend on whether everything works correctly. Let's go step by step:
- Automotive Lighting : This is perhaps the most complex point, since simple installations with a switch are simple, but the situation becomes more complicated when we have two or three "switches" for the same light. In any case, as I show you in the diagram below, you always have to interrupt the phase line that comes from the register to the bulb. On the other hand, the neutral line will go directly from the register to the lamp holder. As you know, there is not much mystery in the lamp... it is just a matter of connecting the phase cable, the neutral cable and the ground cable (some lighting installations do not have a ground cable, but if it is present, it is better).
- One: A switch mechanism is used. For example, for small rooms, outdoors, etc.
- Two: Two switching mechanisms are needed. For example, for hallways, one at one end and one at the other end.
- Three: Two switching mechanisms and a crossover are needed. For example, for bedrooms where we have two, one on each side of the bed, and one at the entrance door.
- Plugs: In this case it is much simpler than in lighting, since we do not have different mechanisms, just one, a plug. With three terminals or clamps to connect, one for the phase cable, another for the neutral and another for the ground. In this case, unlike lighting, it should always have a ground connection for safety.
Remember that the mechanisms can then be decorated with whatever embellishments you want, depending on the colour or design you prefer…
Smart home: step-by-step home automation installation
After this quick "master class" on electrical installations, continue with the home automation or smart home devices It is now child's play, since everything will be much easier for you.
Smart switches
For smart switches that are recessed, the installation is very simple, although it may vary slightly depending on the one you have chosen, some will be controlled by WiFi through a mobile app to turn on or off, others will do so by other protocols such as Zigbee, Bluetooth, by voice commands through Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or Apple Home, etc. Of course, the wall switch itself will also allow you to do it manually.
For example, some use the scheme you see above, with the phase going through the smart mechanism and then through the manual switch, while the smart mechanism will also have a connection to the neutral.
Intelligent lighting
Smart bulbs are as simple as screwing the light bulb in the socket just like you would with any other conventional light bulb. There is no more mystery to it, but thanks to its connection to the Hub, you can control it through a mobile app or by voice commands, etc.
And do not forget choose the compatible Hub with your light bulbs:
Smart plugs
In this case, the installation is also done exactly the same, connecting the phase, neutral and ground to the corresponding connectors. This way you will have enough for the own intelligent mechanism to be powered and so that it can supply power to whatever you plug into it.
