All instructions for modern household appliances state that they cannot be used without grounding. Therefore, grounding in the apartment is the main requirement for their safe operation. The probability that the device will be shocked is small, but it is when, over time, the insulation of the conductors inside the devices becomes thin.

In new buildings of residential complexes, designers are laying a grounding system, and what should residents do apartment buildings old-style, where there are no ground loops. There is only one way out - to make grounding in the apartment with your own hands.

Creating a ground loop

If you open the switchboard at the entrance, then there are four wires in the technological channels: three phases and one zero. That is, the protective and working zero circuit are combined in one conductor. Such a scheme is called zeroing and has the letter abbreviation TN-C.

Two conductors usually enter the apartment separately: one phase and one zero, or one two-core cable. At the same time, if you open the socket, then there is no protective terminal PE in it.

Unfortunately, this grounding scheme is still present in old houses. And this is a serious danger for electric shock to a person. The automata installed in the shield respond only to a short circuit. But for stray currents, no. Therefore, in 2003, it was decided that in all residential buildings it is necessary to get rid of TN-C and switch to a new scheme - TN-S or TN-C-S, which means: potential equalization system. That is, it is necessary to conduct the wiring of the grounding system throughout the house, and after that, the same circuit should be introduced into each apartment.

It turns out that before you make grounding in the apartment, you need to make it throughout the house. It is necessary to bring a separate cable to the common power shield of the house, which is connected to the ground in the transformer. This process is complex and long. Therefore, many power supply companies do this: they divide the input neutral conductor into two circuits: zero and ground. But before that, the same common zero is grounded again. Two wires are brought to the apartment shields:

• PE - protective;
• N - zero worker.

Everything else can be done with your own hands inside your apartment. Namely, lay the wire from each outlet to the switchboard. To do this, you will have to ditch the walls, laying the wiring in the channels, followed by sealing and finishing. You can install it in an open way by laying the wires in the boxes.

RCD installation

There are several options that can partially solve the issue of grounding in an apartment. One of them is the installation of the device protective shutdown, in short RCD. He does not solve the whole problem, but he will turn off the supply network in the apartment if electric current leaks appear in it.

Here is a wiring diagram for an RCD without grounding. Immediately make a reservation that this device can only be installed in TN-C systems, because in other circuits he has nothing to do, grounding works. In addition, there are only two contacts in the RCD itself, where a third one is not provided, designed for a grounding conductor. In fact, this device is a kind of switch that not only reacts to leakage currents, but also controls their magnitude. If the value is small, then the device does not turn off the mains. As soon as the current value exceeds the allowable value, the network is immediately turned off.

How to connect an RCD in a shield? It is installed between the input switch and the machines.

Attention! If household appliances with a power of more than 1.2 kW are used in the apartment, then it is recommended to stretch a separate supply circuit for each of them, and install a separate machine and RCD in the shield.

Now the wiring diagram:

• The instrument has two input terminals and two output terminals. The connection to the input phase terminal is made from a common circuit breaker. To zero from zero corps switchboard.
• The output phase terminal of the RCD is connected to the input contacts of the machine. The output zero is connected to a special connecting device, which is installed on the mounting rail of the machines.

Now you need to check how the protective device works. Turn on the general machine and intermediate, turn on the RCD. It remains only to connect some household appliance under load to the outlet. If a protective device does not knock out, it means that everything is done correctly.

There is a "TEST" button on the device. It is specially installed to check the device before connecting it to the power network. Turn on the general machine, but do not turn on intermediate circuit breakers. Click on the button. If the RCD device is turned off, then it is working.

Assembling your own circuit

There is another option that is suitable for residents of the first floors in an apartment building. He fully answers the question of how to make grounding in an apartment. This grounding scheme in the apartment is based on the creation of its own ground wire. What needs to be done?

• First you need to drive three metal pins into the ground on the street. They can be made from rebar by sharpening the ends. The diameter of the pins is 8-12 mm.
• The location of the pins relative to each other is a triangle with sides of 1.0-1.5 m. It is necessary to drive in to a depth of 2-3 m so that the end of the reinforcement protrudes from the soil surface by 3-5 cm.
• All pins are tied together with a metal tape 2-3 mm thick and 20-30 mm wide. Strapping method - welding.
• This design is connected to a switchboard or a metal tape, or a cable with a cross section of at least 5 mm².

Dangerous protection schemes

When in multi-storey houses were used metal pipes plumbing and heating systems, then some unfortunate electricians connected a PE circuit to them. This is a dangerous game, because a broken phase on any household appliance created a leakage current, which aspired to the least resistance, that is, moved along the ground in the apartment. In this case, the current could hit from contact with a pipe or a heating radiator. And not only in this apartment, but also in others, because risers are a single network, both in plumbing and heating. Fortunately, today everyone switched to plastic pipes.

There are cases when sockets were grounded, in which the zero and ground terminals were connected with a jumper. The danger lies in the fact that if the zero circuit is broken, all the current will begin to flow through the ground network. That is, the voltage will be transferred to the body of all devices in the apartment.

Here's everything you need to know about grounding in an apartment building. Well, if it is already provided for by the design of the building. But if there is no grounding, then you can do it yourself. Options are offered to you, but, as practice shows, the simplest and most effective is to ground the wiring and sockets using an RCD.

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Safe operation of all electrical appliances is impossible without high-quality grounding. A set of protective measures allows you to properly operate electrical appliances, protects a person from injury electric shock.

Connecting wiring and grounding to the shield in the apartment

In the old apartment building, protective grounding was not provided. With the passage of time, the advent of new electrical appliances and the improvement of energy systems, new standards have emerged. According to the new requirements specified in the Electrical Installation Rules, electrical wiring must be grounded.

Do-it-yourself grounding in an apartment is not difficult if:

• to understand the existing scheme of the electrical network;
• determine the requirements of the future network - the number and type of electrical appliances, the nature of the load, the volume of the upcoming reconstruction.

Ground types

In old houses, TN-C-grounding was laid - a type of dead-earthed neutral, with a PEN conductor aligned along the entire length of the line (protective grounding). The system was used in the construction of residential multi-storey buildings until 1998. If there are two wires in the electrical wiring in the apartment, then the grounding is of the TN-C type. There is no protective zero in such schemes.

The ground loop is located at the substation (TP). A network with a combined PEN-conductor comes from the TP to the input-accounting device. When connecting new electrical appliances that require grounding (boilers, air conditioners, laptops, personal computers, etc.), there is a high probability of electric shock, because. there is no protection.

RCDs are used to protect against electric shock. But they cannot be used as the only protective measure. According to the new PUE standards, such systems must be converted into TN-С-S or TN-S using a potential equalization system.

It is forbidden to independently make a separate ground loop for the apartment. In such cases, the probability of stray currents is high. You can only connect the contour of the apartment to the common house memory, i.e. when reconstructing in an old house, you need to completely redo the grounding scheme.

It is prohibited to connect ground outlets to engineering networks - pipes of hot and cold water supply, sewerage, because. in this case, a dangerous potential may appear. At short circuit due to the appearance of currents, a greater likelihood of a fire increases.

TN-S is the most quality system grounding. According to the requirements of the PUE, since 1997, new buildings had to have TN-S grounding. PE,- and N-conductors are separated along the entire length of the line from the power supply source (outgoing machine in switchgear-0.4kV at the substation) to the consumer.

Construction of TN-S grounding is expensive. In view of this, it is not used for the reconstruction of old networks (with a remote power source).

TN-C-S systems are being built in new buildings. Lines with combined PE, - and N-conductors are suitable for the introductory shields of buildings. Here the separation of PE and N takes place. An already divided line comes to the access shields. This division is quite reliable. At the same time, the cost of construction and installation works is much lower than during the construction of a TN-S system.

The use of a residual current device (RCD) in the TN-C-S system

Socket circuits and the lighting network must be separated. Otherwise, in case of failure and the need to repair one point of the wiring ( household switch, sockets, etc.), it will be prohibited to use the rest of the household electrical network, you need to connect power tools to the electrical panel.

Loads of a different nature (washing machines, electric stoves, boilers, boilers, convectors, etc.) must be connected to a separate machine (RCD), for which modular equipment is used.

It is forbidden to connect phase wires to metering devices and machines for one terminal. The most expedient is the connection between the elements of the electrical network by a bus. This ensures that the load is even.

Connecting wires in the electrical panel

It is not allowed to interconnect input conductors of different cross section. First, it is necessary to carry out the necessary calculations of the cross sections of the conductors. If a conductor with a cross section of 16 is suitable for the input-accounting device, then an increase (decrease) is unacceptable, because the selected section ensures the normal operation of the power supply network.

Good to know:

• a high-quality grounding system includes the connection of all electrical appliances in the apartment;
• for better contact, use terminals, twists are unacceptable;
• for the duration of the work, it is always necessary to turn off the power supply in the apartment;
• outlets must be grounded. The connection of electrical appliances requiring a 3-core (ground) is prohibited in two-wire network, because in such schemes they are not protected.

Bath grounding

To increase the safety of the electrical network, it is necessary to ground the bath.

Connection of a grounding conductor to sewer or water pipes is unacceptable, according to the PUE. In addition, it is inefficient, because plastic pipes can be installed along the riser.

If the bath is cast iron, then the ground wire is bolted to the leg. The new models of cast iron baths have a special attachment for the protective cable.

Acrylic baths are also subject to grounding, because they are a zone of accumulation of static charges. Grounding occurs by attaching a metal case to the charger.

Jacuzzi, massage baths should also be grounded, as well as the sockets through which they are connected. For such devices, it is necessary to provide an RCD.

To improve electrical safety in the apartment, a potential equalization system is organized.

Potential equalization system

A potential equalization system is necessary to improve the efficiency of grounding in an apartment. Usually, only an additional potential equalization system is used for apartments - increasing electrical safety in wet rooms.

Potential equalization system (SES)

To install the EMS, you need a potential equalization box and conductors that will connect the EMS to the bus on the input-metering device and to all metal elements in the room that may be energized. The conductor material is copper.

The last step in the installation of the potential equalization system is to check the quality of the connections and conduct electrical measurements.

Grounding electrical appliances

New electrical appliances in the apartment such as washing machines and boilers must be grounded. Therefore, when reconstructing the wiring, it is necessary to install a TN-C-S-grounding, for which each device must be connected through the device protective earth or differential machine. As a conductor, a VVGng cable (not propagating combustion) is selected, with a cross section corresponding to the load of the electrical appliance.

The connection is made blind, i.e. the electrical wiring cable from the RCD must go directly to the electrical appliance. If the equipment is being replaced, and the network meets all the requirements of the PUE, the connection is made according to old scheme using waterproof sockets.

It is strictly forbidden to connect the protective and working conductors if there is no grounding in the apartment.

Connection washing machine to ground

How to make grounding in an apartment

Buildings erected at different times may have (or not at all) different grounding systems. If it is not known which grounding system is made in the house, you need to find out before carrying out repair work, because. often in apartments it is not, and reconstruction requires laying protective conductor from the input device of the building to the panel of the input and accounting device of the apartment.

First of all, you need to disassemble the outlet (before that, de-energize the apartment - turn off the machines and fuses). If the wire is two-core, then the system in the apartment is TN-C. Aluminum wiring must be replaced, because. it is forbidden to connect new powerful electrical appliances (washing machines, air conditioners, convectors, electric boilers, etc.) to such a network. This can lead to overheating of the wiring and a fire.

You should also check the input shield (general house), the presence and type of grounding, the place of separation of the grounding conductor TN-C-S or TN-S-system.

After that, it becomes clear how to design grounding in an apartment - from a general house switchboard or from an input-accounting (distribution) panel of a consumer. The last TN-C-S variant is found in new post-Soviet buildings.

What is the action plan in the absence of a ground bus in the floor shield is described in the video below.

Do-it-yourself grounding in an apartment is a simple process. A properly implemented grounding system helps prevent accidents from electric shock to people, avoid damage to electrical appliances and increase the life of the household electrical network.

Information on how to make grounding in an apartment, if there is no common house memory in an old apartment building, can be useful when it becomes necessary to do this process yourself.

Modern dwellings are equipped with powerful household appliances. These include dishwashers, air conditioners, washing machines, water heaters and the like. If new houses have an electrical network designed for such a load and are made with a three-wire wire, including grounding, then there is no ground wire in the houses of the old building. At the same time, to ensure safety, it is necessary to have a grounding of the washing machine.

Of course, every owner of household appliances wants it to serve for a long time, reliably and perform its functions well. No one wants expensive equipment to pose a threat to health, even if it is a potential one. One of the safety measures is the presence of a ground wire in the electrical network. It is used to connect the grounding of the body of the washing machine and other electrical appliances that have a special terminal for this, for example, a dishwasher.

Let's imagine a situation that for some reason the mains voltage falls on the body of the washing machine. This can happen due to a violation of the insulation of the wires inside the machine, due to the breakdown of the motor winding. This already poses a potential danger to health and life. If such a machine accidentally touches another conductive metal object, such as a faucet, a radiator, or a heated towel rail in a bathroom, an electric current will pass through the human body. At best, it will be a light bite and a little fright. At worst, death.

Connecting the ground to both the power outlet and the washing machine cabinet is designed to eliminate this dangerous situation. If there is a connection to ground, the dangerous potential will go into the ground without creating a danger to health and life.

There is one more point to which attention should be paid. Modern washing machines with programmed electronic control, are very critical of the quality of the supply voltage in the mains. Lack of connection to ground can be considered as a violation of the operating conditions. This may cause a denial of warranty service for the washing machine if it fails. At the same time, solving this problem is not so difficult. How to make grounding in your apartment, as well as in a private house with your own hands, we will consider further.

How to ground an outlet

Powerful household appliances, according to safety regulations, require a separate gasket field line. This line is drawn from the electrical panel with a three-wire wire. The cross section of the wire can be 2.5 or 4 square meters. mm. It is advisable to take the socket for a current of 16 amperes and install it close to the washing machine. If the installation is carried out in a place with high humidity, then the socket must have a moisture-proof design.

Laying this separate line can be done in a hidden or open way. In the first case, a three-core wire is laid in channels (strobes) specially made in the wall and then plastered. In the second case, the wire is laid from the shield to the socket in the boxes. This method is less aesthetic appearance, but has a big plus compared to the first method. This is a great savings in labor, time and material. In the event that there is no way to draw a separate line directly to the machine, you can put a grounded outlet near the shield and use an extension cord. Such an extension cord must be grounded, as indicated by the metal contacts on its plug and receiving part.

It should be noted right away that in addition to the socket with grounding, in any case, the connection of the washing machine must be carried out through a residual current device (RCD), in front of which you need to put a conventional machine. This is guaranteed to save you from electric shock. Let us consider in more detail how to ground the socket with your own hands in an apartment and a private house.

Video “Grounding for a socket in the bathroom”

What to do in the apartment

So, you did all the work on laying a separate line and installing an outlet in the apartment with your own hands. It remains to make a connection to the ground. If the electrical panel has a grounding block, then everything is simple and clear. We connect the third ground wire to it. If there is no such block and there are only two wires, zero and phase, then in order to do everything right, you should contact the electricians of the organization servicing the house.

It is quite possible that, despite the fact that only two electrical wires enter the apartment, there may be a ground bus in the power panel on the landing. In this case, the electrician can quickly make desired connection. It will be inexpensive, since you have already done all the basic work with your own hands. If, nevertheless, there is no such tire, then other options are possible.

These options can not be called the best solution, but still consider them. The easiest way out is to use water pipes or central heating pipes as a grounding circuit. To do this, the pipe section must be thoroughly cleaned of paint or rust. For reliable contact, a clamp with a tightening screw is applied to this cleaned place, to which you need to connect the wire. This solution has big drawbacks. Firstly, there is an accelerated wear of the pipes due to the currents straying in them, which is fraught with leaks and the imminent need to replace these pipes. Secondly, in the event of an insulation breakdown, you can get an electric shock when you touch them. One can imagine what will happen if such a connection is made by all neighbors.

Another option is to use the neutral wire as ground. In this case, in the power panel, the third wire coming from the outlet for the washing machine is connected to the neutral wire of the mains. However, there is a danger that during repair work outside the apartment these wires will be mixed up in places. This situation cannot be discounted. In this case, the maximum mains voltage will fall on the machine body, which is extremely dangerous for life.

Therefore, if it is not possible to connect to the ground bus in the shield on the landing, it is necessary to install an RCD to ensure safety. This will be the best solution.

Grounding in a private house

In this case, it is necessary to make a ground circuit. It is carried out by driving in a strong metal pin to a depth of at least two meters, to which a ground wire is attached by welding. If the ground is hard and there is no way to drive a pin, you can do otherwise. A hole is dug at least a meter deep, into which a massive metal structure is placed, for example, a headboard from a bed. The wire is also fastened by welding.

Usually questions about installation grounding in the apartment begin to think at the time of the reconstruction of electrical wiring. After you have partially or completely replaced the old two-wire wiring with a new, three-wire one (including the ground wire), connected grounding to all sockets, it's time to connect to the floor electrical panel.

However, in order for the connection to be competent, and most importantly, for electrical safety conditions to be justified after this connection, it is necessary to know how the electrical panel itself was connected.

Multi-storey building grounding system

In Soviet-built houses, as a rule, TN - C grounding systems are used. In this system, three phases L and a combined PEN conductor are suitable for the porch risers. Floor shields in this system are grounded, as a rule, grounding is not provided for in them.

In newer houses or with reconstructed networks, a TN - C - S system is installed. In this system, three phases L and a divided zero working N and protective PE conductor are connected to the risers of the entrances. In this case, the connection is much easier, in floor plate separate buses are provided for connecting phase, zero and ground, and the ground bus has metallic bond with shield body.

If your house belongs to new buildings (since approximately 1997), then in this case all the conditions for connecting the ground are already in place, since the TN-S grounding system is installed in new houses.

When connecting a house using such a system, the ground wire is laid separately, together with the neutral and phase wires from the substation itself to the electrical panels of the house. In this case, you should not worry.

Your house is connected to the grounding system TN - C - S.

Such grounding systems are designed in new buildings, in which electrical installation is carried out five- wired system and grounding in the apartment in this case is present.

With such a grounding system, all floor shields must be grounded. It is very easy to determine if your house is connected to the TN - C - S system. To do this, just look at input cable suitable for the riser, it must be five-wire:

• - three phases L1, L2, L3;
• - working zero N;
• - protective zero PE.

The connection in this case is carried out in this way: the phase wire of the apartment is connected to the bus where the old wire was; zero working N is connected to the bus with neutral wires; ground wire PE (zero protective) is connected to the shield body.

Moreover, it is impossible to connect all the ground wires in the shield to one clamp (bolt). It is necessary to use different bolted connections. And it would be better to use a bus, screw the bus to the shield, and then connect the PE.

Such a ground connection in an apartment is similar if your house is connected via the TN-S grounding system.

Your house is connected to the TN-C grounding system.

With such a house connection system, a four-wire cable is suitable for the inlet riser: three phases L1, L2, L3; and combined zero working and protective wire PEN. In this case, the grounding in the house is completely absent, there is no ground loop - the electrical panels are not grounded! How to connect in this case?

Many illiterate electricians believe that it is necessary to connect the protective zero PE in a place with a working N, on the shield body. However, such zeroing is not safe !!!

When the working zero burns out, phase voltage through the connected equipment will appear on all zero wires in the apartment, and if the zero protective and working wires are connected, then on all grounded instrument cases, a voltage of 220 V will appear. Therefore, before connecting in this way, think carefully about whether you need such protection!

It is probably no secret to anyone that Electricity of the net Housing and communal services are in a deplorable state and such a phenomenon as zero burnout in residential buildings is very common. Better without nulling than to zero on worn-out electrical equipment and expose yourself and your loved ones to danger.

Therefore, if there is no grounding in the house, then it is better not to connect the protective wire PE together with the working zero to the shield body. Leave it just unconnected. It will be a backup in case one of the workers is damaged. And in order for the operation of electrical installations in a network without grounding to be safe for you, use an RCD.

Install a separate RCD for each outlet. The RCD, although it will not prevent the appearance of a phase on the case, will instantly work when touching the damaged case and turn off the electrical installation.

The solution to the problem of lack of grounding can be the installation of your own own ground loop. There have been cases when residents living on the first floors of houses in which there is no grounding installed their own grounding. They hammered several corners under the window into the soil, scalded them along the contour and connected them to the grounding PE conductor in the apartment.

You can also solve the problem with ungrounded floor shields by living on the fifth floor. Lay 25 m of a single-core wire to the basement along the floor risers, make a ground loop in the basement or near the entrance, connect this single-core wire to the shields and the ground loop. All! In this case, you can safely connect the ground wire from the apartment to the electrical panel.

In no case do not use radiators, water and gas pipes as grounding. Such grounding in the apartment is unsafe not only for yourself but also for your neighbors. In the event that voltage appears on the body of electrical equipment, grounded through a battery or a water pipe, all batteries and pipes will be energized, not only yours, but also in neighboring apartments and houses.

As a result, an upstairs neighbor who decides to drink water from a tap can be fatally electrocuted!

Are you familiar with such a situation that you need to make grounding in the apartment, but there is no corresponding “ground” terminal on the floor panel? Typically, the absence of a ground loop is observed in panel houses old building - Khrushchev. Many electricians solve this problem in their own way: who connects the RCD, who makes an individual circuit, and who generally connects the ground wire to the battery or plumbing system. Next, we will tell you how to properly make grounding in an apartment with your own hands, if it is not there, and which protection option to mount is strictly prohibited!

Right Decisions

Method number 1 - Connecting an RCD

If there is no grounding in the apartment (not provided by the developer), and you still want to protect yourself from electric shock, then it is best for a while (pictured below). Of course, this device will not solve the whole problem, but nevertheless, in case of current leakage, it will instantly turn off the power of the serviced device - a washing machine, water heater or a group of sockets.

In addition, we recommend that you use a new one yourself - with a three-core wire. In the future, when it comes time to make grounding in your entrance, you will already be prepared, and all that remains is to run and connect the PE wire to the corresponding bus of the floor panel.

Method number 2 - Mounting your own circuit

Recently, there have been cases when residents of panel houses decide to independently make grounding in Khrushchev, for which they organize an individual ground loop. This idea lies in the fact that a single-core PE wire is pulled from the apartment to the basement along the risers. Near the house is driven in at least three metal corners or electrodes interconnected by a metal plate. A wire drawn from the floor is connected to the finished protective triangle (provided in the diagram below), the other end of which is fixed on the shield body. All that remains is to connect the grounding of the apartment to the shield and, as you understand, the leakage protection is ready!

We draw your attention to the fact that you can do such grounding with your own hands only after agreeing this event with the management company. Spontaneous adoption of this decision can lead to many problems, because. No matter how you interfere with the approved project, and if some kind of accident occurs, it is possible that you will be the last one.

I would also like to add that if you still decide to make your own ground loop in the apartment, then the PE wire must be copper, with a cross section of at least 4 mm2. This method of protection is suitable not only for the residents of the first floor, but also for everyone else - the 4th or even the 5th.

Video review of the protective system:

Wiring Grounding Technology

Dangerous defense option

Some unfortunate electricians decide to make grounding in the apartment by simply connecting the third wire to the plumbing or heating system that runs through the room. In no case do not use this version of the ground loop, because. in this case the picture is as follows:

• there is a breakdown of the current on the body of the electrical appliance (boiler or washing machine in the bathroom);
• dangerous current passes to batteries and hot / cold water risers not only of your apartment, but also of all neighbors, because. the system is unified.
• anyone who at the moment decides to drink tap water or simply touch metal pipes can become a victim.

By the way, this moment is stipulated by the rules of the PUE and is also strictly prohibited, according to PUE 1.7.110.

In addition to this method of grounding an apartment, the following are also considered unsafe:

1. Connection in a zero socket with a ground conductor (the so-called). If it suddenly happens in the network, a dangerous voltage will pass to the case of all electrical appliances connected to the grounding of the apartment - a computer, a water heater, a refrigerator, etc.
2. Serial grounding of electrical appliances (through each other). If you decide to make such a ground loop, be aware that in the event of an accident, electromagnetic incompatibility may occur. As a result, electrical installations will create interference and there is a high probability that the ground loop will not prevent electric shock.
3. Connection to one terminal of the PE bus of several wires. It is allowed to connect one conductor to each contact pad. It is strictly forbidden to neglect this rule.