Now on the Internet you can find many reviews of various wires and cables, each of them is used only in a certain case. However, our subscribers are increasingly interested in which cable to choose to connect the house to the mains, because reading all the reviews and choosing the best one for yourself is long and tedious. In this article, we decided to tell you what kind of wire is needed for wiring through the air and underground. We've rounded up the most popular wires trusted by professional electricians.

Which cable to use over the air

SIP

gained serious popularity due to its low cost and large selection of sections. It works in the temperature range from -60 to +50 degrees. Suitable for connecting two-phase and three-phase network. Made of aluminum with strong insulation. However, this conductor has the following disadvantages:

1. It must be connected using special couplings.
2. The wire causes indignation among the inspectors. Indeed, the rules state that this conductor cannot be used to connect. The fact is that the line must be solid, and this conductor must be connected to a more flexible one.

AVK

The AVK cable is considered a reliable conductor that operates at temperatures from -45 to +45 degrees. It is distinguished by its reliability and versatility. With it, you can connect networks up to 380 volts, which is more than enough for home use. The cable received aluminum conductors and high-quality vinyl insulation, which is equipped with a coaxial braid.

AVVG

used in temperate climate withstands voltages up to 1000 volts. Its cost is acceptable. The conductor is deciphered as follows: aluminum, there is core insulation, a PVC sheath. However, there are no protective covers in this wire, although it will be more than enough for an over-the-air connection.

Note! This conductor can only be connected using cable wiring.

VVG

It is considered the most popular in our country. After all, its veins are made of copper (drunks do not steal it, no matter how regrettable it may sound). It can be used in networks up to 1000 volts. Its installation can only be through cable wiring. The price of this type of wire is kept at a low level, and it also shows excellent durability.

Which cable to use underground

If you wish to lay the wire in the ground, then we recommend using the following conductors:

VBbShv

made of copper, sheath - PVC. This conductor also received an additional armored coating, which makes it the best for laying underground. You can learn more about it in the article: specifications cable VBbShv.

AVBbShv

The AVBbShv cable received the following design: aluminum cores, PVC sheath, armored coating, protective hose made of polyvinyl chloride. The nominal voltage of this wire is 3,000 volts. Service life - 30 years.

No matter how close modern man familiar with the topic of electricity, he always takes it in his house as a matter of course. But not always everything is so simple, especially for the owner of a newly built country house or cottage. Of course, there is an option to buy a house on a turnkey basis with all the necessary communications, including electricity, but the fact is that most developers do not take into account the individual needs of the buyer, and install electrical wiring according to standard scheme. Naturally, this does not suit everyone.
Especially those who independently build a new one or reconstruct an old house.
Incorrect calculation and installation of electrical wiring will cause the constant operation of circuit breakers, increasing the likelihood of damage electric shock, and even a fire - and such prospects are unlikely to please anyone. How to avoid these mistakes, connect the house to the mains, calculate and install the wiring in the house and will be discussed in our publication.

The first stage of electrification of a private house is the supply of electricity. Power cable, types, section, which one to choose

So, the first thing to do is to bring electricity directly to the house. We will make a reservation right away that here we will not talk about numerous permits, going through the authorities and documentation that needs to be obtained and agreed upon, since this is a full-fledged topic for a separate article, but we will focus only on the technical side of the issue. Also, we will not talk about how to connect to the air or underground electrical line This is the work of professional electricians. The developer directly should be primarily concerned with the question - which cable is better to use for supplying electricity to the house http://www.bezpeka-shop.com/catalog/silovoy_kabel/.

For these purposes, power cables are used. A power cable is a conductor designed to transmit alternating current from the place of production or transformation (in our case the transformer) to the place of consumption (home).

Which power cable to choose depends to a large extent on the type of its laying - underground or over the air. Since in different cases the shell power cable and the degree of its protection will be different.

Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages, we will consider them briefly with recommendations for choosing a cable in relation to each method.

laying power cable underground

To start on a suburban or suburban area it is necessary to choose the simplest and most optimal way of laying the cable. The cable should be laid at least a meter from trees and places where earthworks are planned in the future. The cable should not be laid in places subject to increased stress, under the road, under parking lots, etc. The cable should not interfere with further construction. An almost ideal option is to lay the cable under the tracks or next to them.
Cable laying begins with marking and digging a trench. The minimum depth of the trench should be 70 cm. If you take into account the sand cushion that needs to be poured under the cable, then it is better to immediately dig a trench 80 cm deep. After the trench is ready, it is cleaned of debris - stones, pieces of iron, glass, etc. d. Sand is poured at the bottom with a layer of 10 cm, the cable is laid.
Now about the choice of cable.
Since the cable will be constantly under a certain pressure and exposed to atmospheric water, it is necessary to buy products designed for these loads. Quite often, power cables with PVC insulation and additional protection are used.
For laying underground, a power copper cable of the VBBSHV brand is excellent.

Of course, one can object that most air and underground power lines are aluminum, and it is highly undesirable to combine them with copper. This is true, but only with direct contact of metals. Today, there are a sufficient number of ways to reliably connect wires and cables made of different metals - for example, a threaded connection or a connection using terminal box. However, if you want or have a budget deficit, you can buy a cheaper AVBbSHV aluminum power cable.

The sheath of the power cable of both brands is made of polyvinyl chloride and is reliably protected from rodents with a steel tape.

overhead power cable laying

Such a connection system is also called "air". Compared to the previous method, this one is faster and cheaper. The disadvantages of laying through the air include the danger of a cable break, some inconvenience associated with a “lace” sagging over the territory of the site, and a slightly spoiled aesthetic appearance of the site as a whole. However, most developers opt for an air connection.
To minimize all the troubles that threaten sagging and cable breakage, it is necessary to observe a few simple conditions:

• If the cable is not self-supporting (SIP), a special cable is used to support the cable.
• The cable is attached to the cable with special ties (not electrical tape and not aluminum wire!) With a distance of about 70 cm between the ties.
• The cable is not stretched along with the cable, it should sag slightly.
• If the distance from the power line to the connection point is more than 25 meters, you will need to install an additional support.

In the case of an air connection, the use of a SIP cable is considered optimal, which is a 2- or 4-core (220 and 380 volts, respectively) aluminum alloy structure with UV-resistant thermoplastic polyethylene insulation.

SIP is intended only for supplying electricity to the object, its use inside the building is prohibited.

how to choose the right section of power cables

The cross section of the power cable must be selected, focusing on the future load. Correctly performed calculations will allow you to feel confident in the reliable and safe operation of the entire electrical network in the house.
The main indicator that helps to calculate the cross section and, accordingly, determine the brand of the cable is the amount of current that the cable is able to pass for a long time without heating up. Calculating the current strength is quite simple - you need to sum up the power of all electrical appliances in the house, which will be included in the electrical network.
Below is a list of some of the most common devices.

Electrical appliance power, W.

• LCD TV 140-300
• Refrigerator 300-800
• Boiler 1500-2500
• Vacuum cleaner 500-2000
• Iron 1000-2000
• Electric kettle 1000-2500
• Microwave oven 700-1500
• Washing machine 2500
• Computer 300-600
• Lighting 300-1500
• Hair dryer 1000-2500
• Total (approximately) 10000-20000

Single-phase network, voltage 220v:

• P is the total power for all electrical appliances, W.
• U is the mains voltage, V.
• Ki = 0.75 is the coefficient of simultaneity.
• for household electrical appliances.
• cos=1

Three-phase network, voltage 380 V:

After the current strength has been calculated, let's turn to the tables with which you can find the cable required material and sections.

But it may turn out that the value obtained as a result of the calculations does not quite coincide with the tabular data. In this case, there is no need to save, we select the nearest value from the table, but upwards.
As you can see, in order to make the necessary calculations, you do not need to be a professional electrician. And with a strong desire, all the necessary calculations can be done independently. Of course, it does not hurt to consult with electricians in order to be completely confident in the reliability of your electrical network.

The second stage of electrification of a private house: electrical wiring

To begin with, it is necessary to draw up a plan-scheme for the installation of electrical wiring in the house. This will allow you to quickly and accurately select a list Supplies and will also greatly facilitate the determination of the location of the meter, switches, sockets, switchboard, stabilizers, uninterruptible power supplies, etc.

electrical wiring in a private house

According to the wiring requirements, room-by-room wiring is strongly recommended by circuit separation wiring, which allows to achieve additional protection overload circuits. You need to separate the circuits according to the power consumption of electricity. Such a separation is necessary for the optimal choice of cable cross-section and circuit breaker according to the expected loads.

As for sockets, a wire with a diameter of 2.5 mm is most often used for them; for lighting devices, a wire with a diameter of 1.5 mm will suffice. The power consumption of a group of sockets should not exceed 4.6 kW, and the total power consumption of lighting fixtures should not exceed 3.3 kW. On the internal electrical panel, a residual current device is installed separately for each group.

For some powerful electrical appliances: a boiler, a heated floor, an electric furnace in a bath, etc., it is required to allocate a separate electrical circuit. Focusing on the previously drawn up scheme, we calculate the total length of the cable (cross section for individual groups of electrical appliances), as well as the required number of switches, sockets, automatic machines of the required parameters. So, a conventional single-phase machine is triggered by a short circuit and overload in the network, and a differential machine is designed for short circuits and stray currents.
In order to lay hidden electrical wiring in a wall of brick, foam concrete or aerated concrete, strobes are made horizontally and vertically. The electrical system in a private house consists of:
Automatov.
counter.
intermediate machines.
Postings.
Switches.
Sockets.
Consumers.
However, if power surges are often observed in the network, then you should think about buying a voltage stabilizer for your home.

After all, if the voltage significantly exceeds normal values, then the device may fail, and at low voltage it will work intermittently or even turn off.
A voltage stabilizer is a bulky and rather expensive thing, and if the budget does not allow you to buy a stabilizer for the whole house, you should choose a device only for expensive equipment - a TV, refrigerator, etc. In general, a three-phase power system is more practical and convenient for a private house, since it makes it possible to connect three-phase consumers. For example, a three-phase boiler will work three times more efficiently than a single-phase one. In addition, it is possible to proportionally distribute the load among the phases.

which wiring is preferable - closed or open

The type of wiring is chosen based on the material from which the house is built. For example, in a house made of wood, wiring is only done open type. In this case, the wires can be laid in a special metal hose, which will provide additional fire safety.

In a brick house, wiring can be either open or closed.
Concealed wiring can be replaceable (laid in plastic pipes), or non-replaceable, laid in strobes made in the walls.

The wiring cable must exactly match the intended load. Regardless of the type of wiring, all cable and wire connections are made in special junction boxes, which you can access for monitoring and troubleshooting.

list of tools for wiring

For installation work, you will need the following tools:
Screwdriver-indicator.
Tester.
Perforator.
Pliers.
Hammer.
Insulating tape.
Wall chaser.
Installation of electrical wiring in a private house must be carried out with the obligatory consideration of the requirements for the location of sockets and switches. Thus, the placement of sockets and switches is strictly prohibited in rooms with high humidity, for example, in bathrooms and saunas.

wiring layout

The layout of the wiring begins with the main bundle of wires, while marking the places of branching, passing through walls, turns, etc. The wire is laid along the wall at a distance of 20 centimeters from the ceiling. Depending on which method is chosen, the wiring is laid from the switchboard to the consumers according to the scheme.

In a private house, energy consumption is an order of magnitude higher than in an apartment, so a cable for electrical wiring in an apartment can also be used with a smaller cross section than in a private house. The vast majority of outlets in the home are for portable appliances. Single-phase sockets during wiring are often combined into groups. The socket group is powered copper cable VVGng 3x25.

A 25 ampere safety switch is placed on such a group. If the house has a three-phase household electrical network, then the wiring must be done taking into account the correct load between the phases.

A circuit breaker for a group of lighting fixtures is usually used for no more than 10 amps, which is quite enough. If the total power consumption of all lighting fixtures exceeds this figure, it is recommended to create another lighting group, with a separate machine. To power the lighting group, the VVGng 3x1.5 cable is most often used.

For stationary appliances, install sockets of the required current rating for one phase, or three-phase socket. For electric stoves, the socket is powered by a four-wire VVGng cable for three phases or a three-wire cable for one phase.
For nutrition washing machine it is recommended to use a separate line with a machine of the required rating.

Today, copper wires and cables are mainly used for electrical wiring. Aluminum, of course, is much lighter and cheaper than copper, but it has a number of significant drawbacks. Where possible, open connections between aluminum and copper wires, since a galvanic reaction occurs, the connection is gradually destroyed, it starts to spark, which can lead to a fire. There are quite a lot of adapters, boxes, etc. for connecting wiring from different metals.
And finally. It goes without saying that a person who first encountered the problem of electrifying his own house “from scratch” will definitely not cope with this task. But the basic principles and rules of installation and choice of materials will be useful to any owner of their own home.