PRACTICE OF ENTREPRENUERSHIP EEC 215

(ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION OF BUILDINGS)

INTRODUCTION
Electricity is so much part of modern living that we can often take it for
granted. It is a powerful and versatile energy but can be dangerous if it is
not used properly.
Serious accidents with electricity in the home are rare but each year there is
a small number of fatalities and serious injuries. Most of the accidents that
occur are due either to carelessness or to a lack of awareness of some basic
rules that should always be observed when using electricity.
This manual contains essential information on electrical safety in general,
and also hints and rules which you should always follow. These will help you
get the most from electricity – safely

The safety of the electrical wiring installation in your home is your

responsibility. So also is the way in which electric appliances are used and
maintained.

House Wiring
The number of electrical appliances used in modern homes continues to
grow, putting extra demands on your electrical system. For this reason you
should make sure that the electric wiring in your home is adequate for this
increased load. Many older houses contain cables and fittings that may have
deteriorated with time and which should be replaced. Some of the tell-tale
signs which may indicate a potential safety problem are:
• Overheating plugs and sockets
• Cables heating
• Deteriorating lamp holders
• Sparking/Arcing signs on fittings
• Fuses (or MCBs) blowing frequently

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If one or more of these signs are present you should have the installation
checked.
General Guidelines for Maintaining a Safe Installation
1. Replace socket outlets if, after constant use, the plug fits loosely in the
socket or if it shows signs of heating; a loose contact is potentially
dangerous.
2. Fit double sockets instead of single ones in new installations or when
replacing sockets; this will reduce the need to use adaptors.
3. Replace plastic-type lamp holders if they show signs of deteriorating –
cracking or discolouration. Replace them with heat-resistant types and
renew the flex.
4. Do not exceed the maximum bulb wattage recommended for fittings or
lamp holders.
5. Do ensure that all fluorescent fittings and metal chandeliers are earthed.
6. In all new installations make sure that you include sufficient double
socket outlets in all rooms, especially the kitchen and sitting/dining
rooms. Insufficient outlets may tempt you to use adaptors or makeshift
extensions and may also result in the use of long trailing flexes.
Rules for Domestic House Wiring
1. The total lighting points in a sub circuit should not be more than
800watts or ten (10) points, whichever is less.
2. Maximum power load in a socket should not be more than 2000watts
or two (2) points, whichever is less.
3. The current rating of the main switch and distribution box should be
calculated according to the load on the circuit.
4. The cable used for the installation should be kept free from dampness,
fire, chemical fumes and leakage. Therefore all metal covering
provided for the protection of cables must be earthed so that there is
no damage due to leakage of installation.

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 5. Wall sockets must have an earth point connected with the continuity
conductor.
6. No switch or fuse should be installed in the earth continuity conductor.
7. A live wire must be protected by a fuse of current rating depending on
the requirement of the load.
8. The height of the fan and light point should be 2.75m and 2.5m
respectively.
9. In 3-Ø, 4 wire system, the load distribution should be indicated by red,
yellow and blue.

WIRES AND CABLES

A wire is any conductor which is composed of conducting material and is
uniform in diameter and circular in cross section.

A cable is a length of a single insulated conductor (solid or stranded) or two

or more of such conductor, each provided with its own insulation which are
laid up.

Cable insulation materials

Rubber: For many years wiring cables were insulated with vulcanised
natural rubber (VIR). Much cable of this type is still in service, although it is
many years since it was last manufactured. Since the insulation is organic, it
is subject to the normal ageing process, becoming hard and brittle. In this
condition it will continue to give satisfactory service unless it is disturbed,
when the rubber cracks and loses its insulating properties. It is advisable
that wiring of this type which is still in service should be replaced by a more
modern cable.
Paper: Dry paper is an excellent insulator but loses its insulating properties
if it becomes wet. Dry paper is hygroscopic, that is, it absorbs moisture from
the air. It must be sealed to ensure that there is no contact with the air.
Because of this, paper insulated cables are sheathed with impervious
materials, lead being the most common. PILC (paper insulated lead covered)

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is traditionally used for heavy power work. The paper insulation is
impregnated with oil or non-draining compound to improve its long-term
performance. Cables of this kind need special jointing methods to ensure
that the insulation remains sealed. This difficulty, as well as the weight of
the cable, has led to the widespread use of P.V.C. and XLPE (thermosetting)
insulated cables in place of paper insulated types.

P.V.C.: Polyvinyl chloride (P.V.C.) is now the most usual low voltage cable
insulation. It is clean to handle and is reasonably resistant to oils and other
chemicals. When P.V.C. burns, it emits dense smoke and corrosive hydrogen
chloride gas. The physical characteristics of the material change with
temperature: when cold it becomes hard and difficult to strip, and so it is
specifies that it should not be worked at temperatures below 5°C. However a
special P.V.C. is available which remains flexible at temperatures down to -
20°C.

LSF (Low smoke and fume): Materials which have reduced smoke and
corrosive gas emissions in fire compared with P.V.C. have been available for
some years. They are normally used as sheathing compounds over XLPE or
LSF insulation, and can give considerable safety advantages in situations
where numbers of people may have to be evacuated in the event of fire.

Thermosetting (XLPE): Gross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) is a

thermosetting compound which has better electrical properties than P.V.C.
and is therefore used for medium- and high-voltage applications. It has
more resistance to deformation at higher temperatures than P.V.C., which it
is gradually replacing. Thermosetting insulation may be used safely with
conductor temperatures up to 90°C thus increasing the useful current rating,
especially when ambient temperature is high. A LSF (low smoke and fume)
type of thermosetting cable is available.

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Mineral: Provided that it is kept dry, a mineral insulation such as
magnesium oxide is an excellent insulator. Since it is hygroscopic (it absorbs
moisture from the air) this insulation is kept sealed within a copper sheath.
The resulting cable is totally fireproof and will operate at temperatures of up
to 250°C. It is also entirely inorganic and thus non-ageing. These cables
have small diameters compared with alternatives, great mechanical
strength, are waterproof, resistant to radiation and electromagnetic pulses,
are pliable and corrosion resistant.

a) Non-armoured pvc-insulated cables

1 - pvc sheath

2 - PVC insulation

3 - Copper conductor: solid.

stranded or flexible

b) Armoured PVC-insulated cables

1 - PVC sheath

2 - armour-galvanised steel wire

3 - PVC bedding

4 - PVC insulation

5 - copper conductor

Cable is a permanently fixed wire that is used to supply electricity to the

different circuits in the home; these circuits can be the Lighting or socket
circuit or shower / cooker etc. The more current a circuit uses the thicker the
wire has to be, otherwise the wire could melt if a fuse of the incorrect
amperage is used to protect the circuit.

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The type of cable that is used for indoor domestic wiring is known as twin
core & earth, this comprises of three wires, two of which are covered with a
coloured insulating material and the earth wire which runs between the two
insulated wires. The insulated wires are coloured either Red / Brown for live
and Black / Blue for neutral.

The carrying capacity of any cable can be greatly affected by several

factors, such as it's length. A long length of cable would often
require that a thicker cable size to be used.

1.0mm2 is used for lighting circuits up

to a maximum of 1200 watts.
2
1.0mm
Three core and earth wire is available
to enable two/ three way switching

2.5mm2 is used for socket ring

2.5mm2 circuits or for a immersion heater /
storage heater up to 20 AMPS

2
4.0mm2 is for some shower circuits
4.0mm
and used for radial socket circuits

6.0mm2 is for 30 AMP circuits and

6.0mm2 is used for cookers up to 13KW and
some shower circuits

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 10mm2 is used for cooker
circuits above 13KW and up
10mm2 to 45 Amp load. High
powered showers often use
10mm2 wire

Earthing wire is used for earthing the

electricity supply in the home.

Currently the thickness of earthing

wires for domestic wiring is as follows-
16mm2 - Main bond between the
Earthing consumer unit and the supply

wire earth.10mm2 - Main bond from the

consumer unit to incoming metal
water, gas and oil service pipes.

4.0mm2 - Supplementary bonding -

Bathroom- metal sinks, taps, radiators,
metal baths, ETC.

EARTHING
Earthing is a means of connecting the metallic part of electrical equipment to
the general mass of the earth (considered to be at zero potential), for the
safety of the human body.

The whole of the world may be considered as a vast conductor which is at

reference (zero) potential. In the UK we refer to this as 'earth' whilst in the
USA it is called 'ground'. People are usually more or less in contact with
earth, so if other parts which are open to touch become charged at a
different voltage from earth a shock hazard exists. The process of earthing is

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to connect all these parts which could become charged to the general mass
of earth, to provide a path for fault currents and to hold the parts as close as
possible to earth potential. In simple theory this will prevent a potential
difference between earth and earthed parts, as well as permitting the flow of
fault current which will cause the operation of the protective systems.

Advantages of Earthing
Earthing has some advantages. They are:
1. - The whole electrical system is tied to the potential of the general mass
of earth and cannot 'float' at another potential.
2. - By connecting earth to metalwork not intended to carry current (an
extraneous conductive part or a an exposed conductive part) by using a
protective conductor, a path is provided for fault current which can be
detected and, if necessary, broken

The disadvantages of Earthing

The two important disadvantages are:
1. - Cost: the provision of a complete system of protective conductors, earth
electrodes, etc. is very expensive.
2. - Possible safety hazard: It has been argued that complete isolation from
earth will prevent shock due to indirect contact because there is no path for
the shock current to return to the circuit if the supply earth connection is not
made.

Basic requirements for circuits

The Regulations require that installations should be divided into circuits, the
purposes being:
1. To prevent danger in the event of a fault by ensuring that the fault
current is no greater than necessary to operate the protective system.
2. To enable part of an installation to be switched off for maintenance or for
testing without affecting the rest of the system.

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3. to prevent a fault on one circuit from resulting in the loss of the complete
installation.

The number of final circuits will depend on the types of load supplied, and
must be designed to comply with the requirements for over-current
protection, switching and the current-carrying capacity of conductors. Every
circuit must be separate from others and must be connected to its own over-
current protective fuse or circuit breaker in a switch fuse, distribution board,
consumer's unit, etc.

Fig: Typical arrangement for feeding final circuits in a domestic installation

SOCKET OUTLET CIRCUITS

The fused plug: In many situations there is a need for socket outlets to be
closely spaced so that they are available to feed appliances and equipment
without the need to use long and potentially dangerous leads. For example,
the domestic kitchen worktop should be provided with ample sockets to feed
the many appliances (deep fat fryer, kettle, sandwich toaster, carving knife,

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toaster, microwave oven, coffee maker, and so on) which are likely to be
used. Similarly, in the living room we need to supply television sets, video
recorders, stereo players, table lamps, room heaters, etc. In this case, more
outlets will he needed to allow for occasional rearrangement of furniture,
which may well obstruct access to some outlets.

If each one of these socket outlets were wired back to the mains position or
to a local distribution board, large numbers of circuits and cables would be
necessary, with consequent high cost. The alternative is the provision of
fewer sockets with the penalties of longer leads and possibly the use of
multi-outlet adaptors. Because the ideal situation will have closely-spaced
outlets, there is virtually no chance of more than a small proportion of them
being in use at the same time, so generous allowance can be made for
diversity.

Making the Connection – Plugs and Cable Colours

Almost all new electric appliances now come complete with a fitted 13 Amp
3-pin plug. If the appliance you buy has no plug fitted or if your home has
two-pin or 3-pin round plug sockets you will need to fit an appropriate plug-
top. If you are not sure how to wire a plug, have it
done by a competent person. Remember, a wrongly
wired plug can result in a serious or fatal accident.
The first thing to know is the colour code for
connecting the cables to the appropriate pin/terminal
in the plug.

The colour code for cables is:

Cable colour Terminal

BROWN Live (L) terminal

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GREEN/YELLOW Earth (E) terminal
BLUE Neutral (N) terminal

You may have old appliances with cables that have an OBSOLETE colour
code and in this case the connections are made as follows:

Cable colour Terminal

RED Live (L) terminal
GREEN Earth (E) terminal
BLACK Neutral (N) terminal

If you find an appliance with colour codes other than those mentioned, look
for advice from a competent person before connecting a plug.
When an appliance is ‘Double insulated’ and carries the symbol it does not
need to be earthed. These appliances will have just two wires, the brown
LIVE and blue NEUTRAL; they do not have a green/yellow earth wire.

Wiring a Plug Safely

When you connect each wire to the appropriate terminal it is most important
that no loose strands of wire are exposed and that all the screw connections
are fully tightened. You should also leave a little extra slack on the
green/yellow earth wire within the plug in order to avoid
strain on this vital connection should the cord grip loosen.

When the wires are securely connected to the terminals

make sure that the flex is properly anchored in the plug
by the cord grip; make sure that the grip secures the
outer cover of the flex and is not simply gripping the
coloured insulated wires. Do NOT use a plug if the cord grip is missing or if it
can’t be fully tightened.

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TYPES OF SOCKET CIRCUITS
RING CIRCUIT: In a ring circuit, a cable leaves the consumer unit and
travels to each socket on the main and when it reaches the last socket it
then returns to the consumer unit, thus creating a ring. The advantage of
this is that power can reach the sockets in the circuit from both directions,
which reduces the power load on the cables. Ring circuit can have extra
sockets added to them by adding a “spur” onto a ring circuit. A spur is a
branch off the ring circuit, usually from an existing circuit, although a
junction box could also be used.

Fig: Ring circuit feeding socket outlets

1. The floor area served by each ring must not exceed 110 m² for domestic
situations,
2. Consideration should be given to the provision of a separate ring (or
radial) circuit in a kitchen.
3. Cable sizes for standard circuits are as follows:

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a) P.V.C. insulated cable are 2.5 mm² for live (phase and neutral)
conductors and 1.5mm² for the CPC.
4. The number of unfused spurs fed from the ring circuit must not
exceed the number of sockets or fixed appliances connected directly in
the ring.
5. Each non-fused spur may feed no more than one single or one twin
socket, or no more than one fixed appliance.
6. The circuit has a 30Amps fuse or 32amp MCB on the consumer unit.

RADIAL CIRCUIT: With radial circuit, the cable comes from the consumer
unit and travel to each socket, when the cable reaches the last socket it
ends there. Radial circuits can therefore only serve a small area.

1. 20 A fuse or miniature circuit breaker protection with 2.5 mm² live and
1.5mm² protective conductors feeding a floor area of not more than 50 m²
is used. If the circuit feeds a kitchen or utility room, it must be remembered
that a 3 kW device such as a washing machine or a tumble dryer takes 12.5
A at 240 V and that this leaves little capacity for the rest of the sockets.

2. 32 A cartridge fuse to B888 or miniature circuit breaker feeding through 4

mm² live and 2.5 mm² protective conductors to supply a floor area no
greater than 75m².

The arrangement of the circuits is shown in below. 4mm² may seem to be a

large cable size in a circuit feeding 13 A sockets. It must be remembered,
however, that the 2.5 mm² ring circuit allows current to be fed both ways
round the ring, so that two conductors are effectively in parallel, whereas
the 4 mm² cable in a radial circuit must carry all the current.

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Fig: Radial circuits

LIGHTING CIRCUITS
Lighting circuits are basically radial circuits. There are basically two types of
lighting circuit, the loop-in circuit and the older junction box circuit.

The loop-in has a cable running from light to light terminating at the last
light and single cable runs from the lights to the switch.

The junction type of lighting circuit has a junction box for each light. The
cable runs from the consumer unit to the first junction box and then unto
the next terminating at the last junction box. Then another cable is run from
each junction box to its light and another cable from the junction box to that
light switch.

The cable used for lighting circuit is 1mm2 or 1.5mm2 for long runs. A 5Amps
fuse or 6Amps MCB is used for a lighting circuit. The maximum load for a
lighting circuit is 1200watts which amounts to 12 x 100 watts. If more lights
are needed, then another lighting circuit should be used.

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Some Lighting Circuits

1. A bulb being controlled by 2 switches at both end of a corridor: Below is a

circuit of a lamp controlled by two 2-ways switch. Figure A shows when
the lamp is powered on, while figure B shows when the lamp is in OFF
position.

Note: the lamp can be powered ON and OFF from ant of the two switches.

Lamp
Lamp

N
N
Junction Box
Junction Box L
L

2 ways Travelers Cables 2 ways

2 ways Travelers Cables 2 ways Switch 2
Switch
Switch Switch

Circuit is ON Position Circuit is OFF Position

Fig A Fig B

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2. A bulb controlled by a switch

Bulb Bulb

N N
Junction Box Junction Box
L L

Switch Switch

Circuit is ON Position Circuit is OFF Position

(3). Four (4) bulbs controlled by 2 switches

Bulbs

From source

N
Junction Box
L

Travelers Cables

Switch 1 Switch 2

Circuit is ON Position

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4. Three (3) bulbs controlled by a switch

4 bulbs

L Junction Box

Switch

Circuit is ON Position

Cable Size and Fuse rating for various circuits

Circuit Fuse Rating Cable Size

Lighting Circuit 5 Amps 1mm2 or 1.5mm2
13 Amps Socket Circuit 15Amps, 20Amps 2.5mm2
15 Amps Socket Circuit 30 Amps 4.0mm2

Domestic Installation Tests

Various Tests that should be carried out on an electrically installed building
before connecting to supply are as follows
1. Insulation Test between conductors and earth, if it indicate zero, it
means there is direct connection between the conductors (live and
neutral) and the earth.
2. Insulation Test between Live and Neutral
3. Earth Continuity Test: this should indicate zero
4. Polarity Test of Switches

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