Introduction: Electrical Installation of a House

About: My name is Jorge Eldis González & i'm an electrical and electronic engineering student, based in Panama City, Panama, currently working as a Network Support Engineer on MetroMPLS & Software Developer for my ow…

One of my biggest projects so far, me and some college colleagues got a project from a class where we have to replicate exactly an Electrical Installation in a House, We had to make the schematics from scratch, look for the necessary materials to be able to make the environments which were 7 (garden, bedroom, kitchen, living room, etc.)

Supplies

1. Two sheets of Playwood ½ "24" x 4 ’

2. 2 hinges

3. Square Box 4 x 4 (6 Units)

4. Lid of Repello 4 x 4 ¼ (6 Units)

5. Octagonal Box ½ (6 Units)

6. Rectangular Box 2x4 (10 Units)

7. LED bulbs (2 Units)

8. Incandescent bulbs (2 Units)

9. Porcelain Rosettes (2 Units)

10. Simple Switch 25V and 15A (2 Units)

11. Three Way Switch (2 Units)

12. Single Switch Cover (2 Units)

13. Double 120V Socket (2 Units)

14. Double Outlet Cover (2 Units)

15. Simple Outlet 240V (1 Units)

16. Single Socket 125V (1 Units)

17. Dimmer Light Intensity Regulator (1 Unit)

18. GFCI Outlets (2 Units)

19. Doorbell with transformer (1 Unit)

20. ½ PVC Electric Pipe (2 sections)

21. PVC Electric Elbow ½ (16 Units)

22. # 12 THHN White Wire (60 ft.)

23. # 12 THHN Black Wire (20 ft.)

24. # 12 THHN Red Wire (50 ft.)

25. Yellow Solid Wire (40 feet) (Used to Save and not change for the bare)

26. Wire Nuts

27. ½ "Electrical PVC Connectors

28. Screws

29. 6 foot strip with 6 outputs (2 Units)

30. Extension cords with a 12-foot grounded cord and a minimum of four polarized outlets, with Ground Terminal (2 Units)

31. 20 W Fluorescent Lamp

32. Lamp Starter

33. Lamp Transformer

34. Committed

35. Meter Box

36. Main Panel

37. Distribution Panel

38. Breakers 20A / 1P

39. Breakers 20A / 2P


Additional Tools

1. Flat and Phillips Screwdriver

2. Pliers

3. Probe

4. Multimeter

5. Saw

Step 1: Kitchen

The materials used are the following:

1 Starter for the Lamp Transformer

1 20 Watt Lamp

1 Transformer for the 20 Watt Lamp

4 Boxes 4X2

2 Boxes 4X4

1 GFCI Outlets

1 Simple 120V Outlet

1 Simple 240V Outlet

1 Simple Switch


1. The first environment begins using the diagram made by the teacher and then making the group's own in order to see how the cables and their connections with the electrical elements can be ordered.

2. Then, as in all the environments below, the elements are placed and then a plan is made in view of how the circuit would look on the two Playwood boards, a pencil is used to note in what position each element is and proceeds to screw the same.

3. The cables begin to be installed and, guided by the already made diagram, the electrical elements are installed to obtain the final circuit.

4. In the kitchen environment a change was made from a double outlet to a GFCI outlet, this was agreed with the teacher since for the bathroom environment a simple switch was used since we did not have the GFCI available for the bathroom.

5. When connecting the GFCI we go through the teacher's instructions, which we consider to load the complete circuit, this is to be able to make greater protection at the time of an electrical spike, so the circuit as such is protected at the time of a short , or blackout.

This figure was used as a guide to better understand the behavior that was wanted to obtain for the GFCI

6. A 20W lamp was installed in this environment along with its transformer and starter, all installed to recreate a real experience.

7. For this environment, frames are used to be able to do the complete installation of the lamp in an orderly manner and not have any loose cables, the starter, transformer and lamp are of the same power and voltage to have the best possible experience.

8. We can see in the photo above that the ground connection was made and the union of the lamp with the circuit with its simple switch, it should be noted that solid yellow wire was used to save money when buying materials.

9. It can be seen that all the outlet connections are correct, this is confirmed by the outlet tester.

10. This environment ends with the best experience and with all our circuits working correctly.

Step 2: Bathroom

The materials used are the following:

Two incandescent bulbs

Two hexagonal boxes

A switch

A 4x4 box

A simple plug

Playwood screen

PVC electrical pipes

Male connector



1. This was the first environment that was made, so first the hinges were placed on the two Playwood boards with sheet metal screws and with the help of a star screwdriver and a drill to open the holes.

2. Then the elements of the environment circuit such as the hexagonal boxes, 4x4 boxes and the switch boxes and the electrical outlet were placed on top of the boards, giving them the shape of the schematic. The elements were screwed in with sheet metal screws to later take measurements and strip the live, neutral and ground cables with the help of a wire stripper and pliers. The measurements of the PVC electrical pipes were also taken.

3. In this environment, a simple electrical outlet was used instead of the GFCI because, as it was the first environment to be elaborated, we were missing some elements and it was agreed with the teacher to place the GFCI in the kitchen environment.

4. After having the elements screwed to the screen, the live, neutral and ground cables were placed in the male connector that would be the part of the power supply.

5. The simple electrical outlet connected the live wires to the screw of the small stripe, neutral to the screw of the longest stripe, and ground, and splices were placed on the respective cables to continue the lines to the other elements.

6. Then the live and neutral cables pass through the 4x4 box while the ground wire is spliced ​​to ground the 4x4 box and continue the ground wire line to the other elements.

7. The ground wire is connected to the switch and the live wire that comes from the power supply is connected to the end of the two screws and the live wire that would come out to the two lights so that they would go connected in series. The neutral wire runs through the switch box, but runs directly to the incandescent bulbs.

8. The hexagonal box where the light is installed is grounded with the ground wire and a triple connection is made for the live and neutral wires of those that come from the switch box, the wires that are connected to the light and the wires that they continue to the next incandescent bulb.

9. Finally, the hexagonal box of the next incandescent bulb is also grounded with the ground wire and the live and neutral wires are connected to the incandescent bulb.

Step 3: Corridor

The materials used were:

- Double and triple splices.

- 2 Three-way switches

- 2 lamps

- 2 incandescent bulbs

- 4 plastic boxes

- 2 metal drawers

- 2 metal 4x4 drawer lids

-   Screws

- 2 hinges

- 2 Playwood boards

- 2 hexagonal metal drawers

- 2 simple outlets

- 2 switch covers

- 2 simple outlet covers

- PVC pipes and elbows.

- Red, yellow and white cables.


1. In this environment we use the two Playwood boards joined with 2 hinges. previously seen in the two previous environments. We reuse the 120V plug also made from the first environment. We arrange boxes as seen in the image to cut electrical tubes to size, so that the environment will be as orderly as possible. It should be noted that the red wire represents the hot wire, the white wire the neutral and the yellow wire represents the ground.

2. We place all the tubes cut to size mentioned in the previous step. And we proceeded to introduce the cables later, we used a triple splice in the 4x4 box in the ground to connect it to the Ground screw.

3. We proceeded to pass the red, white and yellow wire to the outlets in which we used triple junctions to energize the outlets and for the red, white and yellow wire to continue until the next section of the circuit.

4. We pass the cables through the second 4x4 box to land again and follow the circuit more comfortably, the only cable spliced ​​in this segment was the yellow one as we can see in this image.

5. After the 4x4 box we take the red, yellow and white cables to the first three-way switch. In this segment we add another hot wire that goes from the first Three-way switch to the second directly, and another red one that goes from the second Three-way switch to the two incandescent bulbs. The 2 Three-way switches and the two incandescent bulbs were grounded. As for the white wires, they went directly to the incandescent bulbs, they were not connected to the first Three-way switch. This was the result.

Step 4: Studio / Bedroom

The materials used are the following:

Playwood screen

PVC electrical pipes

Male connector

Two 4x4 boxes

An LED spotlight

A hexagonal box

A dimmer

One outlet for 240 V

A simple outlet

One double outlet


1. For this environment we used the two Playwood boards that were previously joined by hinges in the bathroom environment. The power cable that was already available from said environment was also used, only in this case it is added two more lines for what is the part of the 240 V outlet. These two lines of the 240 V outlet will pass through the devices. until you reach the outlet.

2. As with the other environments, the elements and boxes of the environment are placed on top of the tables, giving them the shape of the schematic. The elements were screwed in with sheet metal screws to later take measurements and strip the live, neutral and ground cables with the help of a wire stripper and pliers. The measurements of the PVC electrical pipes were also taken.

3. The live, neutral and ground wires of the power supply will go through the 4x4 box that is grounded using the ground wire making a connection with the power ground, the one that grounds the 4x4 box and the one that continues.

4. A splice is made to ground the hexagonal box of the LED spotlight and continue the ground wire to the other devices. Splices are made to connect the live and neutral wires to the LED spotlight and so that the wires continue to the other devices as well.

5. Later in the installation of the dimmer, it will be connected as a switch connecting the ground wire and the live wire is connected at the end of the two screws and the live wire that will continue to the rest of the fixtures in the other screw. devices.

6. In the 4x4 box, the ground wire is spliced ​​to ground the 4x4 box, to remove the ground wire from the 240V socket and continue the ground wire to the single socket and the double socket.

7. In the 240 V socket connect the two special lines for said socket and connect the earth cable.

8. Splices are made to connect the live wires to the screw for the small stripe, neutral to the screw for the longest stripe, and ground to the double outlet, and so that the wire lines continue to the single outlet.

9. Finally, the live wires are connected to the screw of the small stripe, neutral to the screw of the longest stripe, and ground to the single socket.

Step 5: Garden

The materials used were:

- Double, triple and quintuple splices.

- 1 Simple switches

- 1 lamp

- 1 incandescent bulb

- 2 plastic boxes

- 2 metal drawers

- 2 metal 4x4 drawer lids

-   Screws

- 2 hinges

- 2 Playwood boards

- 1 GFCI outlet

- 1 switch covers

- 1 simple outlet covers

- PVC pipes and elbows.

- Red, yellow and white cables.

- 1 Bell

- 1 Pushbutton

- 1 Transformer


1. In this environment we use the two Playwood boards joined with 2 hinges. previously seen in the two previous environments. We reuse the 120V plug also made from the first environment. We order metal and plastic boxes to cut electrical pipes to size, so that the environment will be as orderly as possible. It should be noted that the red wire represents the hot wire, the white wire the neutral and the yellow wire represents the ground.

2. We place all the tubes cut to size mentioned in the previous step. And we proceeded to introduce the cables later, we used five-wire splices in the 4x4 box so that the red, white and yellow cable was directed to the 3 directions of the circuit.

3. Next, we can see in the image below that we have installed the doorbell, with its push button and transformer, it is important to know that the transformer is with the correct value so that the doorbell can work correctly, the transformer works to decrease the voltage of 120V so that the bell can work and as always the button is in series so that a sound can be achieved as ding do

4. In the second 3x4 metal box, we take red and white cables to the simple switch that turns on the incandescent lamp, then we cable the same lamp mentioned previously, we land everything properly on the switch and the hexagonal metal box .

5. From the same 4x4 box we take the white, red and yellow cables to the GFCI outlet, which we ground correctly and add two cables; a white and a red that are connected in parallel with the beginning of the circuit so that the GFCI fulfills its function of deactivating the entire circuit when necessary.

Step 6: Dining Room

The materials used were the following:

1 Simple 120V Outlet

1 Double Outlet

1 Simple 240V Outlet

2 Three Way Switches

2 Incandescent Spotlights

5 Boxes 4x2

1 Box 4x4

2 Octagonal Boxes


1. Next, the installation of environment 6 is made, which consists of two Three Way Switches which both decide, if the two lights are turned on or off, this also adding a 240V socket.

2. The elements are placed and screwed to the Playwood boards in order to install the electrical cables.

3. In the installation it is important to emphasize that two cables were used for the two 240V lines, each one was separated and the differentiation could be made, since the 240V outlet uses two phases with their respective ground.

4. The corresponding sockets were made with the multimeter to also know that the connections were made correctly, it is important to do this since as this circuit contains two Switches Three Way, the connections of these two can be a bit confusing due to the theory that carries their connection.

5. When we do the testing of both bulbs we realize that both bulbs turn off and both bulbs turn on with the two Switches, that is, both Switches command when turning the bulbs on and off, I will add a circuit that was helpful to the time of installation.

6. For precautionary reasons, we only energized the circuit with 120V, but at the time of presenting we were also able to make the presentation to the teacher with continuity so that he could see that the correct installation of these cables was made.

Step 7: Electrical Connection

The materials used were the following:

1 service entrance

1 meter box

1 main panel

1 two-pole main breakers (ie. Available: 20A / 2P)

1 distribution panel with 2ea. 20A / 1P breakers - one on each line


1. First, as with the previous environments, we place the materials on the two Playwood boards, so that we can then frame them with a pencil and then screw these materials.

2. The Phase 1, Phase 2 and Neutral cables were placed through the holes in the task to begin the wiring distribution.

3. Then we pass through the clock or the meter box the corresponding cables to be able to make the connections, it is very important to remember that the meter goes in series with phase 1 and phase 2. The screw is held in the middle with the neutral.

4. Then the cables pass through what we call the main panel where, as it were, sends the current and is the mother box, we connected the corresponding 20A / 2P double breakers and did the continuity test to see if current passed, it is also This is where the copper rod from the ground enters to ground the entire circuit.

5. Finally, the distribution panel is placed, which is where the two phases are distributed in different sectors for the house or residence, in turn, two 20A / 1P breakers are placed to protect the circuit separately, because already this is where it connects to the different environments as such.

6. It is important to emphasize that the ground is shared for both phases since its function is to land and it does not affect the behavior of the circuit if it is shared.

7. You can see the complete diagram of the 6 environments united by the task, a successful result with each of the environments working perfectly.