Repair of electrical wiring in the apartment: preparatory work, troubleshooting

Electricity is an integral part of our life. In each apartment, you can find more than a dozen devices that work from the electric current passing through the wires. All of them help to simplify and diversify our life. However, over time, it will be necessary to repair the electrical wiring in the apartment. This is a rather difficult job that requires special care and attention.

Preparatory work

Before repairing the wiring, it is necessary to correctly select all the necessary materials and tools. It is from them that the quality of the work performed will depend. Another important factor in the success of the repair is strict adherence to all stages of the process and taking into account the advice of professionals. They will help newbies avoid most mistakes and get the job done in no time.

Selection of materials and tools

To successfully carry out repair work, you need to prepare several mandatory tools in advance. Their choice depends on what exactly needs to be fixed in the apartment. This preparatory stage will help you not to be distracted during work and not to look for this or that tool for a long time.

For different types of electrical wiring repair you may need:

• hammer;
• puncher;
• Bulgarian;
• building level;
• chisel;
• pliers;
• indicator screwdriver.

In addition to the listed tools, you will also need some consumables. They are all inexpensive and readily available at any electrical store. These include:

1. Putty for filling holes punched in the wall.
2. Insulating tape for secure connection.
3. Cable wire for replacement of unusable parts.
4. Terminals for a stronger and better connection of wires.

Experienced Electrician Tips

Any repair work involving electrical current is a direct threat to life and health.

To avoid negative consequences and perform a quality repair, all basic safety rules must be followed.

Some of the most important tips from experienced electricians include:

1. It is important to take into account that some types of repair work can be carried out only with the permission of the RES (regional power grids). Otherwise, you can get a big fine.
2. Even in a completely de-energized circuit, a small current charge can be retained. Based on this, you should be very careful to work with bare wires and touch them only after checking with a special device or an indicator screwdriver.
3. All work with electrical wiring should be carried out only with dry hands. Even a small amount of moisture can lead to the most serious consequences.
4. When working in rooms with high humidity, you must be extremely careful and use all the provided protection elements.
5. In the event of a fire, under no circumstances should the fire be extinguished with water. This will only aggravate the situation and increase the risk of electric shock.
6. Any protective equipment used must be in good condition and fully functional.
7. It is forbidden to touch the switched on electrical appliance and grounding objects at the same time.
8. It is best to turn off the electricity in the apartment during the renovation work. This will bring additional inconvenience, but it will save life and health. If it is not possible to de-energize the area to carry out any work with the wiring, then it is imperative to use protective elements such as dielectric gloves and rubber boots.
9. Just in case, it is necessary to explain to everyone in the apartment the rules of behavior in case of electric shock and how to provide first aid to the victim.

Establishing the cause of the breakdown

Before proceeding with the repair, it is necessary to accurately determine the cause of the malfunction and find the damaged area. To do this, you need to remember the entire sequence of actions that led to the breakdown.

In most cases, these situations are:

1. Short circuit. There are many reasons for its occurrence, but the most common is damage to the insulation between the wires. This can result from kinking or mechanical stress on the cable. Another reason for a short circuit is the simultaneous inclusion of several powerful devices or devices into one outlet. As a result of this action, strong heating and melting of the insulation occurs.
2. Bad wire connection. This cause of malfunction appears when poor-quality installation of lighting fixtures or any other devices powered by electric current.
3. Damaged wires. It occurs due to mechanical stress on the wire laid in the wall (drilling, hammering in nails).

Troubleshooting

During the operation of electrical devices, various malfunctions may occur. To eliminate them, it is necessary to call an experienced electrician and spend a considerable amount of money on his services.

However, such work can be done independently. At the same time, it is important to have at least a little experience in such repairs and follow all safety rules.

Partial renovation

This type of repair is the most frequent, since it does not affect the entire apartment, but its separate section. Partial repairs may be necessary if the power supply to an outlet or switch is interrupted. In this case, the following actions are performed:

1. The first step is to look for a wire break using a special device. If it is not there, then you will have to gradually remove the cable from the wall and look for a breakage manually.
2. Then the apartment is completely disconnected from the power supply and each outlet or switch is carefully checked with an indicator screwdriver.
3. After that, in the place of the cliff, part of the wall is hollowed out and the damaged area is located.
4. It is then neatly trimmed and removed.
5. At the next stage of work, a piece of wire is taken equal in size to the removed one, and both ends are stripped.
6. Similar actions are performed with the cable in the wall.
7. Then the corresponding ends are fastened to each other and wrapped with electrical tape. For added security, you can also tape the electrical tape to the adjacent places of the wire.
8. When the repair is completed, the knocked-out section of the wall is covered with putty.
9. After a few hours, it dries completely.
10. At the very end, the electric current is turned on and all initially inoperative sockets or switches are checked.

Complete replacement

If major repairs are being made in an old room or apartment, then it is best to start with a complete replacement of the electrical wiring. This will help in the future to avoid accidents and possible fires. Complete replacement of electrical wiring is done as follows:

1. Before starting, the apartment is de-energized.
2. Then all switches and sockets are dismantled.
3. After that, the absence of tension at each point is checked. This part of the work is done using an indicator screwdriver or a special device.
4. It is best to start removing old wires from the junction boxes. To do this, they are disconnected from the main input cable, which must be insulated immediately.
5. After removing all the wires, the electrical panel is dismantled.
6. The next stage of work is the installation of a new cable. To do this, markings are made on the walls and ceiling in those places where the wires will pass. All lines should be parallel or perpendicular to the floor line.
7. Grooves are hollowed out along the drawn contours for laying the cable.
8. Then wires are placed in them and pre-fixed.
9. After that, the distributor box is installed, as well as sockets and switches.
10. The laid cable is connected to the panel and checked for functionality.
11. After successfully completed testing, the wires are covered with plaster mortar and hidden in the wall.

Repairing electrical wiring in an apartment is a rather complicated event that requires the performer to be attentive, accurate and knowledgeable. With the right approach and following all the recommendations of a professional electrician, any problem can be quickly resolved.

During work, it is very important to follow the safety rules. They will not only save life, but also help maintain health.