Do-it-yourself Electrical Wiring In The Attic Of The House, The Choice Of An Installation System

2023 Author: Philip Bishop | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 07:54

• Is this wiring necessary?
• Types of wiring
• What materials to use for work
• Electricity installation
• Attic wiring in pipes
• Roller harness
• Hidden wiring
• Additional recommendations
• Conclusion

Every day more and more attic spaces are used to equip communications, especially for electrical wiring. The main purpose of equipping the attic with wiring is to save on materials, since there is no need to purchase additional decorative materials to hide the cables. But for the device of such a communication system, you need to know how to make the wiring in the attic, what material to use and what to consider when working.

Is this wiring necessary?

For the most part, attic spaces are also made of easily combustible materials, the main of which is wood, since truss systems are used. Such popularity is due to its low cost, low weight and ease of installation. Even taking into account the mass of protective compounds, wood never ceases to be combustible.

In addition, attics usually contain a lot of dust, which can easily become a fire hazard if the wiring is not correct.

And of course, do not forget about various insects and rodents, which are very fond of chewing on the insulation of wires. And as you know, broken insulation is the main cause of short circuits and fires. And at the same time, there are a lot of things in the attic that are easily flammable.

Ultimately, given such a large number of negative aspects of the attic, it is better not to do wiring on it, since there is a great risk of fire. But despite this, many still perform it, since such a step allows you to significantly save on decorative finishes, eliminates unnecessary installation work, slashing ceilings, walls and floors.

In addition, often wiring in the attic of a house is usually performed to supply electricity from overhead power lines to the home panel. Here you cannot do without the involvement of the attic.

In total, the arrangement of the wiring in the attic is not a very good solution, but if you cannot do without it, all the work must be done correctly, taking into account all the features and precautions, and for this it is necessary to study the methods of arrangement and its basic rules.

Types of wiring

When equipping an attic space, it is possible to use two types of wiring:

1. Open, must be made of copper wires.
2. Closed, made of aluminum wires with insulation and installed in non-combustible materials

Open electrical wiring is routed through steel pipes or on insulating rollers.

Another good option would be tension wiring on strings, but it can be equipped only with an attic height of more than 2.5 meters, and those are extremely rare, if they still exist.

The structure of open wiring includes wires with a non-combustible sheath. This type of wiring can be pulled anywhere.

Hidden wiring of electricity can be made in walls, ceilings made of non-combustible materials at an arbitrary height. But its arrangement is not recommended, except for attics made of non-combustible materials.

What materials to use for work

Now it's worth figuring out which specific wires you need to use.

1. Due to the high fire safety of the attic, aluminum wiring must not be used. The only exception is the lead-in cable (provided its length is no more than 5 meters).
2. Accordingly, only copper wire is to be used.

Such requirements are spelled out in the PUE (electrical installation rules). We recommend using this set of rules for all electrical work.

At the same time, we note that copper wire is not suitable for any, you need to approach its choice as responsibly as possible. Only wires with non-combustible and low-smoke insulation can be used. To simplify the task, labeling such:

1. NG.
2. NG-LS

Also a good option would be a new type of cable, which has insulation that protects against rodents. It contains poisonous substances that scare them away. But it is worth noting that such insulation is harmful to humans, therefore they cannot be used in residential premises.

And now it's worth figuring out how to do the electrical wiring in the attic yourself.

Electricity installation

As already mentioned, installation can be done in several ways, namely:

1. Through the pipes.
2. On insulating rollers.
3. In a closed way.
4. String way

Let's look at the features of each of the presented ones.

Attic wiring in pipes

This is the safest type of electrical arrangement in the attic. Considering the state standards of the Russian Federation, for the arrangement of the network it is necessary to use metal pipes with a thickness of at least a few millimeters. European standards allow the use of plastic non-flammable pipes.

Let's consider some features of the system:

1. Since when laying open wiring, it is necessary to exclude the penetration of dust into the area of / u200b / u200bthe wires, which can cause a fire, for the arrangement, tight threaded connections are used in the junction boxes.
2. The main factor is the tightness of the joints.
3. Pipes without seals can be used in dust-free rooms.
4. When installing pipes, they must be placed at an angle so that moisture does not accumulate in them.
5. The connection of wires from different materials is carried out in branch boxes by compression or welding.
6. Devices for disconnecting, power supply should be installed at the entrance to the attic, and not in it.
7. Before connecting the devices to the network, check that they are grounded.
8. The pipes themselves must be earthed and neutralized without fail.

9. Installation is carried out on a wooden surface at any height.

   

Roller harness

In this case, open mounting is used with wire fastening on prepared rollers. For this type of device, it is advisable to use rodent-proof cables. Among the main features of the installation:

1. The distance between the provided rollers should not exceed 60 centimeters.
2. Directly between the wires, the distance is no more than 5 centimeters.
3. When the wire comes into contact with a wooden surface, gaskets of non-combustible material with a thickness of 1 centimeter or more are provided.

4. A metal sleeve is used to wire the cable through the partitions so that there is no contact with the tree.

   

Also, one of the varieties of roller arrangement is string wiring, among its features:

1. It is a wire device that is not protected by insulation. It is fixed at a height of at least 2.5 meters from the floor.
2. Mounts are located at a distance of 5-6 centimeters from each other.
3. The distance between the wires is 5 centimeters.
4. The rollers themselves are fixed on separately arranged planks fixed to the rafters.

Hidden wiring

Now let's move on to the last type and consider its features:

1. As already mentioned, this type is used only in attic spaces made of non-combustible materials.
2. In this case, it is necessary to have a layer of plaster of at least a centimeter.
3. The cables themselves are laid in pipes (corrugated), which greatly simplifies further wiring repairs.
4. All kinds of wiring and connections are carried out strictly in sealed junction boxes.

At the same time, we note that the connection of cables with twists is strictly prohibited. All connections should be made only with clamps, clips or other connectors intended for this purpose. We also recommend reading how to install hidden electrical wiring under plaster.

Additional recommendations

In some cases, a lighting device may be needed, in such a situation, the following rules should be observed:

1. All connections and luminaires are sealed only.
2. Protective equipment as well as all switches must be located outside the attic.
3. A step-down transformer should be used whenever possible.

The electricity meter is installed directly outside the house. It can be equipped with both automatic and manual power off.

If necessary, an RCD is installed to turn off the light. Such a switch performs the function of protection against unforeseen situations - a sharp current leak, etc.

Conclusion

It should be noted that even correctly executed wiring does not guarantee safety, but significantly reduces the risk. In addition, its integrity should be checked regularly. And yet, for your own safety, it is recommended to entrust this kind of work to professionals, and it is better not to use the attic at all for the electrical wiring (and if used, then as a last resort).

We offer you to watch several videos on how the wiring in the attic is arranged.

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Video: