House Electrical Wiring For Dummies

Choose wisely the electrical wires as it s wise to use the right size wire for some electrical devices.

House electrical wiring for dummies. The electrical glossary may be useful. Some regulatory requirements are mentioned in this article. Wiring examples and instructions. Electrical wiring how to replace ceiling light fixtures audio transcript ceiling fixtures come in lots of different shapes and there are many different ways to attach them.

Connect to the outlet. For example 14 2 gauge electrical wire is rated to a maximum of 15 amps and should not be used with any circuit breaker larger than 15 amps 12 2 gauge wiring is rated to a maximum of 20 amps. Wiring examples and instructions basic house wiring instructions how to wire 2 way 3 way and 4 way switches. Electrical wire and circuit breakers are designed to work in tandem with one another and each must be of a proper corresponding size.

In a typical new town house wiring system we have. Electrical wiring in the us follows the same basic color codes. Besides standard hand tools you ll need a special purpose tool to cut and strip electric wire. The most common sizes you ll find in residential work are 14 gauge and 12 gauge.

How to wire a house for dummies june 14 2017. It s counterintuitive but the larger the number the smaller the wire. We like the klein no. Red and black wires denote live wires white wires serve as the ground and blue yellow or other colors are used for switches or other specific purposes.

Several switches receptacles light fixtures or appliances may be connected to a single circuit. Wires running inside nm cable bx cable or conduit are sized according to each circuit s amperage. These apply to new wiring and in many cases are not requirements for existing wiring. For example wiring for 20 amp circuits is 12 gauge which is heavier than the 14 gauge wiring used for 15 amp circuits.

We won t cover many other house wiring details. Larger appliances such as electric stoves electric water heaters electric dryers and central air units will often use 10 8 or even 6 gauge wire. House wiring isn t difficult but you do need to keep in mind that it may be dangerous which is why it s essential to follow the safety rules at all time. Household circuits carry electricity from the main service panel throughout the house and back to the main service panel.

For help with circuit design and making connections to your main electrical panel we recommend you consult a licensed electrician. 1412 18 at hardware stores and home centers. Usually the wiring which you are installing will be affixed to the final outlet in the current run of. Wire size is given in its gauge number.