Alozie Electricare Ltd

Electrical Wiring Basics
Home Electrical Wiring Basics

Home wiring is not something to fool around with. It is literally a life and death matter. Poor wiring can lead to personal injury and electrically caused fires, both of which you want to avoid at all costs. In order to ensure your home wiring is done correctly, there are a few basics that you need to be aware of.

No Power = No Trouble

The key to safe basic house wiring is always keeping in mind that electricity packs a big, and deadly, punch. Even the most trained professional takes their life in their hands if they don’t follow basic safety procedure. The best preventative measure you can take, whether you’re installing basic electrical wiring, or just examining the wiring you do have, is to always make sure the power is turned off from the get go. Whether you’re re-wiring your entire home or just replacing a faulty outlet, be sure to take a trip to the control panel and cut the power to the area you’re working on.

Know Your Electrical Code

With electrical work there is never an excuse not to follow rules and regulations. As mentioned before, electricity can be a dangerous animal if it isn’t treated properly. Your locality’s codes and regulations regarding residential wiring have been put in place for a reason: to protect you, the homeowner. Anytime you are working with basic house wiring, study up on standard procedures so you don’t put your family or yourself in jeopardy. And if you’re undertaking a major home wiring project, get familiar with your local inspector. Don’t view them as a hurdle to overcome, but as a valuable resource you can draw on to get the job done right.

Components of Basic Electrical Wiring

Besides safety considerations and regulations, the other thing you want to familiarize yourself with is the make up of your home wiring. It boils down to three basic components:

Service Entry. This refers to the point in your home where your electrical service goes from the main grid into your home. Your service entry is critical and there are a few things to keep tabs on. First of all, make sure any entry lines are at least 10 feet above the ground, inaccessible from windows, and free of obstructions such as tree limbs. Besides that, make sure your service entry is properly installed so no water can pe*****te the access point.
Panel Board. Your panel board is your control center when it comes to electrical wiring. Whether you’re installing a dishwasher or running wiring to a new addition, this is the place you visit to ensure electricity is cut off when you start your work, and where you install new breakers if you’re undergoing a major remodel.
Branch Circuits. This refers to the isolated areas of areas of your home where your panel board directs electrical currents. It’s the reason you can cut power to your kitchen while leaving the rest of the house operational. Understanding where and how each branch circuit operates is critical to performing any basic house wiring project.
Call in an Electrician

With most home improvement jobs you can do it yourself with a little elbow grease and patience. Electrical work is one of the exceptions. Unless you’re experienced in home wiring, you don’t want to do this job yourself. The safety risks are just too great.

Add to that the need to meet local rules and regulations, and it’s a good idea to hire someone who is experienced in basic house wiring to tackle this job for you. It will mean you’ll have to jump through fewer hoops before your work is approved, and you can rest easy knowing all your basic electrical wiring has been done with your safety in mind.

Do not build or hire buildings under PHCN wires - call it low or high tension. At least what happened in River state where football lovers lost their lives is an eye opener. So don't risk your life.

Properties worth millions of naira are destroyed by fire daily in Nigeria and lives are lost. Many go unreported. But do we give a thought to what causes fire in homes, offices, shops or our surroundings and how best to avoid them?

1. Always put off appliances when not in use

For those who go to work, put off all appliances at home to avoid voltage surge that may follow when power is restored after an outage. The same applies for the office when leaving.

2. Do not overload electrical sockets

Avoid overloading electrical sockets/outlets to prevent sparks that may lead to fire.

3. Do not smoke at bed time

This is for smokers. After a late night party or stressful day, it may be tempting to have stick just before bed. With the possibility of dozing off, there is a tendency to toss the butt anywhere while it has half-lit. If that lands on the rug or mattress, the consequences can only be imagined.

4. Do not use phones in the kitchen

In this era of phone and social media, many people go into the kitchen with their phones. The temptations are many. For one, an incoming call may provide a distraction too costly. A story is told of a lady who received a call as she attempted to light the gas. While speaking on the phone, she forgot the cooker had been switched on. With a strike of the match, flames engulfed the whole building.

5. Fuel your generator before, not during a football match

With the recent league that has just begun, many football fans will be watching many matches. For one, PHCN cannot be trusted. Any plans for a backup should factor in sufficiently fuelling the generator. Doing so while the generator is on may be dangerous.

6. All generators should be kept in an open space for cross-ventilation and not in an enclosed environment.

7. Put off phones while in the filling stations

This is common amongst car owners. Receiving calls and making them in a highly inflammable environment like a petrol station is risky as mobile phones are emitters of small amount of charges that could explode in contact with petrol.

8. Do not be an emergency engineer or electrician

Avoid fixing electrical faults personally when you apparently do not have the skill. Violating the basic rule of aligning like charges can lead to a spark which may result in fire.

9. Get a Thunder Arrestor

Thunder storm delivers a huge amount of electrical charge. The work of a Thunder Arrestor is to safely lead this current away from the building to the earth to avoid fire. Get one.

10. Keep the candle on a candle stand

We put candles and leave them beside curtains or clothes or even on tables made from wood. The candle may fall off or a nearby object may get burned.

Inverter, what we do to enhance ur steady power supply. Our professional advise will help u even if u don't want to get it from us. We are ur friends in steady power supply.