The Basics of Your Home Electrical Wiring

A circuit breaker is an electrical device which is used to monitor, control and protect an electric circuit from electric power overload or short circuit. It works by breaking the flow of the current in case there is a fault in the current thus preventing fire or damage to the electric devices. While its function is much similar to that of a fuse, they differ in the sense that one does not need to replace them in case there is an overload like the case of a fuse, they just trip and their button turns from ON to OFF. All you have to do is return it to ON and you will have power back.

While the main electrical panel will have between 100 to 200 amps, the current is distributed through the rest of the house appliances in smaller circuit breakers of between 15A and 20A. Such appliances include lighting and kitchen devices. The amperage indicate the amount of current a circuit breaker can allow to pass through the circuit. Most household electrical panels consist of 2 phase circuits. This means there are two active electrical wires called phases and a neutral one. A three phase panel has three active lines and a neutral line. The 2 phase circuit is used mainly for households which require lesser current while the three phase connections are used to power huge plants and appliances like electric motors where they ensure the load of the current is lower per phase.

There is still more about household circuit panels with their several breakers, wires and outlets. Outlets as already mentioned differ in the amount of currents they let through and the 20A outlets serve heavier appliances/receptacles which cannot be used on a 15A outlet. This difference in current necessitates the use of different wire gauges. 15A outlets can be used with 14 gauge wires since the current is lower. However, 12 and 10 gauge wires are the best for all your home electrical wiring since they have a greater load carrying capacity and provide better power quality since they have less heat wastage which results in a voltage drop. They also allow for the safer and convenient upgrading of the current in your home without the need of rewiring. Another important part of your home’s electrical wiring is the matching of the appropriate wires from the control panel box to the outlets. Red or brown wires are the live wires, then black or blue wires are the neutral ones and finally green or yellow wires are the earth wires.

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Soyfer Electric, Inc.
3011 Commercial Ave. | Northbrook, IL 60062
(847) 291.0039

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