How to ground the outlet in the apartment?

A modern apartment is hard to imagine without electrical appliances. A washing machine, a vacuum cleaner, a TV, an electric stove - and this is not a complete list. Electrical appliances create comfortable conditions, but at the same time, each of them is a source of increased danger. For them to work properly, grounding is required. How to ground the outlet in the apartment or in the country? Let's discuss it.

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Why is this needed?

If the appliance is not turned on correctly, residual charge accumulates on it. Probably everyone came across this. The simplest example: when you touch the device, which at this moment may not work, and you hear a click. Sometimes a spark flies out from under the fingers. This is the residual charge.

Important! Usually it is weak and does not cause any harm to health. However, for example, a fairly high power charge may form on the washing machine. The slightest touch - and a person gets an electric shock. In order to prevent this from happening, you need to ground the washing machine.

Do not think that residual voltage of high power is dangerous only to humans. If it accumulates constantly, this can lead to a malfunction of the device, and even to its failure. So grounding is an absolutely necessary measure.

Important! Grounding protects electrical appliances:

• from power failures;
• from lightning striking the transformer;
• from lightning striking the antenna.

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When it is necessary?

It is unlikely that you will encounter a lack of grounding in the new apartment. New homes are commissioned if they comply with all safety regulations. That is, grounding is provided for there by the project. But for low-rise buildings, there are two options for connecting to electrical networks:

• two-phase;
• three phase.

Important! In the first case, you will have to take care of security yourself. The same must be done if you bought an apartment in the secondary market, and the house was built a very long time ago. This is especially important if the house is wooden - the slightest malfunction in the power supply network can cause a short circuit and fire.

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Checking the outlet

First, check one of the outlets:

• In old houses with gas stoves, grounding may not exist at all.
• In apartments with electric stoves, usually only one outlet corresponds to the current safety standards - the one with the stove included.

The outlet will have to be removed. To do this, you need a screwdriver. If it is possible to turn off the electricity in the apartment for a while, it is better to do this. But you need to take care of security in any case. They will help you:

• slippers with rubber soles;
• rubber mat;
• galoshes.

Important! Rubber is a powerful dielectric, so if you can’t cut off the power supply, put on galoshes or spread a dry rubber mat under your feet.

Option 1

Inspect the top cover of the outlet - if it has been standing for a long time and has not been changed, you will see only two holes and you will not find the grounding bus. Further, to check whether it is necessary to ground the outlet in the apartment:

1. If no tires are found, unscrew the cover.
2. Inspect the inside of the outlet.
3. They saw only two wires, phase and zero - there is no grounding.
4. Check wire resistance with tester.

Important! If there are more wires or there are antennae, the socket is grounded and there is nothing to worry about.

Option 2

You can make a tester yourself. For this method, you do not need to remove the outlet. You need:

• electric lamp;
• cartridge;
• 2 wires;
• outlet to be checked.

To check the status of the outlet, connect the wiring to the cartridge. Then insert the ends into a power outlet. The light, of course, will turn on, but this does not say anything about grounding. Then proceed as follows:

1. Attach one of the wires to the metal part of the outlet.
2. If the lamp does not turn on, repeat the operation with another wire.
3. A non-illuminated lamp indicates the absence of grounding.

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We put a new outlet

If a three-wire wire was used in the house for electrical wiring, but only one outlet is grounded, the others can be secured.

Important! An outlet with grounding can be purchased at any electrical store. It is easy to recognize her - she has a special tire - antennae on the lower bar.

Install it this way:

1. Strip the end of the ground wire.
2. Loosen the screw on the tire.
3. Attach the antennae to the stripped end.
4. Tighten the screw.

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How to ground the washing machine?

A modern washing machine that has a surge protector, without grounding, produces a rather decent residual voltage of 110 V. This is unpleasant, but quite safe. But if insulation is broken somewhere, the voltage can be 220 V, if the “phase” gets on the case. This is already dangerous, especially when the car is in the bathroom - the water has excellent electrical conductivity.

It is necessary to connect the machine to the power system of the house using a separate three-phase line. To lay it, you need a three-wire wire with a cross section:

• 2.5 sq. mm;
• 4 sq. mm

You will need another outlet, but not any, and designed for a current of 16 A. In addition, a lot depends on where the car will be. As a rule, this is a room with high humidity - a bathroom or kitchen. This means that the socket cover must be moisture resistant. It must be installed so that the wire of the washing machine can be pulled out without any extension cords.

Important! For more safety of the machine, you can install the grounding of the housing and provide automatic shutdown.

How to lay wiring?

In any case, you will need materials and tools:

• three-wire wire;
• ground outlet;
• pliers;
• indicator screwdriver;
• knife.

Before grounding the washing machine, wiring must be done. There are two ways to do this:

• hidden;
• open.

Hidden way

In this case, it is necessary to drill the channels in the wall. A three-phase wire is laid in the channels, then all this is removed under the plaster.

The advantages of this method:

• safety - the wiring is completely hidden, which means that it cannot be accidentally damaged:
• aesthetics - the type of wires does not spoil the interior.

Important! There are, of course, disadvantages:

• labor input;
• the need to use special tools;
• if the wire is out of order - getting to the place of damage is not so easy.
  

Open way

With the open method, the wires are laid from the shield to the outlet in special boxes. Its advantages:

• low labor costs;
• the device of such wiring requires little time;
• easy to get to the place of damage.

Important! The main drawback is that such a box does not look particularly beautiful. However, it can be “fit” into the interior so that it not only does not spoil the view, but even decorates the kitchen or bathroom.

When will you need an extension cord?

There are situations when there is no way to draw a separate line for the washing machine. What to do in this case? - Proceed as follows to ground the washing machine in the apartment:

1. Install a power outlet that complies with all safety rules directly at the distribution panel.
2. Get an extension cord.

Important! The extension for the washing machine must also be earthed. This can be determined by the presence of metal contacts on the plug and receiver.

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Grounding in the apartment

Making the washing machine safe is half the battle. In fact, you need to ground each outlet. How to do this if it is not provided for by the project?

To begin, remember the marking of the wires:

• red - phase;
• blue is zero;
• yellow-green - grounding.
• if all wires are white or colorless, grounding is medium.

“Dance” start from the electrical panel:

1. Install ground and ground busbars - the first is labeled N and PE.
2. Route the three-wire copper wire from the outlet into which the washing machine is plugged.
3. Connect the blue wire to the bus marked N.
4. Red - connect to the phase wire of the meter through the machine and RCD.
5. Yellow-green wiring lead to the PE bus.

Important! Do not connect the yellow-green wire from the outlet to the blue wire.

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What is grounding?

If the house does not have the technical ability to ground the washing machine, you need to do the grounding:

1. Remove the three-wire wire from the shield.
2. Attach an additional bus to the blue wire of the outlet.
3. Install the outlet - it will connect to the shield with a three-wire wire, but through zero, which will allow it to work safely.

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Grounding in a private house

For private homes, two connection options are provided - two-phase and three-phase. If a three-phase profile is laid - there are no problems, you only need to check how the sockets work.

When the wiring is done using a two-phase wire, grounding can be arranged in the yard. You need:

• the wire;
• 3 metal pins 150 cm long;
• bolt;
• nut;
• wrench;
• welding machine;
• shovel.

The order of the work:

1. Choose a humid place in the yard.
2. Dig a small triangular trench.
3. Drive metal pins into the corners, leaving 10 cm outwards.
4. Weld the metal bar onto the pins.
5. Brew a bolt.
6. Connect the cable to the bolt with a nut.
7. Tighten the nut with a wrench.
8. Cover the circuit with earth.
9. After that, lead the wire into the house to the counter.
10. From the meter, make the wiring to the outlets.

Important! Do not forget that the ground wire must be connected to the ground bus.

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Errors and Prohibitions

Errors in any electrical work can lead to tragic consequences. What can not be done in any case with the grounding device?

1. Use water and sewer pipes as grounding conductors, especially if they are laid long ago.
2. Arrange grounding through the pipes of the heating system.
3. Confused wires connecting red to blue or blue to green.
4. Use outlets not designed for this in rooms with high humidity.

Important! Once communication systems were constantly used as grounding conductors. Now this is not worth doing - in many houses metal pipes are replaced with plastic ones, and in such a situation they are useless and even dangerous.

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Stock footage

Now you know about all the ways how to ground a separate outlet, a washing machine or fully establish electrical safety in an apartment and a private house. We hope you were able to complete these works, and now reliable grounding will be an excellent protection against emergency situations.