Basic Electric House Wiring Info

Circuit Breakers

• The circuit breaker is the “command central” location where all of the wiring inside your home is connected. Most homeowners label the breakers inside of the control panel by room, such as living room, bathroom, kitchen and so on. If you’re building a new home, remember, “less is less.” It’s always better to have more circuit breakers than your current needs might suggest. You’ll add more appliances,and they will all need wiring -- like enough to accommodate that home media room or high-tech, at-home office you’re planning.

Grounding

• Learning basic wiring means understanding one of the most important principles of electricity: Electricity always seeks a quick path to get to its source, or to the earth. It will go through you and any other object that blocks its pathway. Proper grounding prevents accidental electrical shocks that can even lead to death. You should be aware of why grounding is important, but leave the installation to a licensed electrician. Your municipality has strict guidelines and ordinances on how grounding for wiring must be installed.

Ground Wires

• A ground wire is typically white, green or a bare wire with no plastic-coated insulated covering or color. The ground wire attaches to the frame of the appliance or electrical device. A ground wire should not generate a current or receive a current from the circuit breaker. If that happens, the device will short circuit. However, the circuit breaker should kill any flow of electrical current to the appliance and through the wire. White and bare ground wires should never be connected together. This can lead to a dangerous and literally shocking situation.

Hot Wires

• Black and red wires are “hot” wires. In some cases, the hot wire might be blue. Electricity from the circuit breaker flows through hot wires to the appliance you are wiring or an electrical box that might be inside of the appliance or item that runs by electricity.

Neutral, Return Wires

• Return wires are typically white or off-white in color. They are also referred to as “neutral” wires. The current flow for these wires works in the opposite direction of hot wires. The current is disbursed from the appliance or electrical device back to the circuit breaker panel.

Volt Testing

• One piece of equipment that you should have in your toolbox is a volt-tester. This device will confirm what type of wire you are examining and should always be used before you go about any wiring job. For example, not all imported electrical devices use the same color code standards. Carefully read the instructions and learn how to operate your volt tester properly.