[Year]

Electricity

R.S.Prakash Dev
[Type the company name] [Pick the date]

Fuse Ratings or Power Ratings For the convenience of users, appliance manufacturers have standardised on two plug fuse ratings- 3A & 13A and adopted appropriate flex sizes. For appliances up to 700W a 3A fuse is used, for those over 700W a 13A fuse is used. A variety of fuse ratings (1A, 2A, 3A, 5A, 7A, 10A 13A common ratings in bold) are available. The fuse in the plug is not fitted to protect the appliance, although in practice it often does this. Appliances are generally designed to European standards for use throughout Europe. In most countries the plug is unfused. If an appliance needs a fuse to comply with the standard it must be fitted within the appliance. The fuse in the plug protects against faults in the flex and can allow the use of a reduced csa flexible cable. This is advantageous for such appliances as electric blankets, soldering irons and Christmas tree lights, where the flexibility of a small flexible cable is desirable.

With some loads it is normal to use a slightly higher rated fuse than the normal operating current. For example on 500 W halogen floodlights it is normal to use a 5 A fuse even though a 3 A would carry the normal operating current. This is because halogen lights draw a significant surge of current at switch on as their cold resistance is far lower than their resistance at operating temperature.

APPROX WATTAGE/AMPS REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMON HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES Electrical appliances use varying amounts of power and it is very important to have a general understanding of just how much each will use. When using extension leads, do not exceed 13 Amps (3000 Watts) The following is only an approximate guide to power consumption. To find out the exact Amp usage for your appliance, locate the rating plate at the rear or underside of the appliance. APPLIANCE LIVING ROOM TV 19 Colour TV 27 Colour TV 12 B/W TV Flat Screen TV Plasma Video Recorder 80 170 15 120 300 30 0.3 0.7 0.06 0.5 1.2 0.1 WATTS AMPS

DVD Satellite / Digital Box PS2 or X Box HI-FI HI-FI (Surround Sound) Telephone Aquarium Filter/Pump Aquarium - Heater KITCHEN Tumble Dryer Washer/Dryer Washing Machine Coffee Maker Dishwasher Food Blender Chest Freezer Refrigerator-Freezer Microwave (600W-900W) Toaster Bread Maker Kettle Deep Fat Fryer Cooker (Own Circuit) BEDROOM Hair Dryer

28 35 45 55 500 25 10 300

0.1 0.14 0.18 0.22 2 0.1 0.04 1.2

2000-3000 2500-3000 2000-3000 750-1000 2500-3000 500-750 1000-1500 300-750 1500-2000 1500-2500 600 2500-3000 500 10,000+

8.3-12.5 10.4-12.5 8.3-12.5 3.1-4.1 10.4-12.5 2-3.1 4.1-6.2 1.2-3.1 6.2-8.3 6.2-10.4 2.5 10.4-12.5 2 45

1500

6.2

Hair Curlers Clock Radio Electric Blanket OFFICE Computer CPU 15 CRT Monitor 17 TFT Monitor Ink Jet Printer Dot Matrix Printer Laser printer Fax Machine BATHROOM Shaver Toothbrush Extractor Fan Towel Rail GENERAL Electric Fire (2 Bar) Fan (Portable) Oil Filler Radiator Vacuum Cleaner Dehumidifier Iron Mobile Phone Charger Lamps (As per Bulb Fitted)

1000 5 500

4.1 0.02 2

400 60 43 35 200 1200 500

1.6 0.2 0.17 0.14 0.8 5 2

10 6 25 500

0.04 0.02 0.1 2

2000 2000 2000 1500 200 2000-2500 20 100

8.3 8.3 8.3 6.2 0.8 8.3-10.4 0.1 0.4

Various types of appliances have very different power requirements, for example TV sets, cookers, hi-fi equipment, kettles and filament lamps have RESISTIVE LOADS which means that their starting and running current are virtually the same and as stated on the rating plate. Refrigerators, vacuum cleaners, freezers and central heating pumps can have a starting current up to 500% of the normal running requirement, so the rating plate must be checked carefully. For example, if a refrigerator's stated power requirement is 200 Watts, additional start up power requirement is approximately 1000 Watts, so the total power required to start the refrigerator is 1200 Watts. Fluorescent lamps, on average, require approximately 150% of their stated Wattage to start up. Irons switch themselves on and off, causing momentary power spikes. This is a possible reason for trip switches activating. Microwave ovens are often referred to by their COOKING POWER which, on average, is only 50% if their actual operating power consumption. On top of this, when switching on, the oven needs another 25% power as the capacitor is energised, hence a normal '600 Watt' oven in fact needs 1500 Watts to operate it. Amps = Wattage divided by Voltage e.g. 1000W (1Kw) / 240V = 4.1 Amps Fuse Rating <700 Watts = 3 Amp Fuse <1000 Watts = 5 Amp Fuse > 1000 Watts = 13 Amp Fuse

NEVER underestimate the risk of fire from electricity. DONT OVERLOAD

Electric appliances that consumes high power

If you were to make a chart of the electricity-consuming devices in a typical home and rank them in order of their hunger for power, the list might look something like this: Device consumption per hour Heat pump or central air 15,000 watts $1.50 40 cents 30 cents 15 cents Typical Cost

Water heater or clothes drier 4,000 watts Water pump Space heater 3,000 watts 1,500 watts

Hair drier Electric range burner Refrigerator Computer and monitor Light bulb

1,200 watts 1,000 watts 1,000 watts 400 watts 60 watts

12 cents 10 cents 10 cents 4 cents 0.6 cents

This table assumes that a kilowatt-hour of electricity costs 10 cents, which is an average rate depending on your location. If your house has electric heat, then the middle of winter is a time when you are going to use a lot of power. A heat pump might run 10 to 15 hours a day. At $1.50 an hour, that's $15 to $22 per day. Over the course of a month, that's several hundred dollars worth of electricity. The same applies in the summer if you use the air conditioner a lot. Water heating uses a good bit of power as well. When you take a shower or run a load of clothes in the washer, the electric water heater might run for an hour reheating the water in the tank. That's 40 cents. A typical household can burn several dollars a day heating water. Because we don't normally think of it this way, it is funny to consider that every shower you take costs 40 cents! When you add in the cost of washing and drying the towels (every load of clothes that you run might cost $1 to $2 for washing and drying), plus the soap and shampoo, it can cost nearly a buck to take a shower! Refrigeration is another big power drain because the refrigerator can easily run for 10 hours a day. That's about $1 per day to keep the milk cold. If you leave the computer or TV on all day, it can add up to $1 per day as well. Then we get to light bulbs. At 0.6 cents per hour, it doesn't seem like much. However, many fixtures contain two or more bulbs, and it is easy to leave several fixtures on. If 10 bulbs are burning, that's 6 cents an hour. If they burn for six hours a day, that's 36 cents per day for lighting. Multiply that by 30 days in a month, and it's $10 per month for photons. Using a space heater or an electric blanket to heat a smaller area at night is probably the easiest way to save big on your power bill. Saving hot water is the next easiest.

Typical Wattages of Various Appliances

Here are some examples of the range of nameplate wattages for various household appliances:
Aquarium = 501210 Watts Clock radio = 10

Coffee maker = 9001200 Clothes washer = 350500

Clothes dryer = 18005000 Dishwasher = 12002400 (using the drying feature greatly increases energy consumption)

Radio (stereo) = 70400 Refrigerator (frost-free, 16 cubic

feet) = 725
Televisions (color)

Dehumidifier = 785 Electric blanket (Single/Double) = 60 / 100 Fans Ceiling = 65175 Window = 55250 Furnace = 750 Whole house = 240750

o o o o o

19" = 65110 27" = 113 36" = 133 53" - 61" Projection = 170 Flat screen = 120

Toaster = 8001400 Toaster oven = 1225 VCR/DVD = 1721 / 2025 Vacuum cleaner = 10001440 Water heater (40 gallon) = 4500 5500 Water pump (deep well) = 2501100 Water bed (with heater, no cover) = 120380

Hair dryer = 12001875 Heater (portable) = 7501500 Clothes iron = 10001800 Microwave oven = 7501100 Personal computer CPU - awake / asleep = 120 / 30 or less Monitor - awake / asleep = 150 / 30 or less Laptop = 50

switch that automatically interrupts the flow of electric current if the current exceeds a preset limit, measured in amperes. Circuit breakers are used most often as a safety precaution where excessive current through a circuit could be hazardous. Unlike fuses, they

can usually be reset and reused. How Circuit Breakers Work The circuit breaker is an absolutely essential device in the modern world, and one of the most important safety mechanisms in your home. Whenever electrical wiring in a building has too much current flowing through it, these simple machines cut the power until somebody can fix the problem. Without circuit breakers (or the alternative, fuses), household electricity would be impractical because of the potential for fires and other mayhem resulting from simple wiring problems and equipment failures.

The circuit breaker does the same job a different way. A spring-loaded push closed position by a spring-loaded electromagnet is arranged so that it from the switch. If the current limit, the electromagnet pulls the bolt releases the push switch into the open

as the fuse, but works in switch is held in the soft iron bolt. An can pull the bolt away increases beyond a set towards itself, which position.

The fuse

A 13A fuse with a low melting point wire The fuse breaks the circuit if a fault in an appliance causes too much current flow. This protects the wiring and the appliance if something goes wrong. The fuse contains a piece of wire that melts easily. If the current going through the fuse is too great, the wire heats up until it melts and breaks the circuit. Fuses in plugs are made in standard ratings. The most common are 3A, 5A and 13A. The fuse should be rated at a slightly higher current than the device needs: if the device works at 3A, use a 5A fuse if the device works at 10A, use a 13A fuse Cars also have fuses. An electrical fault in a car could start a fire, so all the circuits have to be protected by fuses.

Earthing When working on an electrical wiring project, one term you will come across is the "earth." The earth is an important concept with electrical wiring because the earth does not carry a current. As such, any electricity will flow to the earth if it escapes from an electric flex or cable. This phenomenon occurs because the neutral wire is purposely connected to the earth in order to help prevent someone from getting shocked by the electricity. How Does an Electrical Shock Occur? Getting an electrical shock occurs when you accidentally touch a live conductor. When you do this, the current flows through you and down to the floor. It then goes through the wall through the earth and ends up back in the supply transformer. The current goes back to the supply transformer through one or more

of the earth connections that are in the transformer neutral. In effect, you complete the electrical circuit when you touch the live conductor. Avoiding an Electrical Shock Obviously, the best way to avoid getting an electrical shock is to avoid touching a live conductor. Sometimes, however, there may be a fault in the wiring that causes a shock to occur. To help prevent faults from occurring all electrical earths of a circuit as well as the conductive parts may be bonded together. This way, if a fault does occur, the conductive parts will be at the same voltage and a shock won't occur. It is also important to note that water is an excellent conductor of electricity. Therefore, even more care must be taken when installing wiring in places such as the bathroom where water is commonly used. For this reason, there are a number of special rules for bathrooms that have been established by the Institution of Electrical Engineers. Namely, all metal parts in the bathroom have to be connected with an earth cable. This way, it can collect the current and voltage from any leaks and can equalize it. Getting the Proper Knowledge Getting an electrical shock is a serious concern when working with electricity. It is also necessary to take certain precautions in order to prevent shock from occurring later if a leak were to occur. Therefore, it is best to leave this type of electrical work to professionals. If you wish to complete earth work on your own, it is a good idea to take an electrical course to help you learn more about electrical wiring and how to properly earth the wires. This way, you can be certain you and your loved ones will be safe. All appliances with an electrical flex ( toasters kettles etc.) will have an earth cable which connects to your house earthing when you plug them in. The exception are items which are double insulated and therefore do not require an earth. They are clearly marked with a double insulation sign. Double insulated

All of these earthing arrangements will have been installed when your house was wired. They form an essential part of electrical safety and should never be tampered with or removed.

Supplementary bonding behind a bath connecting together metal bath, taps, and water pipes

Back of a plug socket showing earth cabling which forms part of each circuits wiring. Runs from consumer unit to sockets, lights etc. on each circuit.

Appliance plug showing earth

Bonding of incoming water pipe using earthing strap.

Main Switch board An electric switchboard is a device that directs electricity from one source to another. It is an assembly of panels, each of which contains switches that allow electricity to be redirected. Split Load consumer units are probably the safest type of consumer unit available today. As well as having overload and short circuit protection they also have earth leakage protection on the RCD protected side of the unit. The cost of these units has fallen significantly in recent years and you can often pick them up as a kit. You can often find a 12 way split load consumer unit with 10 assorted MCB's for between 50.0080.00. When buying a

new consumer unit it is advisable to get one that has more capacity than you require and then you can add to it at a later date. Consumer units that are fully RCD protected are available but could be dangerous, if the RCD trips for a fault or a nuisance trip it will cause the electricity to all the circuits to be isolated. This means that the lights will go out and you could be plunged into total darkness! For this reason split way consumer units are preferred.

3.

4. 5. 6.

1. Main Switch - This is a double pole switch and is often rated at 100 Amps. Isolating this switch means that all circuits will be isolated, But the Meter tails which connect from the meter to the consumer unit are still live! 2. DIN Rail - This is a rail that is sometimes called a Top Hat rail, Normally these are 35mm wide. This rail holds all of the MCB's, you can also get time clocks and doorbell transformers which mount onto the DIN rail. RCD - Residual current device sometimes called an Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker. An RCD is designed to offer protection against electrocution. Whilst having an RCD can offer some protection from electrocution it does not guarantee that you will not get an electric shock, but it may be very unpleasant rather than fatal. An RCD will not offer any protection from a Live- Neutral shock! Switching off the RCD will ONLY ISOLATE THE SUPPLY TO THE RCD SIDE OF THE UNIT! Neutral bar - ( Non RCD protected side ) This is the terminal where all the neutral wires on the non RCD protected side of the consumer unit are wired. Neutral Bar - ( RCD Protected side ) This is where all the Neutral wires from the RCD protected side of the unit are wired. Earthing Bar - This is where all of the Earth wires are wired.

* Bars are often caller Terminals. Which circuits go on which side of the split load consumer unitNON RCD PROTECTED SIDE Lighting Circuits RCD PROTECTED SIDE Electric showers ( this is not Mandatory, but advisable)

Electric cookers, unless they have a socket outlet in which case they must be wired to the RCD protected side. ( electric cookers often cause nuisance tripping and are therefore wired to the non RCD protected side, unless they have a socket outlet) Extractor Fan Fire Alarm Smoke Alarms Freezer Circuit ( as long as the freezer is wired into a switched, fused connection unit)

All sockets that could have outside equipment plugged into them.

A socket in a room with a shower cubicle

The bottom of the MCB's are connected on the non RCD protected side of the unit to the Live terminal of the Main switch via a busbar. The bottom of the MCB's are connected on the RCD protected side of the unit to the live terminal of the RCD via a busbar.

The busbar will normally come in one piece and will require cutting using a hacksaw or similar. There is a minimum separation required between the two busbars to prevent arcing, in some cases this is 7mm. It is a good idea to cut off an unused ways from the busbar as a new busbar can be purchased if needed.

This busbar has been cut for a split way consumer unit that has 4 MCB's on the non RCD protected side and 6 MCB's on the RCD protected side.

This consumer unit has been partially wired and requires the meter tails to be connected. This has been a replacement unit and so it is often difficult to change a consumer unit without having to join the wires.

You can see from the picture that all the earth wires are sleeved and connected to the earthing bar.

There is only two circuit breakers being used on the non RCD protected side of the unit, the other two are spare.

On the RCD protected side of the unit there are 4 circuit breakers in use and two spare units.

When the cover is replaced the two spare ways in the middle are covered by blanking plates. The circuits are then identified by stickers placed beneath each MCB.