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Electricity in your new home |
Installing the electrical circuits in your new home can be a dangerous task that is better left to an electrician. In Quebec, all electrical work must be done by an electrical contractor, member of the Corporation des maîtres électriciens du Québec (CMEQ).
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What is a service mast | |
The service mast connects the house to your area's electrical network. It includes the tower top that receives the wires from the network, the conductor support, the roof plate (that protects the roof from water infiltration), the support clamps (three are required to attach the service mast to the outside wall), the adapter (used to join the standard size tubular component to the rigid conduit), the rigid conduit structure, the electric meter (because electricity is not free) and an LB-type duct (for easier installation of conductors in buildings). All this is connected to the service or breaker box in the basement. The box is connected to a grounded conductor and a ground terminal. |
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Installing the service mast |
Before installing the service mast, a hole must be drilled on the edge of the roof to the diameter required. For easier connection of your system, make sure that the location selected is the closest to a utility pole. Next, the roof plate is installed. This plate prevents water from infiltrating your roof. The roof is then caulked.
The power company is responsible for supplying the current to the service mast cables and installing the meter that precedes the distribution network. The power supplied is alternating current (AC), a voltage that reverses direction in regular cycles. Direct current (DC) always flows in the same direction. |
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Electrical circuits |
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Example of a regulatory installation
in Quebec only. |
All electrical installations must meet the Canadian Electrical Code (CEC) safety standards. Updated and published every four years by the CSA, the CEC is the reference for provincial and municipal standards. Before installing a circuit, you should contact an electrical inspector to find out the most recent requirements and to be sure that the work is done to code. The Canadian Code may contained ammendements exclusive for a specific province.
Electrical circuits are connected to the service box, the system's central component that distributes the electricity throughout your home. The box contains circuit breakers and cables that supply the house with power. There are two types of circuit breakers: two-pole circuit breakers that manage the electric current for the heating system, the water heater and 240 V outlets, and single-pole circuit breakers connected to the 120 V outlets. The main circuit breaker receives the electricity from the supply network. |
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The cables | |
The cables are made up of electrical leads. These should be selected according to the voltage required. For example, 240 V circuits require a cable that is made up of two hot wires (usually red and black). 120 V circuits require a cable that includes a neutral wire (usually white) and a hot wire (black). The rubber or plastic insulating sleeve indicates their use. Bare copper grounding wires (sometimes green) provide a path to the ground when an electrical failure occurs. Most 120 volt circuits use 14 gauge or 12 gauge copper wire while most 240 volt circuits use 12 gauge or 10 gauge copper wire. There are various cable sleeves available on the market, the most popular of which are plastic or metal. Wires may also be installed in a steel sleeve (conduit) containing several tubes. |
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The service box | |
The service box is made up of different circuits and circuit breakers. The number of circuits depends on the size of the home project. There are three types of circuits. The lighting circuits (120 volts, 15 amps) supply all the lights and most electrical outlets in the house. The small appliance circuits (120 volts, 15 amps) supply, among other things, the refrigerator, washer, microwave and certain central vacuum systems. Individual circuits (120 or 240 volts, 20 to 50 amps) supply the stove, the dryer and other large appliances. |
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Plan your needs and the locations for the outlets |
Discuss your current and future needs with your electrician. Draw up a list of all the devices you will be putting into your home: appliances, washer, dryer, electric heating system (if this is what you are planning), lamps, water heater, etc. Determine the electrical needs for each room. The layout of your furniture will give you a starting point for selecting the location of some of the outlets.
Here is an example of the number of lighting and other outlets usually found in each room of a house:
- Master bedroom
Four duplex outlets, one ceiling or wall fixture;
- Secondary bedrooms
Three duplex outlets, one ceiling or wall fixture;
- Hallway
One duplex outlet, one ceiling fixture, one smoke detector (near the bedrooms);
- Dining room
Three duplex outlets, one ceiling fixture;
- Kitchen
Two separate counter outlets, one refrigerator outlet, one microwave outlet, one or two ceiling fixtures;
- Living room
Five duplex outlets, one ceiling or wall fixture and one outlet box for outdoor lighting;
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- Bathrooms
At least one GFCI outlet (ground fault circuit interrupter) that automatically breaks the power supply in 1/40 second in case of problem, one or two ceiling or wall fixtures, one fan;
- Outside
One lighting front and back, one GFCI.
Specially designed outlets are used for the washer, dryer and stove.
For interior design purposes, remember it's always better to have more outlets that to use extension cords. Who knows what you may want or need later on, a heat pump, garbage disposal unit, home theatre, air exchange system, etc. |
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