Wiring in electric plinths: advantages and disadvantages

Electrical wiring in the plinth in the author's house

Today, with a respected reader, we will have to find out how practical the wiring in electric plinths is. We will weigh the pros and cons of this solution, as well as learn how to properly conduct electricity and connect to the outlet wiring. Let's get started

Evaluation of the decision

The first and main question: what is better - hidden wiring in the grooves, or nominally open in the baseboard with a cable channel?

Costs

When installing the wiring, wall chipping - a separate item in the estimate. The running meter of strokes costs from 100 to 200 rubles, depending on the material of the walls: a gas concrete that is easier to process is cheaper, and durable ceramic bricks are more expensive.

Shtabing walls: long, dusty, expensive

A PVC plinth with a cable channel stands in Sevastopol, where the author of these lines lives, from 70 rubles for a 2.5 meter long bar. At the same time, its price is almost equal to the cost of the plinth plank without a conduit box, which in any case is used for finishing the abutment of the wall to the floor.

Important: Plinth wiring - it is profitable.

The author must admit to some bias: the layout of electricity in the baseboard seems to him extremely practical and convenient. In this way, it was carried out in all the premises reached by His Majesty the Repair. Nevertheless, we will try to observe at least the appearance of objectivity, and try to weigh the pros and cons.

Delight and adoration

• Wiring electricians in a plinth box requires a minimum amount of dusty work. Its fixing dowel-screws is an order of magnitude simpler than splitting walls, and is not accompanied by a monstrous amount of dirt in a house or apartment;

Installation of a plinth with wiring takes much less time than laying wires in strobah

Tip: If you drill the walls with the vacuum cleaner turned on, dust on the furniture and inside the home appliances can be avoided completely. When strobing it is almost impossible if only because the puncher has to be held with both hands.

• If you need to install an additional outlet, it will not cause any problems: it is enough to open the cable channel by removing the decorative strip from it, cut the de-energized wire and connect it to the tap with pads;

Let's make a reservation: this solution is not suitable for wiring operated with a heavy load (up to a maximum of 3.5 kW per outlet). The pad will become a site with increased resistance and will noticeably warm up.

• Skirting with a cable channel involves the installation of sockets just above the floor, which, according to the author, is extremely convenient: the power wires of household appliances will not be untidy to hang down the walls.

Hanging wires? No, not heard

A spoon of tar

With all sympathy for the plinth wiring of electricity, the author must admit that she has some pretty serious flaws.

• The heat sink when laying the wire (especially a few wires) to the plinth is noticeably worse than with the flush mounting of the wiring in the grooves;
• It is quite problematic to lay several three-core wires with a 2.5 mm2 cross-section of each core into the cable channel of the plinth. In the strobe - much easier;

Meanwhile: at high wiring loads, each group of sockets must be fed with a separate wire with a cross section of the same 2.5 mm2. Several serially connected outlets will divide the wiring capacity among themselves, which will lead to overheating of the latter.

Overloading wiring threatens short circuits and fire

• Find in the sale of sockets with installation on the plinth ... Let's say politely, the task is not trivial. At least in Sevastopol, where the author lives. Connection to the wiring hidden in the plinth is possible, but it requires the same stroking which we wanted to avoid (in the case of concealed installation) or is done by a few “collective farm” trimming of the plinth (when installing an external outlet);
• Plinth willy-nilly will have to mount around the perimeter of the room. Including where it will prevent the installation of furniture close to the wall;
• Wiring will have to bypass doorways. It will have to be laid under the casing around the perimeter of the door frame, or ... yes, in those very hateful grooves.

In the photo, the wiring rounds the doorway along a cable channel fixed next to the jamb

The video attached to the article will help you to learn more about this option of posting.

Installation rules

How to properly dissolve the wiring in the baseboards with your own hands:

1. First and foremost: plinth for electrical wiring can not be used in a wooden house . There are quite clear instructions in the rules for electrical installations: the wires should be laid only in metal pipes (steel, copper) or in metal pipes (for example, in a corrugated stainless pipe).

Explanation: in case of overheating of the wiring and insulation failure, the metal pipe will allow localizing the short circuit at the time of the operation of the protective circuit breaker. The plinth or cable channel will instantly burn out, which is fraught with the ignition of wooden structures.

In a wooden house, wiring is diluted in metal pipes or metal hoses

1. The wiring cross-section when installing it in a plinth is calculated as 1 mm2 of a copper wire cross-section per 8 amps of peak current (which, at a voltage of 220 volts, corresponds to a power consumption of 1760 watts).
2. Forget about twisting . If you need to connect two wires (for example, at the wiring outlet to a wall outlet), use copper sleeves or pads.
3. If you need to lay several wires in parallel, use not only the cable channel in the plinth, but the cavity under it. The lower the density of the wiring, the less it will warm up.

The wires are laid in the cable channel of the plinth and in its case under the cable channel

What sockets to use with the wiring hidden in a plinth?

If you want to avoid wall shading, there are only two options at your disposal:

ImageDescription

Install invoice plinth outlet

Sockets with installation on a plinth. The wires are removed from the cable channel through a gap in its cover. As an option, the baseboard itself can be mounted with a gap.

The usual laid on socket is embedded in the plinth

False sockets. For their installation, grooves with a length equal to the length of the outlet body are cut out in the upper part of the baseboard. For cutting PVC, use a grinder with any cutting wheel.

Conclusion

As you can see, electrical wiring in a plinth is a convenient and practical solution, which, however, has several minor flaws. The video attached to the article will help you to learn more about this option of posting. Successes!