Do your own electrical installation: instructions for use
Do you want to do your electrical installation work yourself without calling on a professional service provider? It’s possible ! However, the domestic electrical circuit must meet safety standards to be scrupulously observed. It would be dangerous to depart from it. We explain all the steps to follow for the implementation of your electrical network.
Carry out its electrical installation yourself or by a professional?
Legally speaking, nothing prevents you from doing all the electrical work in your home yourself. However, we can only recommend that you call on a professional electrician to carry them out from A to Z or partially.
Electricity is a complex key stage in the development of a home and covers many dangers if it is poorly done: electrocution, fire, short circuits, irreversible damage to equipment … If you still want to achieve them you – even, you can at least have your completed installation and compliance with the standards checked by a professional.
Domestic electrical installations: comply with safety standards
The NF C 15-100 standard establishes the list of obligations to be respected for a domestic installation in order to guarantee the safety of people and equipment.
At a minimum, you will have to respect these prerogatives:
Number and location in each room of electrical outlets, RJ45 sockets, switches and DCL sockets for lighting
Electrical panel with installation diagram and protection devices (500 mA differential circuit breaker, branch circuit breakers)
Number of specialized circuits
Surge arrester (if it is compulsory, but it is still recommended for everyone)
Grounding
Housing Technical Housing (GTL).
Do your electrical work: the steps to follow
If it is an electrical renovation, it all depends on the modifications you want to make. Add sockets and switches? Relocate lighting systems? Completely redo the distribution table? In any case, you can rely on the tips below.
We will focus here mainly on a complete electrical installation on a new construction, whether it is an entire dwelling or an extension of a house (raising, extension, fitting out of the attic). You will of course have to take into account the NF C 15-100 standard.
Make an electrical installation diagram
The first step is to establish a complete and precise diagram of the electrical installation for each room of the house to be fitted. It includes all devices requiring a specialized circuit (oven, washing machine, home automation equipment) and equipment (sockets, switches, DCL sockets). It also provides for the wiring circuit and the installation of the electrical panel to anticipate the installation of suitable protection devices (differential circuit breaker, branch circuit breakers, etc.). Without forgetting to take into account the specificities: damp rooms such as the bathroom require the installation of special equipment.
Carry out electrical installation work: the steps
Then, the structural work begins (before the plastering, floor and wall coverings): the gutters in the walls are opened to pass the sheaths protecting the cables (phase, neutral and earth). We recommend that you pass the cables through the ducts before laying them to facilitate the work.
Then, you install the wall boxes, junction boxes and electrical octopuses. You position and fix the elements (sockets, switches and DCL sockets) before filling.
You continue with the installation of the distribution panel and the connection of all devices to the protective elements in the housing.
