A box for an electricity meter in an apartment: the nuances of choosing and installing a box for an electric meter and machines

Requirements for electrical panels

The function of the shield is to distribute electrical circuits throughout the room and protect the wiring in the event of a short circuit, therefore, in residential and office buildings, it must meet the requirements:

1. The electrical panel must provide connection, distribution and accounting of consumed electrical energy in a separate section of the network (apartment, house, office space).
2. The available switchboard switches should turn off the power to individual sections of the circuit without completely de-energizing the room. For example, machines can turn off sockets or lighting in a room or throughout the room.
3. The shield should include a common switch, with which the voltage is turned off in the entire room.
4. The shield housing must have a place for connecting the ground loop. On some models, the door is connected to the housings with a separate ground bus.
5. Shields are equipped with lugs for sealing.
6. The body of the electrical panel must be made of non-combustible materials (plastic or metal with powder coating).
7. Installed machines must be labeled according to zones or groups of consumers served. The marking is applied on the outer side of the shield, and in case of two-sided service it is duplicated on the back side.
8. The machines are separated by a comb-type bus.
9. The "on" and "off" positions on the switches must be indicated.
10. Installed tires are painted black for phase wires and blue for zero.
11. The bus must ensure that the shield is operational at a current value not less than that indicated on the introductory machine.
12. The installation of electrical devices must be carried out according to the documentation, which indicates the technical parameters, such as the number of machines and the maximum allowable current.
13. On the body of the shield there must be a marking indicating electrical safety. The marking field indicates the rated voltage at which the safety of the shield is guaranteed.
14. Documentation should be attached to the shield indicating certification parameters, manufacturing standard (GOST or TU), protection class, installation recommendations, weight and overall data, current rating, frequency and voltage.

Why do you need an RCD in the electrical panel

A person is surrounded by electrical appliances all the time.Most of them are now completed and perfectly conduct electricity. This can happen for various reasons, but most often it happens due to damaged insulation.

If the instrument is not grounded, then touching it may be hazardous. To avoid accidents, experts recommend installing an RCD. This device allows you to protect yourself from electric shock in case of damaged insulation or short circuit.

All work related to the assembly or installation of an electrical panel for the meter and machines can be done independently, but you must follow the rules of the PUE. However, in practice, you may encounter many nuances. Therefore, if you do not have experience, then it is better to trust these works to professionals who work in the field of electrical networks.

Benefits of buying a ready-made kit

The shields produced by well-known manufacturers are already equipped with the minimum necessary parts. If you buy a case separately, you will have to buy all the filling yourself according to the dimensions of the purchased product. The following facts speak for the purchase of a complete installation kit:

• In such a box, all mounting elements are matched to the size of the body and provided with the necessary fasteners.
• Partitioning of the space for various equipment has been made.
• There is a place for sealing and obstacles for breaking seals.
• The viewing window is located directly in front of the screen of the meter. There is no need to open the door to record readings.

The appearance of such a device looks preferable to a hand-assembled one.

Installing the counter and automation in the shield

The norms on how to properly connect an electric meter necessarily contain the requirement to install an introductory (fire) automatic switch in front of it. The device must be selective (it takes into account the response time of subsequent automation). Single-pole circuit breakers are available, but double-pole circuit breakers will provide better protection. The rating is selected according to the total power and current of the devices at the facility.

The introductory machine snaps onto the DIN rail more often in front of the counter, it is possible after, but it must be connected in front of it, that is, first the input wires go to AB, then further away from it.

Also, the installation of an electricity meter, how to connect an automatic machine to a meter in a private house, involves the installation of automation and after it (AB for each line, and preferably RCD, AVDT).

Mandatory introductory machine

According to clause 7.1.64 of the PUE, it is necessary to connect the meter with a switching device, in its role as an introductory fire-fighting AB, which removes voltage from all phases during equipment maintenance, along the way it performs a protective shutdown during short circuits and overloads. Previously, its role was played by manual knife switches, but they do not have an auto-clutch function in case of dangerous factors.

DIY wardrobe

If you have experience and desire, you can equip a cabinet for an electric meter yourself. You will need to buy the structure itself, arm yourself with the necessary tools and assemble the electrical panel in accordance with the specifics of the home electrical network.

If you come across a cabinet of the required dimensions, but it lacks a window, lugs for seals or some holes, these elements can be added. But the work must be carried out in accordance with the safety regulations and the requirements of regulatory organizations.

All necessary equipment is mounted on DIN rails. Many models of metering devices are supplied with parts that may be useful during installation (stickers, caps, fasteners). The main task is to assemble the devices and correctly combine them with each other.

Models of outdoor meters

If you are buying a new meter, rather than removing an existing meter from the premises, you need a device that is suitable for outdoor use.

Pay attention to the following points:

• Induction models are much more sensitive to temperature changes than electronic ones.
• DIN rail as a mounting method is preferable.
• Go to the website of the power supply organization and see which models are allowed for installation in Russia.
• For a multi-tariff payment system, choose a device that can take into account more than three tariffs.

The popularity of the brand and the availability of service centers also matter. A proven manufacturer means quality, maintainability, and the loyalty of inspection organizations.

Consider purchasing both the meter and the box from the same manufacturer: it is easier to achieve a complete integration of devices and shell

Of the domestic brands available for sale, the following can be considered: INCOTEX, Taipit, Energomera, EKF. Such a model as Mercury 230 AM-03 is especially popular. It is single-tariff, capable of giving accurate readings in the temperature range from -40 to +55 degrees.

Of the foreign manufacturers, they have proven themselves well: the Swedish-Swiss ABB, the French Schneider Electric, the Turkish Legrand.But for European brands, the operating temperature range often does not correspond to Russian realities.

It is advisable to consult with the specialists of the service organization in your area. Usually they have a list of devices that have already shown their best side during operation.

Machine and heater

A circuit breaker is installed in the box before the counter. Its parameters must be calculated from the total power of all consumers - electrical appliances installed or planned in the house and on the street / in the garage and other household buildings.

If, for example, the total power is 25 kW, then a 63 A automatic machine is optimally suited to this value. With the help of the latter, the readings are automatically transferred to the processing center. But such a scheme can not do without a heater.

The heater for the electrical panel can be turned on and off manually or automatically. It is needed to maintain the optimum temperature in cold weather - electrical appliances need heat to work without errors

Heaters for switchboards are made of aluminum, which is covered with non-combustible thermoplastics.

The main functions of the element are to prevent the appearance of condensate, which prevents corrosive changes in current-carrying tires, contacts and protects devices from high humidity.

Transfer device and SPD

If the electrical installation has an autonomous power source, a reserve device must be installed after the meter. This device is needed to manually switch consumers from the external network to the generator and vice versa.

The reserve input device excludes the simultaneous activation of two different power sources (external network and generator), which is its task

To protect the installation from lightning strikes, high-voltage surges and fires from these effects, an SPD (surge protection) is added to the shield. It is placed after the introductory machine and through a separate fuse. An SPD is mandatory if entry into the building is by air.

Additionally, a fire protection RCD, a cross-module for distributing electricity to different consumer groups can be installed in the shield. Sometimes a differential automaton is also added to the box.

The socket is one of the optional elements. But if you only have construction on the site or you need a street connection for some equipment, you can’t do without it. And do not forget about the zero rail, it combines all zero cables and is used to switch cores.

Nuances

The choice and installation of an electric meter in a garage should be made taking into account the following nuances:

• total current load - usually its value is within 50 A, if powerful equipment is to be used, it is necessary to choose a product with a larger characteristic;
• type of network - single or three-phase;
• mounting method - depending on this, a box is selected;
• number of tariffs - determines the choice of the type of device;
• accuracy class - usually in the range from 1.5 to 2.

The owner needs to make sure that the device is accompanied by the necessary passport documentation, the quality of the product is confirmed by the appropriate certificate. You must purchase the required additional equipment.

A correctly selected and installed meter will ensure the normal operation of the equipment connected in the garage and save the owner from problems with the resource supplier.

How to choose

The choice of an electric meter depends on the characteristics of the network operation:

• single-phase induction - suitable for low energy consumption, usually only for lighting and turning on consumers of low power;
• three-phase electronic - if the use of machine tools and a welding unit is expected. Such a device, as a rule, must be connected through a transformer;

In the latter case, the owner gets the opportunity to take into account the consumption of several tariff plans.

The temperature range of the device should also be taken into account, based on the operating conditions.

It is important to correctly determine the current characteristics of the meter and the power of the machine when turned on. It also depends on the total power of the connected devices.

Featured Models

Switchboard models are not tied to manufacturers of modular elements, for example, a Hager electric machine can be installed in an ABB case without any problems. Therefore, their functionality is determined by the ease of mounting and protection class. Among the many manufactured products, some models are especially popular for installation in apartments. But if in industrial buildings the main criterion is reliability, then in apartments it is aesthetics.

For hidden installation, it is recommended to purchase the Hager Cosmos VR118TD shield. Its door is made of transparent plastic, if desired, it can be easily removed from the hinges.The opening direction is up. The box is completed with grounding and zero busbars made of brass. The degree of protection corresponds to IP 31. The number of installed modules is eighteen. This shield has a beautiful appearance, ease of installation and low price.

If you need an external shield, you can purchase the VIKO LOTUS model. This inexpensive model will be especially relevant for residents of Khrushchev. It allows you to place twelve modules. The kit contains tires, all necessary fasteners and a DIN rail. The white color of the product and its darkened door are suitable for any interior.

Building a power supply system without the use of electrical panels is almost impossible. Their installation not only makes it convenient to turn on and off the power supply on certain lines, but also increases the safety of using the power grid as a whole. At the same time, boxes for placing meters and electrical modules are of different placement and can be chosen for any interior.

Box for metering device

Given the nature of the operation of the electric meter, it is important to ensure its reliable protection. This is ensured by using a special box

Such boxes are marked as follows, depending on the variety:

• ShchU is the simplest model,

• ShchVR - a box buried in the wall,

• ShchRN - hinged distribution box.

In addition to the meter itself, a circuit breaker, grounding and neutral tires can be placed inside the box.

The box may include the following design:

• floor;
• embedded;
• consignment note (mounted);
• hidden or open;
• whole or split.

The choice should be determined by the type of device and the developed installation project.To do this, the owner needs to use the help of appropriate specialists.

Installation work and assembly rules

For built-in boxes for an electric meter, it is advised to make a plasterboard false wall, where it will be convenient to place it without resorting to concrete chasing (this is generally prohibited in load-bearing structures).

An electrical reading is placed in a niche, on the sides it is “grabbed” with special glue, self-tapping screws or plaster.

The cable is being laid. To do this, you can groove the grooves, or fix the wiring on the wall using a cable channel.

Next, the counter is installed. Some models have a tongue at the bottom that is pulled back, the device is put on a DIN rail and the tongue snaps into place.

Box for electric meter

The counter is connected. It has four outputs on the bottom panel. The first is plus input, the second is plus output. The third is the minus input, the fourth is the minus output. To make the connection, the edge of the wire is stripped 27 mm. The bare wire must not protrude beyond the body of the device, and the braid must not go inside the clamping contact.

There must be a terminal with the “ground” symbol on the meter body. It goes to zero.

The main automata can be put on the most powerful equipment and make them 32 amps. And for additional branches, you can already install weaker packets (depending on what exactly will be connected through them). Also, the cable can be made thinner, for example, the main one is 2.5 square meters. mm, and a "weaker" branch of 0.5 sq. mm.

box after installation

To connect an additional bag, a small piece of wire is taken (of the same cross section as at the inlet, so that they are pressed equally). The ends are cleaned.One end is clamped together with the input to the main machine, and the second is transferred to the input of the additional one. Also with the second main. Each new pair of packets is connected in parallel through the previous pair.

Block 2

grounding

In private houses, they usually hammer into the ground to the groundwater level, a pin to which zero is connected. Everything in the house is in the hands of the owner. But how to make grounding in the apartment, if it is not?

Prior to 1998, the presence of grounding was not considered a mandatory composite circuit.

TN-C-S

A five-core wire is inserted into the access shield for the electric meter and automatic machines (for three-phase power supply):

• 1,2,3, red or brown wires - phase (+).
• 4, blue - zero (-).
• 5, green or yellow-green - earth.

Or three-core for single-phase power supply, but the earth (PE) is still present here and there will be no problems with connecting Euro sockets.

In the old houses, there was a TN-C scheme. There was no separate land, and the grounding of the “zero” wire was carried out at a transformer substation. The cable in such houses is four-core (for three-phase power supply):

• 1,2,3, red - phase (+).
• 4, blue - zero (-).

For single-phase, these are two wires (phase and PEN).

Since two wires are combined in the neutral conductor - zero and earth (PE and N), it is called the PEN conductor. In houses with such a scheme, there are no grounding contacts in the sockets.

Grounding scheme in a private house

If you need to stretch the ground yourself, in the apartment all the sockets are replaced with Euro, pull a separate cable and connect it to the house PEN-wire (it is not advisable to do this yourself, all questions are to the chief engineer of the management company).

The separation inside the reading into a protective wire and zero was done even in old Soviet shields, but you can “zero” only if the cable is at least 10 mm (for copper) or 16 mm (for aluminum) over its entire length. And if the house has re-grounding. An engineer of the Criminal Code can know this.

By the way, it is forbidden to install RCDs in TN-C systems. Without grounding and without RCDs, people in such houses are completely deprived of protection against electric shock. It is absolutely impossible to make grounding for heating, and even more so for gas!

In general, the TN-C system is recognized as obsolete in the country, it is no longer installed and cannot be reproduced during the overhaul of the building.

Due to lack of funds, electric companies make a backup ground at the input to the house, and then separate the PEN wire to zero and ground. One way or another, but the TN-C scheme will disappear from our high-rise buildings.

Conclusion

So, choose an electrical cabinet according to the size of your electric meter, according to the number of packages that you will install. Remember that you will have to call electricians at two stages: when connecting to a common circuit and for sealing and programming the meter. They can check everything and draw up the necessary paperwork.

General information

There are many types of such equipment on the market. Prices, sizes, material of manufacture can be found for any buyer and destination. But first you need to understand what this electrical component is.

Purpose of mounting box

Most people, when buying such equipment, pay attention only to the appearance of the product.

How it will look in the environment, of course, is important. But first of all, such boxes must meet the following requirements: But first of all, such boxes must meet the following requirements:

But first of all, such boxes must meet the following requirements:

• All installation and maintenance work is carried out under safe conditions.
• Metal cases are grounded.
• The material of the box must withstand temperature fluctuations, precipitation of all kinds, solar radiation.

Plastic boxes are safer and more attractive than metal boxes. Such electrical installation devices have various names. Someone calls them cabinets for counters, someone calls them boxes. There is no single standard, and manufacturers define products in their own way. However, all of them should be practical and convenient.

Most support the installation of internal components using a standard DIN rail, which allows you to mount the equipment yourself. In addition to the counter, it is mounted by trained specialists after obtaining permission from the supervisory company.

Box device features

All protective boxes suitable for installation, according to the rules, must comply with security levels from IP 20 to IP 65. In addition to sizes and colors, they can be:

• Open installation.
• Hidden.
• For floor mounting.
• For inline location.
• Overhead.
• Whole or collapsible.

quality requirements

Even for such an easy-to-manufacture device as a box for an electricity meter in an apartment or on the street, the high-quality performance of all its components is important. This will enable the owner to comfortably and safely write off the testimony.

When purchasing a metal cabinet, you need to pay attention to such points:

For the manufacture of the box itself, steel with a thickness of at least 1.2 millimeters is used. Thin iron will not provide sufficient strength and long-term use. Practice shows that, first of all, the door sags in such shields. This violates the tightness of the structure and jeopardizes the destruction of electrical devices installed inside.
Industrial production involves testing finished samples on installations that simulate the most difficult weather conditions. If they pass the tests, this means that the quality of the paint application is good and such a sample will last a long time. Large manufacturers guarantee a service life of up to 15 years.
The presence of a locking device. A street box for an electricity meter must be selected with a lock that can be locked with a key. Its design can be any, the main thing is that there is a seal between the metal of the door and the larva. The thickness of the constipation is also important. The hole must be sealed.
If there is a window for data control, then a sealer is also needed here. Fastening must be provided with screws or self-tapping screws, as even the best glue dries out and the glass falls out.
The cabinet door must be grounded. Since the first touch falls on it, then if it is energized, it can be used to get an electric shock.
In addition to the door, the entire body is grounded

It is best if several bolts are provided for these purposes.
Particular attention should be paid to the quality of seals. They are made of plastic rubber in the form of a ring. There should be no gaps on it in order to avoid leakage.
Semicircular bends along the edges of the door and body ensure a snug fit of sealing gaskets, and when they are destroyed, they prevent water from entering inside.

There should be no gaps on it in order to avoid leakage.
Semicircular bends along the edges of the door and body ensure a snug fit of sealing gaskets, and when they are destroyed, they prevent water from entering inside.

Elements and purpose of the shield

After purchasing such an electrical panel with a standard package, you will receive:

• electric meter;
• differential automata;
• introductory machine;
• automatic switches;
• two tyres.

Now it's time to get acquainted with the purpose of the elements that are present here:

1. The shield has a DIN rail. This is a special device that is made from metal plates. You can cut the rail to the desired size with a hacksaw.
2. Electric meter - mounted to account for the consumption of electricity.
3. Circuit breakers - designed to protect electrical wiring. Before installing them, you first need to determine the power of the devices connected to the network.
4. Distribution bus - needed to connect neutral wires. Such tires can be closed or open.
5. RCD is a residual current device that will ensure safety against electric shock.
6. Electrical wires.