Top Tips to choose the right wire for your Electrical appliances

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With all wiring even on electrical appliances, you need to have your electrician on the Gold Coast make any repairs or changes by law. If you want to take a look yourself to see what may be wrong, then first make sure the appliance is completely disconnected from the mains supply and understand that you must have your local electrician on the Gold Coast check it for you before you plug it back in.

In Australia, there are two separate colour coding systems, one that is used for installation, wiring and one for equipment wiring.

Equipment wiring includes power cords and extension cords

The colour codes for equipment wiring are:

The new code for Single Phase

Active – Brown                which used to be called positive and was Red

Neutral –light Blue         which used to be called negative and was Black

Earth –Green/yellow……which used to be called ground or earth Green

The new code for Multiphase

Phase no. 1 – Brown.        This used to be coloured Red

Phase no. 2 – Black.          This used to be coloured White

Phase no 3 – Grey.            This used to be coloured Dark Blue

Neutral – Light Blue.        This used to be coloured Black

Earth – Green/Yellow.      This used to be coloured Green

Having the right size or amp rated wire

Whenever a repair extension or alteration is made to any electrical circuitry and that includes the circuits in any appliance, your electrician on the Gold Coast will tell you that the wires must be of a size and amp bearing capacity or greater to enable them to be able to cope with any load placed on them. They also have to match and be properly sized with the amperage rating of the circuit breaker that controls the circuit they will be connected to.

The outer coating of all electrical wire is labeled with a colour code as well as the types and gauges of the wire. This makes it easy to tell the different wires and where to use them

Knowing which type of wire should be used in any given situation, is equally important as knowing the correct gauge, amperage capacity and the maximum load of wattage of the wire you choose to use.

The following is a guide to electrical wire and some of their applications

18 gauge       10 Amps used for lamp cords and low voltage lighting

16 gauge       13 Amps for light extension cords

14 gauge       15 Amps for lamps, light fixtures and lighting circuits

12 gauge       20 Amps receptacles, kitchen appliances, fans and sump pumps

10 gauge       30 Amps for air conditioners, clothes dryers, built in ovens small water heaters

8 gauge         45 Amps for cooktops and electric ranges

6 gauge          60 Amps for large heaters and air conditioners

4 gauge          80 Amps for large electric heaters, furnaces and Sub panels

2 gauge         100 Amps for Service and Sub Panels

1/0 gauge      150 Amps for Service Entrance

2/0 gauge      200 Amps got Service Entrance

 

Whenever there are any electrical repairs to be carried out, by law, apart from changing a light bulb or fuse wire, it must be done by a registered and qualified electrician on the Gold Coast. You can only look at the wiring on your own appliances.

5 Tips to choose the right circuit breakers for your home

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A home electrical system is fitted with safety features such as circuit breakers, switching devices that are either automatically or manually controlled to protect your power system. If you do not have an electrical circuit breaker you are open to a high risk of electrical shocks, electrocution and electrical fires. Ask your local electrician on The Gold Coast to check your home electrical system to ensure it’s safe.

These five tips will help you chose the right circuit breakers for your home

  1. Main circuit breaker panel

Your electricity supply comes from your utility company and is fed through a meter to determine the amount of power you use and work out your power bill. It then goes to your breaker panel. Your electrician on the Gold Coast will help you chose the right size breaker panel to suit your home and the number of circuits you require.

  1. Choosing the number of breaker switches required

You will need a breaker switch for every circuit of wiring around your home. Normally the different circuits are divided into areas and usage. There would be at least one internal lighting circuit and one external circuit.

The water heater is usually on an individual circuit, as are heavy use appliances such as air, conditioners, home furnaces, swimming pools, pumps and saunas.

Often there is a circuit for the kitchen, a separate circuit for bedrooms, another for the home office and one in the laundry. Garage and out building either have a separate breaker switch or their own breaker board depending on the circuits required in each area.

  1. Deciding on the amperage capacity of each circuit breaker

Most circuit breaker panels used in homes are rated to take 100 to 150 amps.

The individual breaker switches are rated for the maximum amount of amperage they will be expected to handle at one time. Consult your electrician on The Gold Coast to determine the ratings required for each circuit or check each appliance. They will have a panel that gives their capacity and amp usage. It’s important to understand that often when some appliances start, they required much more power than when running. For example fridges, freezers, appliances with motors and even florescent lights use more power when starting to give an initial boost

  1. Consider the types of breaker switches required

Single pole circuit breakers are normally used for lighting with ratings of between 10 to 20 amps. Double pole circuit breakers are used for water heaters and heavy duty appliances.

  1. Efficiency

Circuit breakers are normally operated at a maximum of up to 80% of their stated capacity. When calculating the size and capacity of your system, add up all the maximum loadings of every appliance you use in your home to find the right breaker board to use. Then add up all the fittings and appliances you expect to use in each circuit, giving a 20% safety margin to find the right sized breaker switch for each circuit.

Your electrician on The Gold Coast is specially trained to be able to quickly access your current wiring circuitry and will be able to advise you on your safety requirements. The main consideration is to ensure you have the right circuit breakers.