5 Electrical Essentials For Your New Home

Posted On Monday, 13 December 2021 20:16

Having a sound electrical system is critical in your home. Almost everything in your home runs on electricity. You use it for your lights, entertainment, household equipment, and more. It gives great convenience and helps make lives easier. This is why you should ensure that your new house has all the electrical necessities to help you get the most out of your electrical appliances. And to help you with that, here are five electric essentials to have in your new home:

1. Switch Boxes

A switch box has several names, all depending on the part of the world you come from. Utility box, junction box, fuse box, circuit panel, among others, are some of the most frequently used terms you’ll hear referring to these electric boxes. They're parts of the electric wiring system with built-in terminals for linking the wires. They have a hollow end and are mounted to the wall to house electric devices such as switches and sockets.

Switch boxes commonly take a rectangular, square, or circular shape. Most switch boxes are plastic due to the convenience of the material. Metallic and wooden boxes may be challenging to work with; hence, they aren’t used often. This is because of the need to ground the metallic boxes and the susceptibility of wood to elements and insects such as wood beetles and fungi.

Depending on the size of your room, you may have several switch boxes of various sizes. Generally, switch boxes take dimensions of 2 x 3 inches, with depths ranging from 1 ½ to 3 ½ inches. They come in different colors, from red to blue, with white being the most common one. If you want a personalized box, you could use anti-corrosive paint to give the box the color of your liking. If you want to install a switch box in your home, you may contact professional services from companies like Electrician Sydney or other reputable firms.

2. Modular Switches

When choosing a switch for your new home, go for modular switches instead of the traditional ones. They have impressive properties such as:

  • Durability and structural quality
  • Resistance to reaction with elements
  • Heat resistance
  • Lightweight build
  • Versatility and multi-functionality
  • Elegance

 

Additionally, modular switches have a dust-proof polycarbonate material which is also flame resistant. They also have spark shield properties that’ll prevent electrical shocks and any further damage in case of short-circuiting. You should also consider the ease of operation of the switch and shop for one that is easy to flip or rotate.

3. Miniature Circuit Breakers (MCBs)

An MCB is an electric switch that automatically prevents damage to an electric circuit in case of excess current. It operates like a fuse, the only difference is, it’s resettable such that it stops the overload current by tripping, and continues to work, but doesn’t self-destruct as the fuse does.

For your home, use the Type B circuit breaker. It’s the most sensitive type of MCB and is designed for low voltage settings. When shopping for an MCB, consider:

  • Its tripping characteristics
  • The breaking capacity, measured in kiloamperes (kA)
  • The number of trippable switches to set up in your house

 

A miniature circuit breaker is, thus, a vital electric device in your home as it will protect you from losses or damages caused by current shorts on your electric appliances.

4.  Light Bulbs

When you press your switch, you open a path for the electricity to flow to the bulb. The current interacts with the bulb wires and filament and, in the process, heats the latter, making it glow to produce the light. 

Depending on your liking, you may shop for incandescent, halogen, or Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs for your house lighting necessities. You may also consider factors such as:

  • The light bulb shape and base
  • The watts and lumens in the bulb
  • The Color Rendering Index (CRI)
  • The color temperature
  • The voltage of the bulb

 

For lighting or decoration purposes, whatever bulb you decide to choose, ensure that it’s of high quality to serve its purpose well.

5. Fans 

If you live in the hotter regions of the world, a fan is an electric essential you wouldn’t want to miss in your home. You may choose to install ceiling fans to improve air circulation or ventilation in the entire room, hence bringing the cooling effect. Depending on your floor-to-ceiling dimensions, or your home decor, you may shop for ceiling fans of types including:

  • Standard
  • Low profile
  • Dual motor
  • Damp-rated or wet-rated

 

You may install the fan yourself, or you may contract professional electric companies to help you put it up.

Conclusion

When building your home, make sure you install electric essentials such as switch boxes, MCBs switches, light bulbs, and fans. These necessities will help you live a comfortable and convenient life as you enjoy the perks of a sound electricity connection. For best results, make a point to contact reliable electrical contractors around your area of residence. A quality installation of these electrical essentials guarantees you flawless functionality.

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