Installation design, circuits

and systems
PAUL MUNYANGA
Mobile: 0993 520 120/0884 653 174
 Outline
1. System Representation
2. Installation symbols and house plan
3. Choice of wiring system
4. Circuit design
5. Lighting Circuits
6. Power Circuits
 System Representation
These are different ways of describing electrical circuits and
installations.
 System Representation
i. Block diagrams
• A block diagram shows the major components of electrical or
mechanical interrelations in block, or square or rectangular, form etc.,
• The lines between the blocks represent the connections between the
systems or components. A single line may represent one wire or a
group of wires.
• The block diagram introduces a system as a whole, conveying the
general sequence, operation and arrangement of the major
components, without too much technical detail.
 System Representation
ii. Layout diagrams
These are very similar to
block diagrams, but they
indicate more technical detail
and tend to show items in
their correct geographical
location
 System Representation
iii. Circuit/schematic
These show how a circuit functions and takes no account of exact
locations of terminals or equipment
 System Representation
iv. Wiring diagrams
• These indicate how a circuit or
system is physically wired.
• It is usually used for
troubleshooting systems.
• Wiring diagrams show the
relative position of the
equipment’s various components
as well as how each conductor is
connected in the circuit.
 System Representation
Installation Symbols (Scaddan)
• In many instances switch-gear and accessories are denoted not by
name but by symbols on a drawing.
• The standard symbols used by the electrical contracting industry are
those recommended by the British Standard BS EN 60617.
 System Representation
Installation Symbols (Scaddan)
Example of House Plan
Layout Drawing or Floor Plan of A Small Electrical Installation

• These are scale drawings

based upon the architect’s
site plan of the building.
• They show the positions of
the electrical equipment
which is to be installed.
• The electrical equipment is
identified by a graphical
symbol.
Example of Floor Plan with Legend/Key
Example of Floor Plan with linked switch and light
 Bill Of Quantities
• Usually prepared by a quantity surveyor, bills of quantities indicate, for
each trade concerned with the work, the quantity and sometimes cost of the
materials to be used.
• Information is obtained from the specification and plan, the cost being
obtained from the sellers.
• The size and quantity of all the materials, cables, control equipment and
accessories can then be determined.
• Once a system has been decided on and all the calculations have been
completed, a list or requisition of materials can be compiled.
• Example of bill of quantities for electrical is shown in Table 13.1 on page
162 of Scaddan.
 Choice Of Wiring Systems
• type of installation, domestic/commercial/industrial and impact protection;
• temperature of installation and local heat sources;
• effects of dust and water;
• effects of chemicals, fumes and gases;
• animals including vermin (rats, flies, insects, bugs);
• movement and mechanical vibrations;
• corrosion including electrolytic corrosion;
• other environmental factors including wind, seismic effects, solar radiation,
hygiene and mould growth.
 Factors To Consider
The following points to be considered before deciding any type of wiring:
 Durability: The wires selected must be durable and it must be able to
withstand wear and tear due to weather.
Safety: The system selected should be such that poor workman ship may
not produce dangerous results.
Cost: The system adopted must be economical to suit the purse of the
individual concerned.
Appearance: The appearance of wiring has an important bearing on the
architectural beauty and, from aesthetic point of view, concealed conduit
wiring is the proper choice.
Accessibility: The repair and/or extension of the wiring should be feasible.
 Choice of System
• The choice of any particular wiring system and its accessories will
depend on the environment in which it is to be installed.
• Under normal conditions, typical wiring systems would include:
 Circuit Design
• Conductors and the current-carrying components of accessories (e.g.
switches, fuses, circuit breakers, socket outlets and plugs) must be
large enough to carry the maximum current which the connected
apparatus can cause to flow, without overheating.
• The following steps are followed:
 Circuit Design
1. Determine the design current
• Calculate the design current (Ib).
• This is the normal current drawn by the load. The design current Ib is
quoted by the manufacturer, but there are times when it has to be
calculated. It is usually determined as follows:
 Circuit Design
2. Select the rating of the protection
• Select the nominal rating and type of the protective device (In) eg
fuse, circuit breaker.
• The nominal setting of the protection In is selected such that In ≥ Ib
This value may be taken from IEE Regulations or from the
manufacturer’s charts.
 Circuit Design
3. Select the relevant rating factors
• When a cable carries its full-load current, its temperature rises and can rise further due to
other influences which could damage the insulation.
• For each of these conditions, there is a correction factor or rating factor (CF), the
application of which will have the effect of correcting cable current-carrying capacity or
cable size, as follows:
• high ambient temperature, Ca,
• cables grouped together closely, Cg,
• uncleared overcurrents, Cc and
• contact with thermal insulation, Ci,
• Divide the protective device rated current(In) by the correction factors (Cg),(Ci),(Ca),(Cr)
etc.
 Circuit Design
4. Determine the cable current carrying capacity
• Calculate the tabulated current-carrying capacity It of the circuit by
using:
 Circuit Design
5. Choose a cable size
• Select cable from the tables (Iz) in the regulations
• Having established the tabulated current-carrying capacity of the cable
required, the actual size is found from a relevant table in the IET
Wiring Regulations.
 Circuit Design
6. Check the voltage drop
• Calculate the voltage drop and check for compliance
• The resistance of a conductor increases as the length increases and/or
the cross-sectional area decreases.
• Associated with an increased resistance is a drop in voltage, which
means that a load at the end of a long, thin cable will not have the full
supply voltage available.
• The IEE Regulations require that for single-phase 230 V, the voltage
drop for lighting should not exceed 3% of 230 V = 6.9 V and for
power circuits should not exceed 5% of 230 V = 11.5 V
 Circuit Design
7. Check for shock risk constraints
• Check circuit complies with shock protection.
• The actual loop impedance Z s should not exceed those values given in
the IET Regulations.
• Check and ensure that Ib <= In <= Iz; and I2 <= 1.45 Iz
 Circuit Design
8. Check for thermal constraints
• The IET Regulations require that we either select or check the size of a
circuit protective conductor (cpc) against tabulated values, or calculate
its size using an equation.
 Circuit Design
Symbols used
• Iz - The current carrying capacity of the cable for the particular method of installation.
• It - The tabulated current for a single circuit at an ambient temperature of 30°C.
• Ib - The design current - the actual current to be carried by the cable.
• In - The rating of the CPD, (Fuse or MCB).
• I2 - The fusing or operating current of the CPD.
• Ca - The correction factor for ambient temperature.
• Cg - The correction factor for grouping.
• Ci - The correction factor for thermal insulation.
• Cr - This is a derating correction factor, only for semi-enclosed fuses to BS3036 and is taken as
0.725.
 Circuit Design
Symbols used
• The IEE Regulations recommend that every consumer’s installation
should have a means of isolation, a means of overcurrent protection
and a means of earth leakage protection.(DNO-Distribution Network
Operators)
 Circuit Design
Single-phase control.
 Lighting Layouts
There are two main methods of wiring a lighting installation:
1. Each ceiling rose or junction box is fed from the previous one in the
form of a chain.
2. The main feed is brought into a central junction box and each point is
fed from it (like the spokes of a wheel).
There are variations involving combinations of these two methods
depending on the shape and size of the installation.
 Lighting Circuits: One-way switching
• Single switch controlling one or more lamps

Circuit Diagram
 Lighting Circuits: One-way switching
Wiring Diagram
 Lighting Circuits: Two-way switching
A typical application is for stairway lighting.
 Lighting Circuits: Two-way and intermediate switching
Typical application is for stairs and landings and in long corridors
 POWER CIRCUITS
Radial circuit
• Each socket outlet is
supplied via the previous
one.
 POWER CIRCUITS
Ring circuit
• Same as radial
circuits except that
the final socket
outlet is wired back
to the supply
position.
• In effect, any outlet
is supplied from
two directions
 POWER CIRCUITS
Water heater circuit (Geyser)

• Electric Water heaters of less than 15

litres, storage or instantaneous, are fed
from fused spurs from ring circuits.
• However, water heaters over 15 l
capacity and showers must be fed
from their own individual radial
circuits, which serves only the water
heater and no other appliances or
devices.
• The circuit wiring typically includes a
30-amp double-pole breaker.
 POWER CIRCUITS
Cooker circuit

• Cooker units are available with or without socket

outlets. Most household cookers consist of four
heating rings, a grill and an oven.
• A cooker circuit is normally wired in 6 mm2 cable and
4 mm2 flex, protected by a 30 a 32 A MCB or fuse at
a nominal voltage of 230 V.
• The cooker switch should be installed to one side of
the selected cooker position. It should be not more
than 2 metres from the cooker.
• A heat-resistant flexible cord should be used to
connect between the connector unit and the cooker.
• It should be long enough to allow the appliance be
moved out for cleaning and maintenance purposes.
 Bathroom Installations
Rooms containing a fixed bath tub or shower basin are considered an area of
increased shock risk and, therefore, additional regulations are specified.
There is higher risk of electric shock to people since body resistance is
lowered because of contact with water. Examples of such regulations are:
• Socket outlets must not be installed and no provision is made for connection
of portable appliances
• Only shaver sockets which contain an isolating transformer, may be
installed
• All circuits including power and lighting, must be additionally protected by
an RCD
See Linsley Page 345 and Scaddan Page 309
Building Regulations For Switches And Sockets
• Socket outlets must be mounted at a height above the floor or work
surface so as to minimize the risk of mechanical damage. Switches and
socket outlets in dwellings to be installed so that all persons, including
those whose reach is limited, can easily reach them. They should be
installed in habitable rooms at a height of between 450 and 1200 mm
from the finished floor level
 Domestic Installation Stages/Phases
1. Installing Conduits
Chasing A chase is a vertical space drilled in a
concrete floor or wall and helps accommodate cables
and pipes.
Tubing which includes laying the electrical conduits
in the wall.
Installation of Switch Boards, Back Boxes and
Distribution Boards
2. Wiring: Installation of cables
3. Fitting of Accessories which include: Switch,
Fuses/ circuit breakers, Ceiling Rose, Lamp Holder,
Socket-Outlet, Distribution Board etc
 INDUSTRIAL INSTALLATIONS
• Industrial installations differ basically from domestic and commercial
ones only in the size and type of equipment used.
• The supplies are three-phase four-wire, and switchgear is usually
metal clad.
• For extremely heavy loads, switch-fuses are replaced by circuit
breakers, and much use is made of overhead bus-bar trunking systems.
• With the larger types of installation, an alphanumeric system is very
useful for cross-reference between block diagrams and floor plans
showing architectural symbols.
 INDUSTRIAL INSTALLATIONS
Three-phase control
TP and N: triple pole and neutral
Layout Of Industrial Installation
Industrial Distribution System
 Multi-Storey Commercial or Domestic Installations
• In order to supply each floor or individual flat in a block, it is
necessary to run cables from the main intake position.
• These cables are called risers, and the distribution cables which run
from these to each individual supply point are called laterals.
• The majority of rising mains are in the form of bus-bar trunking with
either rectangular or circular conductors; this enables easy tapping off
of submain cables.
 Rising Main In A Block of Flats
• The rising-main system is similar to
the ordinary radial circuit in that one
cable run supplies several points.
• Hence the current flowing in the cable
at the far end will be less than that at
the supply end.
• The voltage drop will be greater at the
far end with all loads connected
 Other Circuit Systems
• Space Heating Systems
• Radiant or Direct Heating
• Thermostats Installation Systems
• Off-Peak Supplies
• Alarm and Emergency Systems
• Call Systems
• Emergency Lighting Systems
• Central Heating Systems
• Extra-Low-Voltage Lighting
• Special Locations eg bathrooms
End Of Lesson