Bare wires: danger in the house

Touching a bare electrical wire under tension can lead to sad consequences, because a human body is a conductor and, getting into an electrical circuit, becomes a part of it. All wires, as well as their connections, must be properly isolated, since safety is directly related to this. A reliable isolated contact eliminates short circuits, as well as leakage current. But what should I do if bare wires were found in the living room? It is necessary to eliminate this malfunction as soon as possible.

Detection of bare wires

Despite how well a person can know his home and everything happening in it, there are places that no one has ever looked at. This is where the danger of finding damaged wiring can be hidden. Also, the insulation of electrical wires is prone to damage due to short circuits, which can be caused by damage to the braid due to prolonged exposure to humid environments, voltage fluctuations, and failure of a household electric appliance. Damage to the integrity of the wire sheath can also result from careless actions during repair or installation work. It is important to determine as soon as possible whether the exposed wire is live and take measures to ensure electrical safety.

Unknown wire

If an unknown wire with damaged insulation is found, the use of electrical appliances and switches should be stopped immediately. Then it is worth checking the presence of voltage on the damaged wire with the help of a voltage indicator. This can eliminate damage to the wiring itself, in addition to insulation. Now you need to fix the problem. To begin with, you should disconnect this section of the wire and only then you can isolate the bare wires.

Short circuit

As a result of a short circuit, a significant increase in the current in the electrical circuit occurs, which in turn leads to an increase in the temperature of the conductor. As a result, the insulation material covered by the wiring is melted. In addition to damaging a single wire, a mass failure of the current conductors can occur in the event that a junction box is subjected to a short circuit. Here, in order to avoid an accident, it is necessary to assess the damage only after the power supply is completely turned off. Isolation of damaged wires in the junction box is carried out in two ways:

• By cutting out the fused portion and joining the remainder;
• By dividing the fused part of the wiring into separate bare wires and sequentially isolating them.

Damage during repair

While driving a nail into a wall or drilling a hole in it, a person does not always think about the fact that wires can hide in it. And getting into them, it turns out, is not so difficult, which often happens. In this case, it is necessary to remove the voltage from the damaged part of the wiring and, using a hammer with a chisel, widen the hole in the wall, thereby providing access to both parts of the damaged wire. Before removing the insulation, the indicator should be checked for a lack of voltage and then proceed to repair. After successful insulation, the wall in the damaged area can be re-plastered.

Wiring Isolation

Isolation of bare wires requires the right approach for safety. This can be done using a heat shrinkable tubing, PVC insulating tape or insulated terminals. The most common way to restore insulation - the use of PVC tape. Wind it on the bare area should be at a slight angle so that the turns lie down from the beginning to the end of the place of twisting the wires and back. In this case, it is necessary to go outside the site with an absent insulation for a centimeter-and-a-half. Heat shrinkable tube is becoming more popular, because it is very convenient to use. To sit on the wire, it must be heated with a special construction hair dryer or burner.

The connection terminals and clamps already have a housing that does not allow the passage of electric current, so additional insulation is not required. It is convenient to connect the bare wires in the switchbox to terminals.

Observance of all safety measures and the correct sequence of wiring repairs guarantee success and safety. The main thing is not to hurry and get down to business with all responsibility, and sometimes it's better to entrust the matter to a professional electrician.