Many people are confused about choosing electrical wiring for home renovations. There's a wide variety of wires available on the market, and different materials offer different advantages and functions. Furthermore, as living standards improve, people's expectations for electrical wiring have also become higher. Choosing high-quality wiring is indeed crucial. Today, we'll discuss how to choose electrical wiring for your home and whether flame-retardant wiring is necessary.
About Home Renovation Wiring Selection
Kitchens often use a large number of small appliances, so a 1.5-cubic-meter or 2.5-cubic-meter cable is sufficient for one small appliance. However, in real life, multiple appliances are often used simultaneously, and a 2.5-cubic-meter cable may not be sufficient. Therefore, I recommend choosing a 4-cubic-meter cable for your kitchen wiring. This ensures sufficient wiring and allows for future use of higher-power appliances.
Small appliances like rice cookers can easily use a 2.5-cubic-meter cable. However, you can connect a 4-cubic-meter cable to the main line and a 2.5-cubic-meter cable to the branch line, saving both cost and energy.
Some homes also place high-power appliances like refrigerators in the kitchen. These require their own branch line because they operate 24/7. If they share a line with other appliances, the instantaneous current generated when they are turned on and off will increase, affecting the refrigerator branch line. This long-term condition can shorten the refrigerator's lifespan.
Therefore, it's best to use a separate branch line for high-power appliances like refrigerators.
Although kitchen lighting may be minimal, it still requires a separate branch line and should not be connected to the same outlet as the socket. Outlets have a ground wire, and connecting lighting to this branch line would be wasteful.
Some homes have a large number of appliances, including many high-power ones. I recommend installing a separate distribution box in the kitchen. This way, even if a short circuit occurs, other circuits will not be affected.
The Difference Between Ordinary Insulated Wire and Flame-Retardant Wire
The difference between ordinary insulated wire and flame-retardant wire is that flame-retardant wire has passed flame-retardant testing or certification, while ordinary cables have not.
Most ordinary insulated wire and flame-retardant wire appear indistinguishable, but domestic flame-retardant wire will have the lettering ZR printed on it. International standards, such as UL, use designations such as VW-1, CMP, or CMR depending on the flame retardancy level.
Flame-retardant cable refers to cables that, under specified test conditions, when a sample is burned, the flame spreads only within a limited area after the test fire source is removed, and any residual flames or burns extinguish themselves within a specified timeframe.
The fundamental characteristic is that while it may burn and become inoperable in a fire, it can prevent the spread of fire. In layman's terms, if a fire occurs in the wiring, the burning can be confined to a local area, preventing it from spreading, thus protecting other equipment and preventing further damage.
From the above, it can be seen that flame-retardant wire does have its advantages and uses, making it safer to use. Of course, flame-retardant wire is also necessary for household wiring. If you have high performance requirements, you can consult a reputable salesperson to find out which flame-retardant wire is suitable for home use.
