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Essential Things to Consider When Planning Your Home's Electrics
Recharge your electrical fittings with this simple guide to planning your home’s technology
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When you’re installing new electrics in your home, it can be tricky to know where to start. That’s why it’s important to know the key questions to ask from the outset.
Follow these key steps in planning out your electrical layout, with the help from the experts and Clipsal, and you’ll soon find the right products to suit your lifestyle needs and decorating look.
Follow these key steps in planning out your electrical layout, with the help from the experts and Clipsal, and you’ll soon find the right products to suit your lifestyle needs and decorating look.
What’s My Electrical Plan?
When you’re building or renovating your home, it’s important to think about your electrical needs right from the start. By choosing where you want to install plugs and sockets early on you’ll save yourself a lot of time, money and effort in the long run. Think about the function of the room and have a rough idea of the layout, so that you can get a clear vision of where your lights and electrical equipment will be located.
Get smart. Consider also the type of tech you need in your home – for example, if you’d like to be able to switch your lighting and heating on remotely, or have more control over the energy you use, it’s worth considering some home automation, such as Nero or Wiser Link.
When you’re building or renovating your home, it’s important to think about your electrical needs right from the start. By choosing where you want to install plugs and sockets early on you’ll save yourself a lot of time, money and effort in the long run. Think about the function of the room and have a rough idea of the layout, so that you can get a clear vision of where your lights and electrical equipment will be located.
Get smart. Consider also the type of tech you need in your home – for example, if you’d like to be able to switch your lighting and heating on remotely, or have more control over the energy you use, it’s worth considering some home automation, such as Nero or Wiser Link.
Where Do I Want My Power Points?
Once you have a rough layout of your room and know the type of equipment and lighting you’ll need, you can start to plan your power points. It’s a good idea to have as many sockets as possible, to avoid the need for extension leads – and make sure you position them where you think you’ll use them. For example, in a living room it’s best to have a socket either side of the sofa for table lamps, and plenty of points near the television.
Avoid lost chargers. Don’t forget to consider your phones and tablets as well – you might prefer to have a plug point with a USB charger included. These handy products are less bulky than third-party chargers. To keep everything neat and tidy, opt for a charging point with a ledge above to store your phone or tablet, so that there are no messy cords.
Once you have a rough layout of your room and know the type of equipment and lighting you’ll need, you can start to plan your power points. It’s a good idea to have as many sockets as possible, to avoid the need for extension leads – and make sure you position them where you think you’ll use them. For example, in a living room it’s best to have a socket either side of the sofa for table lamps, and plenty of points near the television.
Avoid lost chargers. Don’t forget to consider your phones and tablets as well – you might prefer to have a plug point with a USB charger included. These handy products are less bulky than third-party chargers. To keep everything neat and tidy, opt for a charging point with a ledge above to store your phone or tablet, so that there are no messy cords.
What Style Suits My Home?
Fancy something different? You don’t have to go for standard white sockets and switches. There are so many different designs and colours around, you should be able to find one to suit your style and decorating scheme. Choose a metallic finish, or opt for a bold colour like red, green or yellow. If you’d like a less obtrusive style, consider a design with translucent or semi-transparent edge that will allow some of the wallpaper design or wall colour to shine through.
Keep in shape. You can also be creative with the design of your switches, choosing large square switches on rockers for a contemporary look, or smaller round buttons for a minimal feel.
Fancy something different? You don’t have to go for standard white sockets and switches. There are so many different designs and colours around, you should be able to find one to suit your style and decorating scheme. Choose a metallic finish, or opt for a bold colour like red, green or yellow. If you’d like a less obtrusive style, consider a design with translucent or semi-transparent edge that will allow some of the wallpaper design or wall colour to shine through.
Keep in shape. You can also be creative with the design of your switches, choosing large square switches on rockers for a contemporary look, or smaller round buttons for a minimal feel.
How do I Make My Home Safe?
Perhaps the most important thing to consider when you’re planning your electrics is the safety of your home. There are a number of products available that can help to make your home more secure – consider sensor-activated security lights, mains-powered smoke alarms and updates in your meter box, for example.
Call in the experts. All your electrical fittings should be fitted by a fully qualified electrician. Make sure you visit a showroom to speak to a professional for advice. Your electrical switchboard should have all the relevant safety switches included, and a professional will guide you through how it works and what to do if there is a problem. Make sure you install safety switches and sockets where they’re needed, waterproof ones outside and add some electronic timers and sensors for security.
Tell us
What challenges have you faced when planning your home electrics?
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team
Perhaps the most important thing to consider when you’re planning your electrics is the safety of your home. There are a number of products available that can help to make your home more secure – consider sensor-activated security lights, mains-powered smoke alarms and updates in your meter box, for example.
Call in the experts. All your electrical fittings should be fitted by a fully qualified electrician. Make sure you visit a showroom to speak to a professional for advice. Your electrical switchboard should have all the relevant safety switches included, and a professional will guide you through how it works and what to do if there is a problem. Make sure you install safety switches and sockets where they’re needed, waterproof ones outside and add some electronic timers and sensors for security.
Tell us
What challenges have you faced when planning your home electrics?
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team
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Having moved to a catchment area with sometimes fierce electrical storms I began installing lots of power plug protectors. What I discovered, thanks to research and a friendly, informative Ausgrid technician, is that to save my electronics what I need is power diverters off my meter box to my inground stake. This way when lightning strikes close to my home the power surge is safely diverted and my fuses and internal plugs are not affected. Of course this is null and void if it is a direct strike.... but at least with a coarse and fine diverter I have added extra safety insurance.
What i have noticed from the floods that were in Bangkok a few years ago is why downstairs areas of buildings that are likely to be flooded should have the ability to be isolated from the first floor and so life with refrigerators and cooking can continue upstairs. Just two individual circuits installed, plus two circuit breakers or switches, preferably at building stage or through a retrofit would not be impossible. It also has the advantage that the flood water will not be carrying an electrical charge that killed a few people in the Bangkok floods, found drowned or with cardiac arrest. Always a problem for emergency workers.