ELECTRICITY

IN THE HOME

Chanell McIntosh | Physics | November 11, 2015

1. Parallel Connections of Domestic Appliances

When a circuit is connected in series, the voltages divides hence causing all
of the devices to not work to their full potential. In series, if one device is
switched off then all of the other devices connected in said series will also
be switched off because current can’t flow to it. This is the reason why we
use parallel connection in domestic appliances.
For example: If the appliances in a household kitchen were connected in
parallel, then the refrigerator could function without having to have the
dishwasher, toaster, garbage disposal and overhead lights on.
One appliance can work without the other appliances having to be on. Since
each appliance is in its own separate branch, turning that appliance off
merely cuts off the flow of charge to that branch. There will still be charge
flowing through the other branches to the other appliances.

2. Fuses, Circuit Breakers and Wires

a. Fuse
A fuse is a safety device consisting of a strip of wire that melts in order to protect circuits
and electrical devices from overload when the current becomes too high.

The fuse breaks the circuit if a fault in an appliance causes too much current
flow. This protects the wiring and the appliance if something goes wrong.
The fuse contains a piece of wire that melts easily. If the current going
through the fuse is too great, the wire heats up until it melts and breaks the
circuit.

A 13A fuse with a low melting point wire

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b. Circuit Breaker
A circuit breaker is an automatic device for stopping the flow of
current in an electric circuit as a safety measure.

The circuit breaker does the same job as the fuse, but works in a
different way.
A spring-loaded push switch is held in the closed position by a spring-
loaded soft iron bolt. An electromagnet is arranged so that it can pull
the bolt away from the switch. If the current increases beyond a set
limit, the electromagnet pulls the bolt towards itself, which releases
the push switch into the open position.

c. Earth Wire

The earth wire also called the “ground” wire is a crucial part of the
home electrical system and is designed to protect against electric
shock.

If faults occur in the electrical system, the electricity will flow to earth
by the shortest and easiest path. The shortest path is through a circuit

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 breaker or fuse, which will break the electrical circuit. The earth wire
should help stop electricity passing through your body if you have
an electrical accident. However, if something in the appliance goes
wrong, or it is wired incorrectly, then the earth wire may also be
carrying the same electricity as the live wire. To be completely safe,
NEVER touch this wire either!

d. Live Wire
The live wire also called the “hot” wire is a high voltage (240 V) wire or
main wire that carries current into the house circuit. It is typically colored
brown. The live wire is also connected directly to the generators of the
electricity supply. Touching this wire will result in DEATH.

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 3. Choosing a Fuse/Circuit Breaker
Fuses in plugs are made in standard ratings. The most common are 3A, 5A
and 13A. The fuse should be rated at a slightly higher current than the device
needs.
For example:
 if the device works at 3A, use a 5A fuse
 If the device works at 10A, use a 13A fuse.
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There are three basic criteria for choosing a circuit breaker:

1. Type of Mount
2. Current Rating
3. Voltage Rating

1. Mounting: DIN or Panel mount

DIN rail breakers

A circuit breaker can be mounted to a metal rail of a standard type which is
named “DIN rail”. (DIN comes from “Deutsche Institute Norm” a German
standard). DIN rail mount circuit breakers are specifically designed to be
mounted to this DIN rail strip. A side of the circuit breaker adopts the shape
of the DIN rail to be attached to it. A clip mechanism represented in the
following picture allows quick mounting and removal of the breaker.

Panel mount breakers

Panel mount circuit breakers are, as the name indicates, circuit breakers
which are designed to be directly mounted on a standard electrical service
panel. DIN and Panel Mount breakers are not interchangeable.

2. Current Rating: Circuit breakers are categorized by the maximum current

that they expect to carry (Ampere rating). The US National Electrical Code
requires circuit breakers to be rated for 125% of the circuit current on the
circuit they protect or the closest larger standard rating.

4. Voltage Rating: The voltage rating of the circuit is crucially important.

The voltage rating should always be higher than the AC or DC system

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 voltage. Otherwise it may result in electrical arcs which are among the
major reasons for fire.

 Effects of Incorrect or Fluctuating Voltage

Two types of appliances

Different type of appliances have different behavior on voltage

fluctuations.

Appliances without motor include:

 Luminaire like Bulbs/Tube lights/CFLs.
 Heaters like water heaters and room heaters.
 Electronics like Televisions/Music Systems/DVD/Home Theatre/
Laptops/Phones.
Appliances with motor include:
 Air Conditioners
 Refrigerators
 Ceiling Fans
 Mixer Grinders
 Pumps
 Washing Machines

Appliances without motors and their behavior on

voltage fluctuations
Appliances without motors do not need voltage stabilizers. When the voltage
is less, less current flows through them. When voltage is more, more current
will flow through them.

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So when voltage is less, the output of these appliances will be less or the
bulb will give less light.
For example; a room heater will heat less, water heater will heat slowly.
And as the bulb will give lesser light the power consumption of the bulb will
be less.
However when the voltage is higher than normal, more current will flow
through these appliances. And if the high voltage is consistent, and thus the
high current is consistent, it may result in burning of the bulb or the
appliance. If it does not burn, it will consume more electricity.

Appliances with motors and their behavior on

voltage fluctuations
All appliances with motors have an operating voltage range. Appliance like
a ceiling fan have much larger operating voltage range and thus they are able
to work even at lower voltages. But appliances like air conditioners have
very small operating voltage range and thus they do not work at low
voltages.
If the voltage provided to them is lower than their operating voltage range,
then either they will not start at all, and if they are already running, they will
start producing a humming sound. This humming sound happens as these
motors draw more current to run the system. This can lead to over heating
and burning of the motor if persistent. Thus saving induction motors from
voltage fluctuations is very important.
At high voltages these appliances draw more current only at the time of
starting, but once they reach steady state the current is much less. But still
the high starting current can damage the system and thus appliances with
motors need to be protected both from high as well as low voltages.
So you do need to put voltage stabilizers to protect these appliances.

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However before putting a voltage stabilizer, it is very important to find the
operating voltage range of the appliance and the fluctuations that happen in
your area.
As far as power consumption of appliances with motors is concerned, it
depends on the voltage as well as the load on the machine.

Bibliography
http://www.westernpower.com.au/safety-earth-wires.html

http://www.civicsolar.com/resource/how-choose-electrical-circuit-breaker

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science

www.bijlibachao.com/appliances/voltage-stabilizer-for-television-refrigerator-
air-conditioner.html

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