Electrical wiring installation is a complex endeavor requiring many different considerations. Before even beginning a new installation, there are several highly important factors that must be considered. If you’re looking for a Northern Virginia electrician, doing your first consultation should involve discussion of not just installation methods and techniques, but also ceiling types, wall and floor construction, and general building construction as well.

For those of you who are electrical professionals or simply want to learn more about different installation methods for your upcoming consultation with a qualified electrician in Northern Virginia, we’ve compiled some of the basics in a helpful guide for you below.

Common Installation Methods

The term electrical wiring refers to the connection of various accessories to distribute electrical energy from your meter board to your home. The installation of this wiring is commonly done using two methods- Joint box or Tee System and Loop System.

1. Joining box or Tee System:  With this type of installation, the connections between various appliances is done through joints. These joints come from joint boxes which utilize various connectors. This installation method can often be on the pricier side, so it’s something to take note of.
2. Looping System: This method is actually a method that is universally used. Feed conductors retrieve power directly from a terminal, and power is in turn carried around a circuit by a series of loops. Line and phase conductors are looped in either a switchboard or a box.

Examples of Wiring Circuits

Understanding different types of wire installations can be tricky, so we’ve compiled a few examples so that you can get a better idea of wire circuits in action.

• In a single bulb with a single switch, the wiring is typically done by connecting the positive bulb terminal directly to the switch terminal.
• In a single bulb with two switches, the wiring method is commonly referred to as staircase wiring. In this method, a lamp is controlled by two sources, for example, a bedroom light that can be turned on and off from two different switches. When you have two controlling switches to one device, it is called a “three-way switch”.
• In two bulbs controlled by a a single switch, the bulbs are normally connected to wires in parallel to a single routing switch.
• In socket outlet wiring, an outlet will hold the plug of an accessory or device and pass the current that has been routed directly to the socket.

Reach Out to Our Electricians in Northern, VA

If you’re looking for expert electricians in Northern Virginia, get in touch with us today at RD Matthews Electrical Contracting. Our highly trained staff will work with you to ensure you have everything you need for your home wiring installation. Give us a call today and let us support you with all your electrical needs!