NYAA Entry - Skills - Entry 2 - Electricity and Electronics

Entry 2 - St. George's East Garden 1

Overview
- Preparing for house installation of 1, 3 and 4 gang switches, heater switch and double sockets.
- Laying of internal wires, telephone and TV line.

St. George's East Garden 1

Date: 20/01/07
Hours Completed: 9 Hours (0900 - 1800)

Today is the official first day of work in my father's company as an apprentice. I was brought to a home at St. George's East Garden where existing domestic wiring installation and electrical works were being carried out. By this part in time, wires had already been properly sorted out into the different rooms though trunking has yet to commence, especially in the kitchen.

However, several part of the house was ready for the installation of switch sockets and switches. I was taught to expose the copper wires within the rubber insulation. It was rather difficult initially and required some skill and technique. I got the hang of it as i worked on more of such wires. Next, the connection had to be made to the between the socket's 'Live', 'Neutral' and 'Earth' entries to the respective wires. This was relatively easier as i had learned much of it in school before.

Yet. the difficult part of the day was the fixing of the heater switch, which comprises of 2 incoming Live and Neutral wire and 2 receiving Live and Neutral wire. It involves the finding of the correct entries to slot them into, among the 4 different entries. However, it was a simple case of Live wires together and Neutral wire together at the end of the day.

The switches, mainly 1 gang and 3 gang switches for lights in the rooms, were up next. 1 gang switches was simple as it invovles only two wires. The 3 gang switches were more of a trouble as extra re-routing in the switch box was required to allow the incoming current to reach that of the ceiling light.

After noon-time, i was shown how to lay internal wires below the flooor tiles before the commencement of cement works. This was achieved using plastic cylindrical pipes. The telephone and television lines are also run through the same passage way.