How important is proper electrical panel wiring? Compare the internal wiring for a power panel or control panel to the system of blood vessels in your body. Electrical wiring provides a pathway for power and communications along with the device inputs and outputs of a system. Electrical wiring transfers all the vitals throughout the system and there is no substitute.
At Hill Electric, our team is continuously performing electrical power panel and control panel internal wiring installations. We specialize in following the owner specifications and best practices when wiring a panel. Proper installation of electrical panel wiring can be a taxing and difficult task. A masterful installation can provide a functional and easy-to-maintain product.
Typically, at Hill Electric we perform electrical panel wiring in the field. With control panel wiring, we are either modifying an existing installation or building a custom control panel on a customer’s production equipment. Wiring an electrical power/breaker panel is similar in that we are either adding or changing an existing circuit or installing a new panel and the associated circuits. Below are some key items for an electrical panel wiring installation:
- Wire color is a critical part of a panel installation for both power and control panel wiring. With control panels, the color of the wire signifies its purpose and provides vital information. The wire color can tell you if the wire is connected to the input or output of a device, if the signal is AC or DC, or if the wire carries power from an external power source. With a power panel installation, the color signifies what phase the wire is connected to and if the wire is hot, neutral, or ground. This is important to ensure that your equipment receives the proper voltage, turns in the correct direction, and follows all safety requirements.
- The labeling of the electrical panel wire is equally important. With control panels, the label gives you the origin and destination of the wire and what device it services. The label also enables you to find a specific wire in the electrical drawings. This is all very critical and can save hours of downtime when testing the panel and troubleshooting. With a power panel, the label can tell you what circuit the wire is providing to the equipment or receptacle. This ensures you can turn off the correct power to the device when needed and know where to go when there is an issue.
- Layout and cleanliness of electrical panel wiring are also key to providing the customer with a proper working and easy-to-maintain power or control panel. Believe it or not, wires do not like to be crowded, mixed up, or overly bent. Power and control signals depend on proper connections to ensure performance. This is so important that the National Electrical Code specifies these details of an installation. It is critical when installing electrical panel wiring to plan for future installations with device placement, plan wire entry into the panel, and have sufficient pathways to separate wires from devices or sensitive equipment. With control panels, wires carrying different types of signals or power can cause major problems if not separated and properly organized. With power panels, the mixing of circuits in a given space can cause excess heat and connections to loosen.
Electrical panel wiring can either look like a work of art or your biggest headache. At Hill Electric we have the expertise and ability to make your next electrical panel the masterpiece it truly needs to be. Please do not hesitate to get us involved in planning your next project so that we can help you have a successful installation.
