Why traffic jams are knocked out: principle of operation, possible causes and tips

Vending machines or traffic jams

Types of machines can be different, depending on the functions intended for them. To supply electricity to an apartment, differential devices are more often used; the output socket lines are protected by 16 A circuit breakers. For powerful consumer devices, an AV with a nominal value of 20-32 A is installed.

Sometimes these guards turn off and interrupt the flow of current to the apartment wiring. The reasons why this happens are varied. General principles on how to solve this problem are listed below.

Reasons for turning off the machine or traffic jam

Electrical networks experience enormous loads; a residential network, compared to a territorial network, can be considered as a point in multidimensional space. And yet, voltage surges in the general network can lead to shutdowns of local apartment switchboard circuit breakers. This happens at least once a year.

Important! If there is no shutdown of the apartment’s circuit breakers at all for a year or more, you should check the design of the switchboard equipment and the switchboard itself. It may be necessary to replace the AV or RCD.

With a competent approach to the design of the panel, the operation of electrical appliances will be safe, easily controlled and comfortable, regardless of the reasons why the plug may be knocked out or the machine may turn off. Local events that cause outages are listed below.

Why does the protection work?

There are only three reasons why a traffic jam can be knocked out:

• Short circuit;
• Excessive load;
• Damage to the device itself.

The most dangerous reason is a short circuit, which can be triggered by a weakened or melted insulating sheath of wires, water getting into them, or a burnt electrical appliance.

With such an outcome, a sharp jump in current occurs in the network, the wiring heats up, and the voltage quickly drops, and traffic jams detect the emergency and automatically de-energize the network. Otherwise, a fire or wiring will burn out.

Read here! DIN rail - what the device is used for and features of installation of modular equipment (105 photos). 5 best options for a shield!

If plugs in the meter often break out without dire consequences, then the reason lies in the network overvoltage. By connecting several devices to one branch at once, you risk exceeding the permissible rating, which for a machine is 16 amperes, and for one plug is no more than 2.5 kW.

An excessive load on the circuit is fraught with a short circuit and fire, so it is necessary to control the power and the number of devices connected to one outlet group. Also, the protection is triggered by very powerful motors, since when turned on they cause a strong jump in the circuit.

It is not often that a knocked-out plug signals a malfunction, because, like any device, it can simply fail and turn off falsely. Also, a sudden breakdown of a large household appliance triggers the protection mechanism.

Old age of the machines themselves or traffic jams

This also happens; devices have a designated service life. After this period, it is risky to use such devices, the likelihood of a fire increases, the AV must be replaced with a new and serviceable one.

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Disconnection procedure

There is no need to rush and try to turn on everything if the traffic jams are knocked out. Haste can lead to damage to electrical appliances or fire. Analyze the situation before a shutdown occurs. Find out if there is electricity in neighboring apartments.

Flickering lamps and UPC activation on the computer indicate a drop in network voltage. If the neighbors do the same, then this is a problem with the central substation. Be on the safe side and turn off electrical appliances. If flickering is only in your apartment, you need to check the wiring and switchboard equipment.

What to do if the plugs in the apartment are knocked out when you turn on a new powerful electrical appliance, such as a water heater? Check the compatibility of the AB power on the connection line. The instructions for the device indicate the power characteristics; this is the switch that must be mounted in the panel.

Remember: in old apartments you cannot connect fuses exceeding 16A; electrical networks made before 2001 are not designed for values ​​higher than this value.

There were no changes, new devices were not turned on, but the plugs still flew out, inspect the integrity of the sockets, the devices connected there and the switchboard equipment. Find the fault and eliminate the possibility of a repeat short circuit.

What requirements must the electrical wiring in the bathroom meet?

• It is better to choose a two-core copper cable with a cross-section of 2.5 mm square or more
• The socket in the bathroom should have a splash guard, usually in the form of a spring-loaded cover.
• It is better to use sockets with a high degree of protection from external influences
• Open wiring in the bathroom is undesirable
• All electrical appliances in the bathroom must be connected to the general network via an RCD
• Sockets in the bathroom should be located no closer than 0.6 meters from the entrance door of the shower stall or directly from the bathtub and at least at a height of 18-20 centimeters from the floor
• It is better to entrust the installation of sockets and electrical equipment in the bathroom to a specialist.

If a really large amount of liquid gets into the socket (for example, neighbors from above poured it in), then a short circuit can occur, which can lead to a fire (although a fire is unlikely due to the wetness of the socket and the plugs being knocked out).

To prevent this from happening, it is advisable to take a number of actions.

First, turn off the electricity (in residential high-rise buildings, the electricity is usually turned off at the meter).

Then check to see if it turns off (for example, try turning on the light).

Below it will be the outlet itself. Wipe the insides with a dry cloth. If there is a lot of water there, you can completely remove the socket from the wall. To remove the recessed socket, you need to loosen the screws on the side arms that hold the socket in the wall. If you are afraid that some wiring will come off and then you will not be able to put it back together, then do not remove the outlet.

After wiping with a cloth, leave the outlet and the wall around it to dry. Once dry, screw the plastic case back on and turn on the electricity.

If the wall and the outlet are completely flooded (for example, water is still pouring from the ceiling from the neighbors above), and it will take many hours to dry, and you need to use electricity right now, then you can simply “neutralize” this wet outlet for a while. You just need to take it out entirely, disconnecting it from the electrical wiring. Then it is good to insulate the ends of these wires with electrical tape, so that there are no bare spots left at all. And bend them further away from each other and from the wall along which water can flow. The ends should be suspended and not touch anything at all, because if they touch something wet, then firstly, water can soak the adhesive of the electrical tape, and secondly, water can seep into the cracks. Water conducts electricity well, plus if the wire touches the wet metal rim, then electricity can flow through it and close with another wire (this is if both wires touch the wet metal rim inside the outlet). It is necessary to insulate both wiring, since if you insulate only one, then in the event of a “flood”, the uninsulated wiring can send current through a wet wall and on a wet floor and short-circuit with some electrical device lying on the floor (although all electrical devices are wet floors need to be cleaned). Yes, they say that a certain part of the current is present in the person himself, and that, perhaps, it can close on a person. Once it happened that I held one contact of the wire from the subscriber loudspeaker (network radio) in my hand, and inserted the other into the radio socket, and the radio started talking (both ends had to be in the socket for this). This means, I believe, that the subscriber loudspeaker had enough electricity that was in me. Then I realized that I also had uninsulated electricity. This means that if electricity flows across a wet floor, it can short-circuit with electricity inside the human body, so if there is wetness, it is undesirable to leave one wire uninsulated.

In general, by disconnecting the wires from the outlet and reliably protecting them from touching anything conductive, you can turn on the electricity using other outlets. Next, after that part of the wall and the outlet device itself have completely dried, you can install the outlet back again (having turned off the current first).

Constantly knocking out traffic jams - there is only one conclusion: the neighbors flooded it. Rarely will a child short out an outlet. The reason is obvious: the phase passes to ground. Happens in any branch, finding the fault is easy. Now we will tell you how this is done. Sometimes another event bothers people: let’s say the refrigerator breaks its plugs. This is due to the asynchronous compressor motor overloading an incorrectly selected circuit breaker. Today we will discuss why traffic jams in the apartment are knocked out.

Turning the electricity back on

Restoring power supply is simple; short instructions on how to turn on the plugs consist of three steps.

• Analyze the situation, identify the malfunction, the electrical panel will help with this. The triggered machine will be in the “Off” position.
• Eliminate the cause of the shutdown.
• Turn AB or plug into working position. Electricity will be restored.

The power supply of an apartment is a complex engineering system. If you have even the slightest doubt about your own abilities, then the best solution to the problem is to call an electrician to carry out restoration work. This will be more reliable and safer.

If the plugs in the apartment are knocked out, in this case you can turn them on yourself. Unscheduled shutdown of electrical circuit breakers is a problem that almost every resident of an apartment and private house, the owner of a dacha, or a country cottage has encountered. Most often, traffic jams occur due to surges in the power supply network, short-term current overloads after turning on powerful household or construction appliances, or short circuits. In order to restore the power supply, it is necessary to determine the reasons for the outage and start the electrical circuit breaker.

Situations when there is no breakdown

How to make sure your refrigerator is working properly

In order to make sure that this is the problem, you can try to turn on the refrigerator again, after first turning off the power to all other electrical appliances in the apartment. If in this situation the machine does not work, then your refrigerator is working. In this case, you need to call an electrician.

Simultaneous connection of several electrical appliances to the network. A running iron, boiler, electric kettle, air conditioner, or washing machine can overload the network. In this case, the machine will work and cut off power to the entire apartment. But if this has not happened before and your network can handle the load, then you should be concerned.

How to check network congestion

Try unplugging any powerful electrical appliances that are running for a while and turn the refrigerator back on. If the protective shutdown does not occur, then the reason for the machine’s operation is due to network overload. Your refrigerator is working properly.

Faulty refrigerator plug or cord. Sometimes the breakdown may be inside the plug or cord and is not immediately visible.

How to check the plug and cord

If you carefully disassemble the plug, you can immediately determine the problem. In places of closure, you can see darkening and temperature deformation of the housing. The cord may be crushed and damaged within the insulation. Everything needs to be checked carefully and replaced if necessary.

The problem is in the socket.

How to check an outlet

Try plugging the refrigerator into a different outlet to make sure. If the machine doesn’t go off, then everything is fine with the refrigerator.

As a rule, the reason for the machine to operate when a new refrigerator is connected to the network is not related to a malfunction of the household appliance.

If you do not have a new refrigerator, but the plug, cord and socket are working properly, and the network is not overloaded, then you need to call a technician.

Related article: Refrigerator repairman in Odessa

The lights in the apartment went out: what to do?

Before you climb into the electrical panel yourself, you need to understand the reasons for the shutdown. So, if there is no light in the entire house and neighboring ones, then the cause of the shutdown could be problems at the power plant, rolling blackouts. In this case, you should disconnect all electrical household appliances from the sockets (so that they do not burn out when high voltage current is supplied), and wait for the power supply to be restored. If you live in an apartment building of the post-war years of the twentieth century (for example, in a Khrushchev-era building), then most likely the safety plugs in your apartment or electrical panel on the site have been knocked out.

Reason two. Appliances

Faulty appliances can also cause your circuit breaker to trip. Moreover, what’s interesting is that in some situations it can be difficult to determine the “culprit” of outages, and it seems that all devices are operating in normal mode, but periodic AV outages still occur.

In this case, you should proceed as follows. Disconnect (unplug from the sockets) all electrical consumers in the apartment or house. The same applies to lighting systems (turn off all switches). Then you should turn on the devices under load one by one (one room at a time) (without allowing more than two powerful consumers to be turned on at the same time) and control at what stage the AV will turn off. And having found a “weak link”, disconnect it from the network and call a qualified specialist for inspection and repair.

If the above actions do not have an effect, the reason for the operation of the circuit breaker may be hidden directly in the wiring itself.

Why and how to turn off the electricity in the apartment

When carrying out any electrical work, the owners are away for a long time, or when potentially dangerous situations arise related to the quality of the wiring, the apartment must be de-energized. This can be done from the landing.

So, to turn off the electricity in an apartment, you must follow these recommendations:

• If the plugs in the machine are old, ceramic, without buttons, in order to de-energize the apartment it will be enough to simply unscrew them;
• If the plugs on the site are black, with buttons, you need to press the small red buttons on all of them;
• If there is a new machine on the site, in order to turn off the power to the apartment you will need to lower its pedals down.

After this, you need to check whether you have turned off your machine. Otherwise, during repair work, you can suffer greatly.

It will be more accurate and easier to check the shutdown using a special indicator screwdriver.

Using this tool is simple: you just need to insert a screwdriver into a socket and check whether the indicator on the tool lights up. If yes, then the apartment is not de-energized. Any outlet in your apartment is suitable for this test.

How to turn off power to an apartment from the landing

An apartment panel may contain several groups of switches. One group may be responsible for the light in the rooms, the other for the current in the sockets. In order to de-energize the apartment in this case, it will be necessary to move all the toggle switches of the machine to the lower position or find a common switch to which phase and zero are connected. It is this switch that is responsible for introducing electricity into the apartment. This switch is located under your group in the electrical panel.

In old houses, in addition to the main circuit breaker, it is necessary to turn off the switch, which is responsible for zero.

This switch is located in the panel below. There are often two such switches for a standard landing. You can determine which of them applies to your apartment by logic: the one that is closer to your apartment will be your switch.

In order to turn off the power to the apartment from the landing, you must first find a common switch

In this case, it is necessary:

• Always check whether the apartment is de-energized (voltage in sockets) using an indicator screwdriver;
• Warn neighbors about possible outages;
• Unplug household appliances that require delicate handling (computer, refrigerator, washing machine);
• Do not touch the plugs if the electric meter is faulty: a broken electric meter can mislead by showing that electricity is not supplied;
• To continue repair work that requires electricity, it is necessary to use special carrying cords with sockets connected to the machine's wires. At the same time, such manipulations should not be carried out without a specialist.

So that, if necessary, you can quickly find and turn off your machine, you can sign it. So, above the work group you can write the apartment number with a marker.

Differential automatic

Quite often, a difavtomat is installed in the electrical panel of an apartment or private house. The reasons why he kicks out are a little more complicated. The fact is that this device combines two protective devices: an RCD and a circuit breaker. Consequently, the reasons that lead to its operation are more extensive and relate to various factors.

We discussed above what causes the circuit breaker to turn off. The same reasons influence the automatic device and cause it to operate. But, in addition, the differential device also works as an RCD, therefore, it responds to leakage current, which is somewhat more difficult to find.

Reasons for triggering

Let us analyze the main reasons for the operation of this protective device and possible places where leakage current is generated.

First of all, if the automatic circuit breaker has tripped, you need to inspect it and, if necessary, tighten the contacts

Also, when examining the protective device, pay attention to the wiring in the electrical panel. Perhaps the phase wire lies on a metal housing that is grounded. This will not cause a short circuit, but may cause the machine to knock out

This will not cause a short circuit, but may cause the machine to kick out.

If everything is normal in the electrical panel, it means that there is a current leak in the circuit that the device protects. This can happen in several places:

1. The cause can be any electrical appliance. If it penetrates the body, the difavtomat is guaranteed to turn off: this is one of its main functions, to protect a person from electric shock.
2. Perhaps the consequence was the old electrical wiring, or rather, its worn insulation: current leakage gradually appears through microcracks, to which the difavtomat reacts. If the wiring is new, a leak may occur in a poor connection or if the wall is damp, for example due to flooding.
3. A common mistake made by inexperienced electricians is shorting the neutral wire with protective grounding. This is strictly prohibited, since it leads to the operation of protective devices such as RCDs or differential devices.
4. Damage to the case or sticking of the test button can also cause the device to trigger. In this case, it is necessary to replace the faulty device.
5. Weather conditions, namely a strong thunderstorm, often lead to the automatic machine being knocked out. This occurs due to strong atmospheric discharges, which enhance natural current leakage. In this case, you should wait until the storm subsides and then turn on the voltage.
6. Unprofessional installation or hastily installed wiring leads to the fact that the electrical connection diagram of the differential device is not followed. This leads to the fact that it periodically knocks out for no apparent reason.

The serviceability of the device must be checked periodically. To do this, when the load is removed, press the “test” button. A working difavtomat should turn off. If the device does not turn off, it does not perform protective functions, and it is better to replace it with a working device.

Methods for detecting a leak

To find the location of the leakage current, after the automatic circuit breaker has tripped, you need to unplug all electrical appliances from the outlets. After this, the protective device is turned on. If the shutdown does not occur again, it means that some device is breaking through to the housing. You can detect it by calling it with a multimeter.

If the differential device continues to knock out, then the problem is in the wiring. It is best to start an inspection of the electrical circuit with socket groups and distribution boxes

Particular attention should be paid to the places of connections and twisting of wires, the integrity of the insulation and the reliability of contacts

After checking all contact groups in the electrical network, proceed to the next stage. It is necessary to check each individual line for current leakage. It is recommended to start from the electrical panel, gradually moving deeper into the house or apartment. Having determined the line or junction box after which the differential current occurs, all twists are disconnected and each wire is tapped.

Thus, there is a circuit where the insulation is damaged. If necessary, change the wiring or isolate the damaged area. Sometimes you have to remove the wire from the wall to do this if the wiring is hidden. But such cases are quite rare: if the electrical wiring is very old, it is better to replace it during repairs or when installing a differential device.

Several ways to open the door panel without a key

The electrical panel is made of fire-resistant material, is located in the entrance and, often, consists of two or three sections responsible for the machine, light meters and devices operating on weak currents. Each section has its own door that can be locked with a key. This key may be kept by the electrician servicing the house or the concierge. Often, duplicates are taken from the main key and issued to each apartment. This is done so that, in case of unforeseen situations, residents can quickly react and not wait for an electrician. But what to do if you were not given the key?

There are several ways to open an electrical panel without a key:

1. If the shield is protected by built-in small locks (like on mailboxes), you can use a women's hairpin to open them. To do this, you need to insert the pin with one leg into the upper part of the lock, the other into the lower part, and try to turn the mechanism. Instead of a hairpin, you can use any other thin but durable object. The main thing is to act carefully so as not to break the object in the lock.
2. Simple mechanisms can be opened with a flat-head screwdriver. To do this, insert a screwdriver into the lock and turn it to the right.
3. Padlocks can be opened using a crowbar or pliers.

If the traffic jams are broken, how to turn on the electricity (video)

Power outages in old houses are a common occurrence, because the old electrical wiring and the machines themselves are not designed for modern electrical equipment. Therefore, often, when a large number of electrical appliances are turned on at the same time, the machines are knocked out. If your lights turn off often, then you, like no one else, should know how to quickly turn on the machine. After all, sometimes there is absolutely not enough time to wait for electricians. Use the tips above and turn on the machines yourself quickly and safely!

Not so long ago, the phrase “traffic jammed” could be heard quite often in all houses and apartments. Now the traffic jams have been replaced by automatic switches, the so-called “automatic machines”, however, the traffic jams and the automatic machines perform similar tasks, and the reasons for operation remain the same. Only the trigger mechanism has changed.

In any case, everyone should have a clear understanding of what they are intended for and what to do in emergency situations. This article highlights these points, and also provides an answer to the question of why traffic jams in an apartment occur, and how to deal with these situations yourself.

An ordinary electrical plug serves as a fuse, the task of which is to protect your electrical network together with electrical appliances from short circuits and from overload. Unlike a simple fuse, which is inserted into special grooves, the plug has a thread, due to which it is screwed in. There is a base at the end of the plug. The plug body is made of dielectric. Thanks to this, the cork can be touched with bare hands without fear of electric shock. If the traffic jams in your apartment are broken and you don’t know how to turn it on, then read below.

What can cause overload

Again we narrow the boundaries of possible detection of the fault. We divide the electrical network of the apartment into two sections. The first is electrical wiring, including protection devices, the second is household appliances connected to sockets and lighting.

Appliances

If the plugs are knocked out, you need to look for the source. You should immediately look for a device, after starting which the power supply system turns off. Most often, plugs are knocked out when turned on:

• Boiler. If the input machine knocks out, then there is a high probability that the cause is a faulty condition of the boiler. Because of them, the RCD trips quite often. They rank second in overall statistics;
• Washing machine. The magnitude of the starting current in this case is comparable to the values ​​typical for a refrigerator. However, when you turn on the washing machine, the machine knocks out more often. Moreover, such a negative phenomenon is often observed during washing;
• Refrigerator. Whatever the power of a household appliance, at the moment it starts, the current strength can increase 5–7 times, causing a system failure.

Sockets, plugs, power cords

Along the way, pay attention to the condition of sockets, plugs, and power cords . Perhaps somewhere it burned, melted, and a smell appeared. If you find something similar, it is likely that this is the cause you are looking for. Maybe it’s not them, but it’s worth drawing appropriate conclusions about further replacement or repair of these parts.

We disconnected everything we could, assessed the condition of the connection points, and limited the location of the fault to the electrical wiring and protection devices. It's time to turn on the plugs. Before doing this, you should make sure that there is no short circuit on the wires coming from the plugs or circuit breakers, and evaluate the insulation resistance of the cables. To do this, measurements are taken. Measurements allow you to identify problem areas of the wiring, if any. Finding or determining the location of a breakdown is easy using special instruments - meters. But these devices are expensive and not widely used by non-specialists. You can restore the power supply without making measurements, but you should be prepared for the protection to be triggered again, with pops and even sparks.

Malfunction of the plug itself

The following actions require an understanding of the basics of electrical engineering, the operating principle of protective devices, and knowledge of safety precautions. When the load is removed, when all consumers are disconnected from the sockets and the lights are turned off, the necessary measurements are taken, repeated activation of the protection will clearly indicate a malfunction of the device itself. It needs to be replaced. If the plugs are not knocked out and the wiring is in order. Therefore, the reason is in household appliances.

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Consumer mistakes

Exceeding the rated load (see Photo No. 6), such an incident is not critically unfortunate. The owners themselves are often the culprits. The cause of network overvoltage can be: the inclusion of several electrical appliances in one outlet group. Due to the difference between the starting and operating current, when the first slightly exceeds the second, overload occurs. Powerful units - for example, boilers, washing machines, refrigerators - pose a great danger. They can provoke a strong current surge in the electrical circuit during startup. To avoid this, you must always carefully monitor all devices included in a particular outlet group. This applies to both their number and power. Any design of all times - be it old plugs or automatic ones - can sooner or later fail. Especially the automatic machine, since it is a complex device. Or a malfunction occurs, in which case no options can be ruled out. There is only one solution - buying a new device, a modern one. The main thing is to understand that a sudden breakdown of powerful household appliances leads to the activation of the protection mechanism.

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Old wiring

Another unpleasant “surprise” can be wires in old houses built during the existence of the Soviet Union. At that time there was no such flow of household appliances and, accordingly, its total capacity was significantly less. Therefore, the electrical circuits were not subjected to heavy loads. Old wires are not at all designed for the abundance of devices that now exists in almost every home. In this case, the only way to protect yourself from regular traffic jam situations is to find and replace potential weak areas. Excessive humidity can also cause the plugs to pop out. Air has quite a strong electrical resistance. If it is wet, this property is lost. Therefore, in rooms with high humidity: in bathhouses, basements, bathrooms, the installation of sockets should be carried out by a professional electrician. It has a special set of devices for installation, which has a fairly high level of protection against moisture.

Poor terminal connections can also cause automatic protective equipment to trip. In particular, soft aluminum conductors can cause plugs to be knocked out. Loose contact inevitably leads to heating of the device. The thermal release (bimetallic plate) reacts to such changes, and as a result, the protection is triggered. For protection, it is necessary to have the terminals checked at least once a year by an electrician.

What are electrical plugs?

There are two types of electrical plugs:

When a plug with a fuse link trips, you will need to change the fuse link on a special fuse located inside the electrical plug. In the fuse that you are going to replace the burnt one, its characteristics play an important role: they must exactly repeat the characteristics of the one being replaced.

You need to look at such a parameter as the rated current. If you install a fuse with an overrated current, then in the event of a short circuit the protective mechanism will not work, the network will not be de-energized, and as a result, the electrical wiring will most likely burn out somewhere, troubleshooting which is quite difficult if it is walled up in the wall.

Attention! Not long ago, Chinese miracle fuses appeared on sale. The seller advertises them as “durable.” When checking these fuses, one of them with a rating of 10 amperes was supplied with a current of 20 amperes, which is twice the required rating, and the fuse did not blow: everything that hung in the load burned out. Therefore, remember: a fuse protects, it must burn out so that electrical appliances do not burn out.

In this regard, automatic machines are preferable, since they do not have a fuse link, there is a special mechanism that can be turned on and off repeatedly with one switch, so it will not be possible to accidentally mix up the value there.

Such protective devices must be present in all electrical circuits, and they must be divided into groups: sockets from one machine, lights from another. This makes it easier to find out the reason for the triggering of the protective mechanism.

Traffic jams: what is it?

In order to begin to correct the lack of light, you must first understand what traffic jams look like, what they are externally and technically. Externally, the electric plug resembles an incandescent lamp, but with a different body. The cork body is made of dialectical material and the size is an order of magnitude smaller. Since its main purpose is to protect the circuit of conductive parts from fire. That is why, in case of severe overload or short circuit of the network, they automatically de-energize the entire system.

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What traffic jams look like

One of the oldest types of electrical plugs is ceramic plugs that resemble a black cylinder. (Depicted in the picture below). Such a device is already a rarity. It works with a fuse - a fuse link, which in the event of an overload (or short circuit) is destroyed, opening the network. And it is necessary to replace the fuse with the same current and voltage after each knockout. This is a mandatory requirement for old and new protection devices. Otherwise, an overestimated rating will not lead to disconnection from the network, but to burnout of the electrical wiring, and then it will be difficult to find the problem area.

The old model of ceramic stopper resembles a black cylinder

A more modern model, an automatic device, has 2 buttons - white (gray) and red. The first one is for turning on (white), the red one is for turning off, which means opening the circuit. This improved plug design assembly allows for rapid power restoration.

Modern model of traffic jams: automatic device with two buttons

The new plugs are completely different in appearance from the old ones. They are presented in the form of miniature switches that are turned on by moving the lever to the upper position. Inside such plastic devices there are two protective elements. A special bimetallic plate is a thermal release that protects the network from overload, and a coil with a core (electromagnetic release). The release protects the electrical circuit from short circuit.

New plugs are presented in the form of miniature switches

What to do if the traffic jams are knocked out

If the plugs in your apartment suddenly go out and you don’t know how to turn them on, there is no need to panic, just follow the simple recommendations.

First you need to find out the reasons for the shutdown and understand which part of the circuit has failed. To do this, do the following:

• Check for lighting in all rooms.
• check the voltage in the sockets (use a multimeter, indicator, or any portable electrical device).
• check the equipment that is constantly powered from the network, whether the indicators are on, and so on.
• look out the window. If electricity is lost throughout the area, the problem arose at an electrical substation or there was an accident on a high-voltage line somewhere.

If there is a power outage throughout your area, you will have to wait until the cause of the outage is fixed. If you are the only one without electricity, then everything is much simpler. Take a look at the panel with the machine guns - they may have worked.

What you need to know in advance

First, if you have knocked out old-type plugs with fusible inserts, under no circumstances put bugs in them, but now not only for safety reasons. Modern household appliances are full of electronics. A roughened fuse does not repair or eliminate the source of the problem. Connecting anything - from a tablet to an iron to a washing machine - to a faulty network can cost repairs many times more expensive than buying a couple of circuit breakers that can completely replace a current circuit breaker.

Secondly, before determining the reason for the operation of the automatic protection, everything that is plugged into sockets or through standard switches must be turned off. Disconnections and test starts are carried out only on de-energized wiring sequentially for consumers: turn off the general circuit breaker (see below) or circuit breakers, remove all plugs from the sockets, turn off the switches. You need to check some device or lamp - plug it into a socket or switch, turn on a common circuit breaker or plugs. To check, you need to connect the next device or lamp - turn off the general automation again, connect it, etc.

Handy tools for checking the presence of voltage in sockets

Third, let’s assume that you don’t have a tester, a phase indicator, and you have no idea what it is. In this case, you can check the presence of voltage in the apartment during a test turn-on, without risking yourself and expensive equipment, using a phone charger with a light indicator (on the left in the figure) or a rechargeable LED flashlight (on the right). The charger is plugged into the socket without the phone, and the flashlight is plugged in without turning on the light. No regulatory documents provide for the possibility of using these devices in this capacity, but for an amateur they are even safer than a phase indicator and a tester: due to inexperience, it is impossible to grab the bare part of the probe or try to measure the voltage with a tester turned on to measure current. The “quasi-indicators” themselves on the emergency network can fail (the conductors inside them are very thin), but they are inexpensive and repairable. However, we are getting ahead of ourselves, first we need to get to where it was knocked out.

VShch and ShchA

Protective automation in an apartment is most often mounted next to the electric meter on the input switchboard of the VS. If the protection is with plugs, the VSC can be completely antediluvian (pos. 1 in the figure), poorly made, pos. 2, but next to the VShch there is always a distribution box (dispenser, “dose”, shown by the red arrow). Wiring branches spread out from the dispenser throughout the rooms. So, you cannot open the dispenser without being an electrician. In this case, the source of the malfunction must be sought by test switching on (see above and below).

Introductory boards and automation board in the apartment

In an apartment with a modern type switchboard (item 3), the search for why the protection is knocked out begins by sorting out the wiring branches: they are connected through separate circuit breakers at currents lower than the common one (the main one). In this case, first turn off the branch machines, turn on the main machine, and, turning on the branch machines one by one, find the faulty one, and then check it, as in the previous one. case. If apartment meters are on the staircase, then instead of a power supply in the hallway there will be an automatic switchboard. In this case, it will be more difficult to find the reason for the reactivity protection, see below.

Note: The RCD (shown with green arrows) must be turned on during the current test. The leakage test is carried out before the overcurrent test, because leakage is more dangerous for people.

Why does it knock out traffic jams in the apartment?

This happens under the following circumstances:

1. 1. Short circuit
2. 2. Electrical wiring overload

Short circuit . The most common and most dangerous electrical phenomenon. Occurs when the insulation between the conductors of an electrical wire is broken, or when electrical appliances are connected incorrectly.

This happens when there is a technical malfunction of electrical appliances, as well as when there is a fault in the electrical wiring. Physically, the following happens: the phase shorts to zero or to ground. At the same time, the current strength increases sharply, and a fire may even occur. Be careful when operating old electrical appliances, and also try to avoid twists in the electrical wiring.

Knocks out plugs without load

If plugs or circuit breakers are knocked out even without a load, the reason lies in a short circuit in the electrical wiring. This problem is especially typical for houses built in the Soviet Union. The fact is that in those days the total power of all electrical appliances was much less than it is now, therefore, the electrical wires of those years were not designed for the number of electrical appliances that we currently use.

In such a situation, it is necessary to check the electrical wiring for twists and other potential short circuits. Be especially careful with wiring installed in metal pipes; this installation method used to be popular, most often this was done in the basements of high-rise buildings.

Over time, the insulating layer is damaged, and current leakage occurs at the point of contact between bare wires and metal structures.

What is the main purpose of a circuit breaker?

Let's start with the simplest thing: what are circuit breakers used for and what functions do they perform?

The circuit breaker is designed to protect against overload and short circuit that part of the electrical wiring that is connected to its terminals. The machine only protects electrical wiring. It does not protect any household appliances that are connected to sockets. You cannot require it to protect various loads such as music centers, computers and the like: it is fundamentally not intended for this.

We've sorted out the purpose, now let's look at why the machine knocks out? When a short circuit occurs in the network, the electric current increases, to the instantaneous increase of which the electromagnetic release of the circuit breaker reacts. The electromagnetic release triggers the trigger mechanism of the machine and the circuit is broken. The response time in this case does not exceed a few hundredths of a second.

If you decide to simultaneously turn on a large number of electrical appliances, for example a washing machine, electric kettle, vacuum cleaner, microwave oven, etc. The electric current in the network will also increase, but its value will be an order of magnitude less than the short circuit current - this is called overloading the wiring.

If there is an overload, the current in the circuit exceeds the rated current of the machine and in this case the thermal protection - a bimetallic plate - reacts. When overloaded, it begins to heat up and bend, thereby catching the trigger mechanism of the machine gun and the chain breaks.

The shutdown time in this case depends on the magnitude of the overload and can range from several seconds to several minutes.

It is only possible to understand that the machine has actually turned off when inspecting it.

To do this, you need to pay attention to the position of the control lever (tongue) in the panel. When turned off, the control tongue moves to the lower position, and the number “0” appears in the indicator window.

Procedure in case of no voltage

Below you are offered the answer to the question “the traffic jams in the apartment are broken, how to turn on the lights.” First of all, you need to find out why the plugs on the meter are knocked out. The electricity meter itself is located in the panel, which is usually located at the entrance. If you have plugs with a fuse in your meter, then simply by looking at them you will not find out the reason, just as you will not understand whether the protective device has worked or not.

It’s good that the last few generations of meters have a special indicator for the presence/absence of input voltage. If it lights up, it means electricity is being supplied to your meter, problems arose after it, in the apartment itself, or protective devices on the electricity meter itself have tripped.

Below are step-by-step instructions to help solve the problem of knocked out traffic jams in full:

Step 1

The traffic jams in the apartment have been knocked out, how to turn it on. First, all electrical appliances are disconnected from the network. Then we come to the shield. If there is an automatic machine, return the toggle switch to the “ON” or “ON” position. If there is a button, press the button. If there is a plug with a fuse, unscrew it, replace the fuse and screw it in.

If after these steps the plugs do not come out, then among your electrical appliances there is one that is creating the problem.

Step - 2

If one of the electrical appliances is causing problems, you should find out which one it is. Most likely it either does not work correctly, or there is a short circuit. Therefore, first we inspect all the sockets to which something was connected at the time the plugs were knocked out.

We inspect them for short circuits. If no obvious traces of a short circuit are detected, you should proceed to connecting all electrical appliances to the network in order of priority.

To do this, connect an electric kettle to an outlet, for example. If the plug is not knocked out, then we connect something else and so on. When connecting the next device, wait a little, then connect the next one.

If during the next connection, for example, a refrigerator, the plugs are knocked out, then we take and connect another electrical appliance to the same outlet. If in this case everything is fine, then the refrigerator is to blame: either it puts an excessive load on the electrical wiring, or it is not working properly

What are the types of protection devices?

Fuses with a fuse link. They are most often called “traffic jams”. They are designed for one time use. The network turns off when the fuse link melts.

• Automatic fuses and switches. These are reusable stoppers. Once they have worked, there is no need to change anything inside.
• Simply restart the idle device by pressing the appropriate button or turning the toggle switch.
• Residual current device or RCD. The device reacts to a current leak and de-energizes the network.
• Unlike standard traffic jams, this unit can save human life and protect your home from fire.

Differential machines. Such devices combine the functions of RCDs and circuit breakers.

In case of a short circuit or overload, disconnect the wiring. Their main task is to protect a person from direct exposure to current.