Home electricity rules for a smart woman

What does each coloured wire on a switch board stand for?
• Red/Yellow/Blue - The phase wire
• Black - The neutral wire
• Green - The earthing wire

What does earthing mean? Is it important?
When a 'fault' current leaks out of the electrical system, it needs to be carried down to the earth through this wire. If an earthing wire is not attached, and if you touch an appliance with a leak (insulation puncture), the current will flow down to the earth through you, causing electrical shock, which can be dangerous. Earthing is not only important - it's a must.

Why is a stabiliser so essential?
Electrical appliances are designed to operate on particular voltages. If they receive supply with a voltage either higher or lower than required, they can get damaged. A stabiliser is a device that ensures that irrespective of the supply voltage from the utility (State Electricity Board), the supply to the appliances is always within the specified limits. Most appliances today have in-built stabilisers.

Appliances that consume lots of electricity:
• ACs
• Geysers
• Washing machines
• Water pumps
• Irons
• Water heaters.

How to minimise electricity without switching off appliances.
• Use CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lamps) instead of incandescent lamps.

• Use preset timers for auto switch on/off. An AC can be switched on and off automatically for a predetermined period without affecting the cooling. Timers can also be used for passage lighting or staircase lighting in residential complexes.

• Be disciplined in terms of switching off appliances like fans and lights when not required. Or use devices like automatic movement detectors, which switch on and off when somebody enters or leaves a room respectively.

Does keeping the fan regulator at the maximum speed consume more electricity?
It depends on the type of regulator. The normal regulator consumes the same amount of electricity at all speeds, sometimes more at lower speeds since resistance reduces the speed. However, in the electronic regulators (small ones) the current consumption increases with the speed.

What are the basic electrical instruments every household should have?
• Tester
• Fuse wires if the protective system is fused
• Insulating tape
• Screwdrivers
• Plier.

What are the basic standard questions that we ought to ask an electrician when he does some repair work at home?
• What wires he is using and if they (and any equipment he uses) are ISI marked.
• Is he experienced?
• Check his licence if necessary.

- Jean-Charles Thuard, Managing Director, Legrand (India).