Most often, electrical wiring is replaced when making major repairs in an apartment. Carrying out installation to replace electrical wiring in an apartment with your own hands is usually preceded by a number of reasons, but mainly it is a discrepancy between the cross-section of the wires and the electrical conductivity. This problem often occurs in Khrushchev buildings. In the era of Soviet times, there were no such a huge number of electrical appliances in apartments, and therefore the installed cables fulfilled their function to the fullest. However, modern progress does not stand still and today we cannot imagine even one day without a coffee maker, electric kettle, toaster, mixer, etc.
In Khrushchev's buildings, wiring consisting of aluminum wires is most often used, which poorly withstands the voltage of modern electrical equipment and thus can cause short circuits and overvoltage of the network. According to the warranty, the service life of the wires is twenty years; in terms of service life, Khrushchev buildings have long outlived this period and urgently require replacement of the electrical wiring with modern and powerful ones. Electrical work in an apartment is considered a very dangerous process, but it is quite possible to carry out repair work yourself if you comply with all operating and safety requirements for working with electricity.
Experts recommend replacing electrical wiring in the entire apartment; it is not advisable to change wires in partial sections. Partial replacement is considered a more labor-intensive process and does not give such a complete result as replacing the electrical wiring in the Khrushchev completely, that is, installing new sockets, switches, electrical panels, cables and wires. To begin the process of replacing the old wiring with a new one, you need to know exactly the layout of the old wiring. When studying the circuit in detail, a situation may well arise in which it will be necessary not to replace, but to re-route the wires.
Replacing electrical wiring in an apartment includes the following requirements:
The wiring must be done in special boxes, and the exposed ends should be insulated with insulating materials.
Stages of work execution
Replacing electrical wiring in an apartment is carried out in several stages:
- Drawing up a diagram;
- Development of a drawing of an apartment with a drawing of the route for laying wires;
- Marking the route for laying wires;
- Laying wires;
- Installation of electrical equipment (RCD, switches, sockets, lamps, ventilation equipment, electric stoves, etc.);
- System testing and connection.
Scheme
The initial stage of circuit development is determined by the choice of wiring method.
There are two types:
- open method;
- hidden wiring;
- combined wiring.
After determining the type of installation, a drawing of the apartment is prepared, marking the locations of household appliances, sockets, lamps and switches. For living rooms, sockets are marked at the rate of 1 per six square meters, and in the kitchen the number increases 3 times, since a refrigerator and many other necessary and powerful electrical equipment are located here. For an electric stove, you should install a socket with a cable cross-section of 4 square meters. mm.
To correctly calculate the number of sockets and switches, you need to accurately determine the total power of electrical appliances. In cases where there are devices with high power consumption of electricity, it is recommended to connect separate lines with automatic switches. After placing the sockets and switches on the diagram, you need to determine the location of the distribution boxes so that they are within easy reach of a person. 
The next stage is the distribution of electricity consumers into groups. Often the distribution occurs according to the following principle:
- sockets;
- lighting;
- kitchen power supply;
- a group of powerful electrical appliances - electric stove, air conditioner;
- group of dangerous electrical appliances - bathroom, washing machine.
When selecting groups, they plan the installation of power cables. The diagram indicates the wire route, cross-section type and material.
After marking the installation locations of sockets and switches on the drawing, it is necessary to check the accuracy and reliability of the data.
When choosing a hidden wiring method, you need to prepare the wall surfaces and mark the laying route using a marker or pencil. 
The following tools are used for replacement work:
- angle grinder;
- impact machine (perforator);
- sockets, screwdrivers, pliers, pliers;
- soldering device;
- fasteners (terminal blocks, brackets, clamps);
- mounting knife;
- spatula;
- level.
Important: Cable wires are purchased after accurately measuring the route footage. Typically, 3-4 meters of allowance is added to the length of the wire.
List of required additional materials
If you decide to do the electrical wiring in your apartment yourself, you should take care of purchasing the following materials:
- for mounting the lighting system, VVG brand wires with a permissible cross-section of 1.5 square millimeters are used, and for sockets - a three-core cable with a cross-section of 2.5 square millimeters;
- residual current devices (RCDs) and circuit breakers. RCDs are used to protect the system from current leakage, and circuit breakers prevent short circuits;
- distribution boxes;
- selected depending on the number of machines, RCDs. If you intend to mount a large number of elements, then you need to purchase a large shield. Based on their structure, metal and plastic structures are distinguished; experts advise installing metal ones, as they are more durable and last a long time;
- connecting insulating elements (PPE) – electrical tape, dowel-nails, clips.
Installation of distribution panel
In order to competently replace electrical wiring, you need to start the process by installing a new electrical panel. In new apartments of a modern type, a niche equipped with a power cable is provided for shields. In Khrushchev-era buildings there is no niche, so the electrical panel is mounted in a hinged manner in a convenient place. In Soviet-era apartments, the wire is installed by drilling a hole and extending it into the premises.
The phase arrangement in the room electrical panel is as follows: in the upper part there are neutral terminals, in the middle there are circuit breakers, in the lower part there is ground. When connecting the access cable, we connect the cable as follows: a blue wire to the neutral terminal, a yellow wire to the ground, and a white wire to the upper contact of the circuit breaker.
Concealed wiring
Electrical wiring in the hidden type is laid in grooves. Grooves are specially prepared channels in the wall cavity. The process is considered labor-intensive and dusty; it requires a wall chaser or a hammer drill with a diamond bit. Sometimes cables are laid on the floor, but this requires removing the old floor covering.
Important: It is prohibited to trench walls in panel houses in accordance with legislation No. 508-PP of October 25, 2011.
The depth of the channels is determined by the layer of plaster; it must be taken into account that the layer of plaster should be approximately 10 millimeters. The holes for the junction box and sockets are cut with a special crown. If it is possible to lay wires in the voids of concrete slab floors, you can do without gating.
Wires of a certain cross-section are laid according to a previously prepared diagram. For convenience, cable wires are cut into convenient lengths and laid. 
Important: Convenient lengths are required to ensure that a specific section can be easily replaced if damage is detected.
In boxes that distribute electricity, wires are connected using PPE. Then the installation of sockets and switches is carried out.
The next step is to test the entire system. If all branches are fully functioning, you should call an electrician to connect the system from the power panel. After confirming the functionality of the electrical wiring, the walls are covered with plaster and the exterior finishing of the apartment interior is carried out.
Electrical wiring in cable ducts
This method is considered less labor-intensive than gating. If the wires are laid in channels, then you should definitely purchase special skirting boards and boxes for connecting to consumer groups.
In accordance with the new project, skirting boards are attached to the floor in the right places and wires are routed to sockets and switches. With this method of electrical wiring, surface-mounted sockets are used.
Conclusion
The final stages of electrical wiring by any method (hidden, open or combined) are to test the system using a multimeter with a power ping function.
After checking all the wiring and making sure that the connection is error-free, check the sockets and switches. The correct circuit looks like this: zero, ground, phase. After commissioning, you can begin finishing the interior.
An incorrectly designed circuit and connection errors can lead to undesirable consequences. Therefore, to be confident in carrying out the correct electrical wiring in the apartment with your own hands, you need to carefully study all the requirements and standards.