Place electrical components

Drop a meter cabinet, run circuits along walls, place sockets and switches, tag every item to the E-layer. Diaz handles the routing; local regulation handles the limits.

4 min read · Level: intermediate

Quick answer

Step-by-step

  1. Open the Library (B) → Electrical. Pre-loaded items: meter cabinet (NL groepenkast / ES cuadro general), circuit-breaker, RCD, sockets (single, double, USB), switches (single-pole, 2-way, dimmer), and ceiling-rose for lights.
  2. Drop the meter cabinet on the E-layer at the location it physically lives — usually a hallway or utility room in NL, often the entrance hall in ES. Diaz snaps it to the wall at standard installation height (1500 mm to centre, configurable per project).
  3. Run circuits from the cabinet: Tools → Circuit run. Click the cabinet then click each socket-location along the path the cable should follow. Diaz draws the cable route, calculates length, and shows it in the BOM for material costing.
  4. Drop sockets and switches on walls: pick the symbol from the library, click on a wall. Diaz snaps to standard heights (300 mm above floor for sockets, 1050 mm for switches, configurable). Drag horizontally to slide along the wall.
  5. Tag each component to a circuit: right-click → Tag to circuit → pick from the dropdown (Lighting-1, Sockets-living, Kitchen-appliance, etc). The cabinet schedule auto-updates with the per-circuit load total. Diaz warns if a circuit exceeds the breaker rating set in the inspector.
  6. Export the electrical schedule: File → Export → PDF → Electrical schedule. Output: cabinet single-line diagram, circuit list with load per circuit, socket/switch positions on plan. Consult local regulations (NL: NEN 1010 via the Bouwbesluit; ES: REBT, RD 842/2002) before submitting — Diaz does not enforce all code requirements automatically.

Watch out

  • 1-phase vs 3-phase mismatch: NL household connections vary — check the meter or contract before sizing. Kitchens with induction hobs or EV-chargers often need 3-phase circuits. Set phase per circuit in the inspector before adding heavy loads — Diaz does not auto-detect the house supply.
  • Circuit-tagging gap: if a socket has no Tag to circuit assignment, it shows up in the BOM but is missing from the cabinet schedule. The export warns about untagged components — fix before submitting.
  • Local regulation always wins: Diaz defaults reflect general practice, not certified compliance. In NL, NEN 1010 is the designated low-voltage standard via the Bouwbesluit. In ES, the REBT (RD 842/2002) is the binding low-voltage regulation; RD 244/2019 only applies if the design includes self-consumption (solar + battery). Always have a licensed electrician sign the design before installation — raadpleeg lokale regelgeving / consulta la normativa local.

Related

Diaz Editor is one-time €99 lifetime for the first 100 founding spots. See the beta page.