Series and Parallel Wiring –Applications, Advantages, and Disadvantages

We see several applications of series and parallel connections in our everyday life. From street lights to homes, we control several appliances using these principles. When two or more loads i.e., anything that consumes electricity are connected in series, to a common switch we can operate them in a single go. For instance, street lights need not be switched on individually but require only a single switch to turn on an array of them.
An application’s circuit consists of more than one battery or load resistance and their functionality depends on how they are connected. The two major connection methods are series and parallel circuits. You can also find a series-parallel connection which is much more complicated than the other two mentioned before.
Series circuit

In series,the current flows in a single path from the first cell to the next and the next one and finally reaches the first completing the circuit.
Series connection Applications
Coming to its applications, fuses are the best example wherethey are in series connection with the device they protect.The other places where you can find series connections commonly are tube filaments in small radios and automatic house heating mechanisms. In heating equipment, the safety cut-outs, electromagnetic coils, and thermostats are all connected in series to the voltage source.

Series Connection Advantages

• When working with series wiring you need less wire cable.
• You can protect the circuit by connecting the circuit breakers and the fuse in series with other
appliances.
• As they offer high resistance with the addition of more load, the series circuit does not easily get
overloaded.
• The series circuit offers a better battery lifespan in comparison to the parallel.
• Since the wiring is simple, detecting and repairing the fault is easier than parallel wiring.
Series Circuit Disadvantages
In a series connection, if any one of the loads has any problem, then the whole system connected will fail. It can be anything like the failure of a single lamp, a break in the wire, or anything that breaks the flow of the circuit. Since the current flows in a single path, an obstruction means all other components connected to it will also stop working.
Another disadvantage to consider is a reduction in voltage when more lights are added, resulting in reduced brightness. When the load increases in a series circuit the voltage drops. Electrical appliances may not handle the voltage drop well and the entire circuit can drop altogether. Also, the current decreases as the resistance increase when you add additional load to the circuit.
From this, we can infer the below things
1. A series connection is an all or none type of wiring. This means either all the loads will work or none of them will work if something is wrong with any one of them.
2. You need to increase the supply voltage when you need to add more load. Say you connect 5 lamps of 220V in series then the supply Voltage required will be 5 x 220V = 1.1kV
You should make sure that all the appliances added in a series circuit should have the same current rating since the current is the same at every point in the series circuit. If you connect devices with different ratings in series, then the operation efficiency is reduced.
Parallel circuit
In a parallel circuit, there is more than one continuous path of current flow from the first component to the other components and back to the first component. The different paths are called branches. Even though you have many paths for current flow the voltage is the same across all components.
Parallel Connection Applications
Parallel connection is used commonly and is the preferred one over the series, especially for commonelectrical applications. The independent operation of each appliance in our homes is possible because of a parallel circuit. Each lamp, fan, or appliance such as a refrigerator iswired parallelly for effective functioning.
Parallel Circuit Advantages
• You can switch on or off a device without affecting another appliance in this process.
• If any appliance is broken, or a lamp is removed then it does not affect the other connected loads and allows their smooth functioning.
• When more lights are added to lighting circuits, then their brightness is not reduced. It is because there is asimilar voltage at every point in the circuit to that of the source voltage.
• You can keep adding more load points as needed taking care, not to overload. Meaning you have scope to add further appliances in the future without reducing functional efficiency.
• In parallel circuits, the resistance decreases with the addition of devices. Especially when appliances with high current ratings are added to the circuit. For instance, electric heaters and air conditioners.
• Parallel wiring is simple, safe, and reliable.

Parallel Connections Disadvantages
• A parallel circuit requires more wiring cable.
• Additional current is required when you want to add more light bulbs.
• In a DC installation, the battery drains out quickly.
• In comparison to series wiring parallel, wiring is complex.
Is parallel connection preferable or series connection?
As one appliance failure leads to the failure of the complete circuit in a series connection, it is not ideal for many scenarios. However, when you aim to protect devices, you can prefer a series connection. For instance, the fuse is burnt when there is a surge in current and stops it from reaching the other connected appliances. Thus, the appliances remain protected since the high current does not pass through them.
As the series connection is all or none, a parallel connection has more advantages over it. The main benefit is you can operate each appliance independently using an individual switch. Also, a parallel connection offers better resistance to current when compared with a series connection.
Parallel connection is prominently found in most electronic devices. Even in a power bank, the cells are all connected in parallel. It is because a parallel connection helps the electric energy to last for a longer period. When connected in series there is high internal resistance where some of the energy is expendedin overcoming it. This does not happen when connected in parallelwhere you get to use maximum energy.Hence the parallel connection gets a little more preference over a series connection.