Badger LX

See my previous post. Your new installation requires an inspection by CONSUEL before EDF (or whichever supplier you choose) can make your new supply live. This assumes you already have the "branchement" in place. Normally if doing a full rewire that requires a new supply an electrician would arrange the inspection & be present to explain/fix anything untoward at the time in order to avoid a costly re-inspection. At least, that's what I always do.

ERDF/EDF do not inspect electrical installations. You can apply at any time to have a "branchement definitive" created, i.e. having all the necessary overhead &/or underground works done by ERDF (not EDF, please note). In order to make such a supply permanently live EDF (or whichever supplier you choose) will require an "Attestation de Conformité" from CONSUEL (http://www.consuel.com), who are the only people approved to carry out this task. Such an inspection & certificate cannot be issued until the installation in your property is complete. As a stop gap you can have a temporary meter for up to a year in order to carry out building works.

Just be aware that the catch on the plug is not designed to take any weight, it's just there to retain the plug. The flex of the pendant should have come with a plastic tab arrangement that allows it to be attached onto the hook of the DCL, which (if properly installed) is rated to take up to 25kg. The whole affair is then hidden by the shroud supplied with the pendant set. I'd ignore the maximum cable length suggestion & do what you want. The short length is probably to ensure that the shade is above head height when hung from a standard ceiling, & therefore avoid litigation......

The colour of the back boxes will be that of the make/type you chose to use. There is no requirement for any particular colour for any back box. Equally there is no actual requirement to use a particular colour of gaine, apart from underground use. Do please note that communications cables must now be run in 25mm diameter gaine (but you may put two inside one gaine) - this is despite the fact that you can still buy pre-filled phone/comms gaine in green 20mm diameter....... Inverted "T" sockets have been non-regulatory since January 2008 so, yes. everything is RJ45 now.

EDF's "tarif bleu", which is the one most/all private premises would be on, goes up to a capacity of of 18kVA/90Amps single phase (monophasé), or 36kVA (12kVA/60Amps x 3) for three phase (triphasé). So, 15kVA is not classed as commercial. This maximum does depend on local coditons & may not be possible where you are. You don't mention what supply size you are on, or if it's single or three phase. You may not need to increase your supply size at all, depending on how you use the premises. Normally applying for a supply size increase is straight forward, as all that is required is a change to the rating of the main "disjoncteur d'abonné & a reprogramming of the digital meter, if you have one. However, there can sometimes be issues with older supply cabling (usually the last bit entering the house that didn't get changed when the overhead line was renewed...), but that is ERDF's problem, not yours, & should be changed for free. Talking of digital meters; if you have one & wish to see the maximum currant (Amps) that has been drawn since the meter was reset then push the top button of the two on the front of the meter until you get to option 5. You will see a figure such as "32A" - this is the highest amount of current you have drawn on that meter. If you have a 9kVA/45Amp supply then you still have plenty of headroom with that figure, but if you only have a 6kVA/30Amp one then you are lucky not to have tripped the supply yet (there's a bit of leeway with the settings of about 10%). If you have a three-phase supply then you need to press the lower button after you've got to option 5 in order to check the maximum draw on each phase - an overload on any one of the phases will trip the whole supply, regardless of whether the overall load is within your total supply capacity. There's more about that here.

It's no longer common practice to use PTT type cable to run the various "prises de communication". Use Cat5e network cable as a minimum to RJ45 type sockets, with all cores connected - how the system then works is up to what you do/spend back at the central "coffret de communication". You can opt to be very basic at that point but at least the wiring is in place to make a better network later on. Don't forget that it is now "au norme" to run comms cables in 25mm diamter ICTA conduit/gaine, but you can run two inside such a size (or a coax & a Cat5e/6). I've written more about it here.

This is a boring answer, but the only way you are going to know properly (as opposed to internet forum guesswork....) is to get a competent electrician to have a look. You'll then know if it's an installation issue or if the chaps at ERDF are to blame...... However, for what's it's worth, I'm guessing you have a bad/loose neutral connection somewhere.

I'm pasting in an article I've written previously: There is often confusion &/or denial about the requirements for TV & telephone (PTT) outlets here in France. Hopefully what follows will clarify things. French domestic wiring regulations (NF C 15-100) specifies certain minimum amounts of power sockets, lights, communications outlets (TV & phone points) etc. These minimums apply to new builds & total rewires of existing property if they are to comply with regulations in force at the time of inspection*. The normes specify that there should be a "prise de communication" (deemed to be an RJ45 type socket) in all "pièces principal". So, that means that all obvious rooms such as lounges, dining rooms, bedrooms, studies, etc. (plus the kitchen) need to have one, with the minimum total being two (for a small apartment I guess). However, this is not to be misinterpreted to mean that all rooms need both a TV & a phone/communications point. This is because a "prise de communication" is ultimately intended to supply all communications needs from the one outlet i.e. phone, computer network/internet & TV signals. How this works is the subject of another posting, but if the cabling used for these outlets isn't up to the necessary standard to take the higher frequencies required for terrestrial TV &/or satellite TV signals it will still be necessary to install TV outlets ("prises de type coaxial") where they are required. As you'd expect, there is a minimum specification for this, being: Two coaxial outlets for accommodation up to to 100m² habitable area. Three coaxial outlets for accommodation over 100m² habitable area. A place with under 35m² habitable area is allowed to get away with only one TV outlet. All communications outlets need to be placed adjacent to a power outlet to allow easy connection of associated equipment i.e. cordless phone base stations, answering machines, computers etc. The same principle applies to TV outlets if they are in separate locations. Don't forget if you wish to record from satellite TV whilst watching a different channel you will need to have two dish feeds installed to your receiving equipment. To up date all that: As of 31/07/2010 the most basic "coffret de communciation" must have all "prises de communication" terminated in a female RJ45 which is then patched to the phone splitter with "cordons de brassage" (short Cat5/6 patch leads). If you are going to that trouble it's probably better to invest in a bit more than the basic box & have one that includes the obligatory 2 x 16A sockets, plus there's usually space to house your ADSL box/modem/router too.

The current rate for renovation works (5,5%) is in place until midnight 31/12/2010 - in other words "until 2011". I've not seen any mention of an extension beyond that as yet. Assuming that is what this posting means, what is your source?

[quote user="Chancer"] Jonathan. Hope that I have spelt your name right! - Correct, thanks. At the moment in my ignorance I have seperate gaines with telephone cable and coax to each of the required areas which I now intend to replace with cat5 cabling, RJ45 sockets and make an up to date coffret de communications, my concern is that I may not be able to pull cat5 cabling through the exiting gaines (some of the runs are tortuous) I dont want to have to rip out all the placo, its a loft conversion so sloping ceilings and combles perdu. Plus the gaines are 20mm not 25mm, I filled my own but I am pretty sure that the préfilé telephone cable came in a 20mm gaine My question is, if I do find myself stuck would what I have be acceptable to Consuel given that a permis de construire is not in operation? [/quote] There's 'nowt wrong with using the older cabling, it's just better not to as you may suffer from interference to data signals due to the lack of screening (but old analogue phone signals won't care). In other words you can just use RJ45 for the phone outlets, on the old type cabling, & you keep the coax where you require TV outputs as the "data" cabling you have won't deal with such. Isn't it strange that you can still buy prefilled green comms gaine in 20mm diameter....? Regarding the debate about Brico Depot cheapo coffrets de communication; since 31/07/2010 (when the latest amendment to the normes came into effect) it is obligatory to fit the more advanced kind of comms distribution for installations in places where a permis de constuire is deposited after that date, or where a devis is accepted for a new installation after that date. As already mentioned these now require a manually patchable system within in them, using short RJ45 "cordons de brassage" between the input & output sockets. This becomes a big subject especially when you start merging TV &/or satellite signals into the mix as well.

DTI = Dispositif de Terminaison Intérieur. It is, as others have said, a master socket that disconnects the installation wiring from the supply wiring thus making the 'phone engineer's job a lot easier when finding what (or who!) is at fault. Slowly shops are selling 'phones with RJ45 plugs fitted, & they tend to be supplied with an adaptor to the old inverted "T" type. The new type socket is supposed to have been fitted in all places where the permis de constuire was applied for after 01/01/2008. Regardless of that I now fit RJ45 outlets & Cat5e cables as a matter of course, unless a higher grade is specified.

Quote: P.S. The consuel inspector did request that I earthed the din rail in my DIY coffret de communications. I have a few supplementary questions: Does telephone and coax cable really have to go in 25mm gaine or only when it is shared? I now understand, and correct me if I am wrong that the cabling to all the telephone, television etc RJ45 sockets should be CAT5, this is I believe so that one can change the function via the barette de brassage so I will have to change some of the cables that I have already run, what about the incoming ones from the FT box on the external wall to the DTI, should they be or would they benefit from being CAT5? Final question have there been any other significant changes to the NFC 1500 -01 in the last couple of years?" End quote. Are you sure he meant the DIN rail? They expect the earth bar to be connected, but I've never heard about the DIN rail being earthed. Yep, all comms wiring now uses 25mm gaine. If you are only going for a Grade 1 comms installation then you can still use old PTT type cabling (unscreened twisted pairs), but this limits its usefulness. Given that Cat5e is as cheap as makes no difference it's better to use that, or better, anyway. Until you get to Grade 3 systems there is still a requirement to have separate coax runs for TV distribution. There's no advantage in changing the cabling pre-DTI. There were several updates & changes to the normes effective at the end of this past July. The changes are all indicated in the most recent edition (25th) of "Locaux d'Habitation" available from Promotelec.

I did all the plumbing work myself but talked with the French guy who did all the terrassement for the fosse & rainwater drainage. He knew how I was having to run the waste pipes & never said it was an issue to have them outside, but to be aware of the possibility of freezing. Yes, it will all be boxed in eventually, unless I re-route the whole lot in the light of changes of mind inside the house.......

Mine had to be, but will be covered eventually. Currently they are painted, for reasons already given....

Aesthetics & regulations aside, the problem with standard grey waste pipe being outside is that it isn't UV proof (unlike the UK grey stuff) & therefore will need painting to prevent it going brittle & eventually cracking.

Yes; âme rigid (H07V-R) is multi-stranded, but with rigid strands - âme souple (H07V-K) has more, finer, strands & is more like flex (& is more expensive). The information you have seen is the norme for what is available in France. One very good reason not to use H07V-R or K for installations is that it isn't compatible with the modern push fit connections (bournes de conexion rapide/automatique) now being used by all the quality accessory manufacturers. I for one don't miss the need to fiddle with unreliable screw termnals that much any more, & the time they save is marvellous.