kath1968

It was probably 11.59am by the time they installed them, so they'll have just shoved them out of the way then they weren't late for lunch :)

Thanks all. This has nothing to do with plugs. For the odd bits of UK kit we take over which need plugs atm, we just use an adapter, but most of our plugged-in stuff is French. It's the ceiling lights that seem to be the problem. And it's nothing to do with saving a few € on the cost of the lights, as I've spent £1500! When we got the diagnostics they pointed out the old and new wiring which was still wired up to an ancient fusebox. EDF came out and replaced the fusebox and everything bar the old sockets seem to work. It would appear, tho, that the wiring for the lights is still the old stuff. I'll get an electrician over next time we're out and they can have a poke around and make sure we're not going to burn down!

Thanks everyone! I think we'll get new wiring. The ceilings are open beams and the wiring has been chased along the beams and I think it's all in conduit down the walls to the fuse box, so it's not like we'll have to get the house replastered as well. Then presumably once it's been rewired with proper wiring we can have what we want. I'm very grateful to everyone for the advice :)

Thanks both. Is it a big job getting an earth lead fitted? will it mean rewiring the whole house? Just trying to get a handle on whether to send these lights back and see what I can find in France instead, or whether it's worth keeping hold of them and trying to sort the electrics out. They're ceiling lights, btw, not ones that plug in. The plugs bit of the electrics seems to have been re-done recently as there are some defunct plug sockets and old wiring and some new which work. I doubt the lighting circuit has been touched though.

Hi, I've just bought a load of light fittings in the UK to take over to France. Am I going to have to send them all back? They all have 3 wires, whereas our lighting circuit in France appears to only have 2. What, if anything, can I do with the earth? Any help/ advice much appreciated!