Question for the sparky's out there - Using English light bulbs in France - 50hz/60hz question

[HoneySuckleDreams]

The electrician we had doing some work raised an interesting issue when he saw me changing a light bulb.

He noted that I was English GU10 bulbs and said that they never lasted as they weren't capable of dealing with the different frequency that the french electrics work on. (I don't normally buy english bulbs as i don't go back to blighty that often, but I had bought a box of tesco GU10 bulbs at a remarkably low price last year).

Can someone with someone knowledge clarify this? (non-geek would be appreciated). I just didn't think it was an issue.

Or is he just talking boules

If there is a marked difference between the delivered frequency of the electricity, would this effect other stuff? e.g. laptops, record turntables (yes..I still have some vinyl), TV screens etc...

Much obliged

 

[Clarkkent]

Are you sure he is a qualified electrician?

 

To all intents and purposes the UK and French electricity supplies are identical: 220-240v, 50Hz.

If he is French he may be so insular as to believe that the UK is so under the influence of the USA that it uses 110v 60Hz!

Virtually any UK sourced domestic electrical equipment will work in France - the only significant difference is the plug.

[NickP]

I buy all my electronic equipment in the UK for pure financial reasons, I have had GU10 bulbs in our French home for years; no problems. Your French spark is the same breed as the guy who when asked to repair something in the UK suck their teeth and say ooh that'll cost you. And you know that if you use them it most certainly will. Ignore him !

[AnOther]

Considering that they'll all come out of the same factories in China or wherever, do you suppose he imagines that they have different production lines for France and UK (and Germany, Holland, Spain, blah blah blah) [blink]

Significant frequency variations can certainly damage electronic equipment however it will be very tightly controlled, probably within +/- 0.5Hz, with maximum transients variations of perhaps +/- 1HZ s at the very outside, plus simple light bulbs hardly fall into the 'electronic equipment' category.

[Will]

It is indeed complete and utter couilles.

You have to ask yourself whether the electrician you are using is a clown, an ignoramus or a con man.

[HoneySuckleDreams]

[quote user="Will"]It is indeed complete and utter couilles.

You have to ask yourself whether the electrician you are using is a clown, an ignoramus or a con man.

[/quote]

 

I now feel embarrassed I had to ask the question. 

 

Yes an ignoramus more than anything else. i.e. it's not bought in France/not French so It can't possibly work.

They (and this is a generalisation, but based on my own experience) can't think outside the box. It sadly goes for plumbers/car maintenance/washing machine repair guys as well. 

[pachapapa]

[quote user="crazyfrog"]

[quote user="Will"]It is indeed complete and utter couilles.

You have to ask yourself whether the electrician you are using is a clown, an ignoramus or a con man.

[/quote]

 

I now feel embarrassed I had to ask the question. 

 

Yes an ignoramus more than anything else. i.e. it's not bought in France/not French so It can't possibly work.

They (and this is a generalisation, but based on my own experience) can't think outside the box. It sadly goes for plumbers/car maintenance/washing machine repair guys as well. 

[/quote]

In future get free advice from a barrack room lawyer.[;-)]

[Will]

I think you are right - it's probably a case of 'if it's not French then it can't work in France'. Regardless of the fact that, as previously mentioned, consumable items like light bulbs are all made in China anyway.

Could this be a pointer to why light bulbs, particularly low-energy ones, are so expensive in France?

In all seriousness, if an electrician doesn't know that all of Europe uses the same 230V 50Hz supply, or if he believes his customers may not know this, it doesn't fill one with confidence.

And am I alone in having found this site so slow earlier this morning that it was impossible to edit an earlier post that didn't read quite how I wanted it to?

 

[Owens88]

'In all seriousness, if an electrician doesn't know that all of Europe uses the same 230V 50Hz supply, or if he believes his customers may not'

But don't forget that in the UK we boldly regard our supply as 240 volt not 230.

The answer is in the small print. The specs are written with such a degree of flexibility they could have been written by somebody practicing for the banking regulations. The bottom of the UK spec matches the top of the french so in theory we all have the same.

In practice French 'leccy' is very variable. In my village the 'pression' (I think that is the word - dangerously close to beer!) varies over the year.

I have even been known to complain and get EDF to send a man out !

SO there might be more to what a local says than we think.

J

[Will]

Not wishing to get into a pedantic argument but in the UK, as in the rest of Europe, the nominal mains voltage is 230V. This has been the case since 1995, but still the old 'UK 240V, France 220V' myth persists.

In order to ease harmonisation, in 2003 the tolerances on the 230V supply were set at +10% -6% for 11 European countries that previously used the higher nominal voltage and at +6% -10% for 13 or so countries that were previously on the lower voltage. As from 2008, all were supposed to standardise on 230V ±10% (originally planned for 2003), but this has been postponed indefinitely. However, there was talk of UK adopting the wider tolerances from this year.

So there is a tiny grain of truth behind what the electrician says, but only as far as voltage is concerned, not frequency. And to all intents and purposes the voltage is the same throughout Europe.

No, I am not an electrician, but I did spend some time working as editor of a trade magazine in the power generation industry.

[powerdesal]

Voltage variations do happen, out of spec voltages occur more often than people lnow - on a local level. Frequency variations are really minimal, possibly in a high demand + low generation availability situation but that's rare and minimised by the power companies.

Frequency variation is not something that power generation engineers want to see.

Low frequency excursions can lead to under frequency load shedding and that is avoided unless in an emergency situation.

extreme frequency variations lead to generator problems and serious system control issues.

Modern power station governor control systems are very accurate. (the speed of the generator dictates the frequency, ie 3000 rpm = 50 hz on a conventional generator.) Modern generator governors operate with a ''droop control'' conventionally and adjust the fuel / steam input to maintain speed (frequency)

[WendyG]

Hi everyone

I have been using nothing but light bulbs and strip lights purchased in the UK for the last 10 years.  There has not been any noticeable difference so far. Hate the new low voltage ones but they seem also to be ok and much cheaper than in France.

WendyG