Nice Light Switches

[Gluestick]

25 Kg load (tension) eh?

Well, looks like a winner to support the pole for one's pole dancing kit! (25 Kgs lateral sheer load is.............................oh, can't be bothered to actually work it out, today![blink]).

And before any member thinks I have - finally - gone loopy, I note that my last but one Makro Mail offers included just this indispensible bit of kit, suggesting that Pole Dancing was an excellent cardio-vascular workout.

Also, flicking through a GUS catalogue in a client's office the other day, I notice that they also are selling a similar set..................

So for all you blokes out there, when you are late home from a Christmas run-up night out with the boys, the noveau excuse just has to be "No, Darling! We were watching an exhibition of a young lady doing cardio-vascular exercises, actually!" [;-)]

 

[toffeeman]

Problem is, a UK rose is suited to the UK wiring system, where the light circuit is part of a ring

The above statement is wholly inaccurate .  In twenty years working in UK and France I have yet to come across a lighting ring . A lighting circuit is infact a basic radial circuit .

A ring circuit is where the cabling loops into every point and starts and finishes within the distribution board . ( in the UK these are called Final Ring circuits and are used for sockets only. )

A lighting circuit loops into every point but with no return leg to the distribution unit . The loop in sytem commonly called a three plate system can be either to the light point or switch position or a combination of the two methods .

With regard to the NF/CE issue , we have used accessories only marked CE for many years with absolutely no comment from any inspector (promo). We have also used an MK  distribution board in the past , countless UK sourced lightswitches and never ever had an adverse comment . We have been told that as long as your property has an RCD controlling all circuits and earth testing is provable , and the right kva rating on MCB/RCBO is also provable your house insurance is not invalidated by using items sourced outside of France . We had to fit Italian light fittings for one customer and got our facts checked out first . We also were present inspection took place .We actually handed over a copy of the full test results ...far far more than we have seen from some others .

We welcome the day when electrical testing and registration comes to France as in Part P in the UK as it will weed out the chancers, the DIY experts , and the self taught "know it alls" who would not know what ZE, ZS , R1 + R2, KVA  where even if it bit them . Have yet to see another French contractor actually test an earth stake , most just bang it in and hope !!!  How do they know what KVA rated breakers to use ?  and so on and so on .....

lighting rings ...............still laughing out loud !!

 

 

 

 

[toffeeman]

Found this on another Forum , so have borrowed it ................

 

Copied from EU site .....

The letters "CE" are the abbreviation of French phrase "Conformité Européene" which literally means "European Conformity". The term initially used was "EC Mark" and it was officially replaced by "CE Marking" in the Directive 93/68/EEC in 1993.

CE Marking on a product is a manufacturer's declaration that the product complies with the essential requirements of the relevant European health, safety and environmental protection legislation, in practice by many of the so-called Product Directives.*
*Product Directives contains the "essential requirements" and/or "performance levels" and "Harmonized Standards" to which the products must conform. Harmonized Standards are the technical specifications (European Standards or Harmonization Documents) which are established by several European standards agencies (CEN, CENELEC, etc).

CEN stands for European Committee for Standardization.
CENELEC stands for European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization.
CE Marking on a product indicates to governmental officials that the product may be legally placed on the market in their country.
CE Marking on a product ensures the free movement of the product within the EFTA & European Union (EU) single market (total 28 countries), and
CE Marking on a product permits the withdrawal of the non-conforming products by customs and enforcement/vigilance authorities.


to summize ....
Therefore since 2003 the CE mark overides all individual countries standards mark .
Any European product marked CE can be used in any of the 28 EU countries .
France is hardly going to ignore this European rule since it seems to be in the French language.

Personally ...we have always used CE marked goods and always will , If you can find something official in writing or a French official stating that CE is not good enough we could present them to the European courts and perhaps they could explain why they are doing so three years after the ruling was made .

Its quite simple .......provide written evidence that the CE mark is not god enough for France and we can take the matter up with Brussels or else just accept the current European rules or use the democratic process to change them back

[Chancer]

Well Toffeeman I can think of one example where I am sure that you would agree that a C.E. marked product would and should not be acceptable on a Consuel inspection.

I could have used UK sourced circuit breakers in my tableau, they are C.E. marked and would fit on the DIN rail, but crucially only isolate the phase and not the neutre, i.e. they are single but not double pole. Therefore they could never carry the N.F. mark.

I use some fantastic single module DIN rail 7 day timers in the UK thay cost about 7 quid again CE marked but only single pole, I would really like to use them here but only on my own installation and again after Consuel.

In my experience of  running my company installing automation and access control equipment in the UK for 12 years up to 2004, when CE marking came in it cost many "proper" manufacturers shed loads of cash to pay for independant testing as required to verify conformity, the others just carried on importing from China and stuck on C.E. labels, their products were invariably the least reliable.

Very soon most manufacturers realised how naive they had been and instead adopted the "we'll just stick on or mould in C.E. markings" and forget all about the old British standards.

If you are wealthy enough to own a copy of the French normes than you will find an explanation as to why they require N.F. over C.E. marking, I only wish that the UK did the same.

Back to the question of ceiling roses, if the inspector were to fail them it would be for the lack of a DCL socket before getting into the argument of N.F. versus C.E.

[HoneySuckleDreams]

Thank you everyone for your input into this... can of worms springs to mind!

Going back to basics...  Do you actually need to have a Conseul inspection? As i am renovating and not building from new. 

If not... does it matter if NF isn't stamped on the light switches?  I am running earths to all light switches anyway, just in case I fit any metal fittings rather than plastic. All plug sockets will have to be sourced in France, and I assume, stamped NF, and I'm going to fit some "british" 3 pin plug sockets (sourced from Legrand) for the stuff, like hairdryers that I can't be bothered changing the plugs on (and for visitors mobile phone chargers).  I'm starting to think that... to hell with it... and fit things I like and argue the toss that I've actually spent more care and attention in rewiring the place than the original electricians did.  And if I ever sell up/leave, to fit the shonky brico white plastic stuff as a leaving present.

[Gluestick]

We've discussed this one before!

You don't actually need an inspection, since you are already connected to the main.

However, it may be a good idea for the future, as a buyer may well insist on sight of a certificate.

Whilst this has not been a common occurence, possibly with the new regulations it may well become more common.

Additionally, some doubt has been expressed by members on the old thorny subject of insurance!

If you were to experience a fire and had no certificate to prove compliance, then in theory, the underwriters might repudiate cover.

I suppose it would always be possible to tell them that........................the certificate was incinerated in the conflagration! [;-)]

 

[krusty]

Reviving an old thread , nobody got round to answering the question "nice light switches"

Now we are a few years on , is it now possible to buy nice light switches in France.

This link is what I would like.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/DESIGNER-CHROME-TOUCH-SWITCH-DIMMER/dp/B000W9G5FS