rands Posted September 18, 2005 Share Posted September 18, 2005 Could anyone inform us of how to find out about the electrical wiring requirements in France?We have a friend who is an electrician in the Uk and would like to find out more about the French system in order to help us.any advice would be most appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcazar Posted September 18, 2005 Share Posted September 18, 2005 I'd recommend two books, both available from Leclerc amongst other places, both for a nominal sum, both simly written, easy to understand even to a non-French speaker, and both full of all the norms:L'Electricite Pas a Pas, and Maitriser L'Electricite.Loads of diagrams, and charts with number of sockets, lights etc per circuit, and size of fuse/mcb etc.The basic MAIN differences seem to be:1. No ring main in France.2. All mcb's are DOUBLE pole.3. There are two types of RCD in common usage.4. They were before us in using only BLUE for neutral, and green/yellow for earth, with any colour for live EXCEPT those two, but mainly red or black. Red now seems to be the norm, but other colours exist for two way switching etc.5. There are LOADS of rules for number of cables per conduit, number of sockets per spur, etc etc, all detailed in both books.Alcazar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave&Olive Posted September 18, 2005 Share Posted September 18, 2005 hi just a word of caution do not belive in 4 above ,will not go into details but the french will use any colour wire they want even green/yellow for live so be carefull . dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkon Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 [quote]hi just a word of caution do not belive in 4 above ,will not go into details but the french will use any colour wire they want even green/yellow for live so be carefull . dave[/quote]I believe that a lot of people will want you to go into details on such an important point!Please let us know what you are not telling us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcazar Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 Yes, please do.You are surely not saying it goes on, AND IS ACCEPTABLE?I have to say that when I replaced my old (sigle fuse) fuseboard with a modern tableau, both live and neutral wires were coloured BLUE. But it wouldn't pass any insapection, would it? And it would be good grounds for refusal of an insurance claim too.Alcazar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Trollope Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 I don't think that "the French" or "the English" are more likely to do the job wrong or badly than each other or any other section of society. The unfortunate fact of the matter is that electrical wiring is far more complicated than Alcazar's 4 points - if you don't know how to do it, then call a pro. And if you have to ask, then, IMHO you can't do it.Electricity balls-ups aren't like decorative balls-ups. In the worst case, you are going to loose your life or your property or your liberty.Get a pro. And I mean a French Pro - someone registered in France who knows the French system, which is completely different from the UK one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VJ Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 Rands A well qualified english Electrician with one of the the books mentioned applying their professional know how will have no problems at all in wiring a French house with correct circuitry and necessary protection.After all who would try to strangle more than the correct amount of cables up a flexible conduit?Who would not apply the installation conditions for cables installed in conduits and the permitted amperages allowed.?Who would not work out the earth loop impedance to see if the RCD will trip.and fit the correct ones per circuits and to ALL european standards ?Who would not run a continuity test on all circuits and work out max voltage drops.?Who would not carry out all necessary cross bonding?Who would not be extremely careful when putting flexible conduits in metal stud walls so that the Tacking plasterer does not screw through them? Who would not put in the Correct outlet for washing machine or dish washer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkon Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 [quote]I don't think that "the French" or "the English" are more likely to do the job wrong or badly than each other or any other section of society. The unfortunate fact of the matter is that electrical wir...[/quote]There you go all you UK electricians, you can't work on the French system, Nick Trollope says so! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Trollope Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 [quote]There you go all you UK electricians, you can't work on the French system, Nick Trollope says so![/quote]Piss off! I never said that. If you have nothing useful to say, say nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Trollope Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 [quote]Rands A well qualified english Electrician with one of the the books mentioned applying their professional know how will have no problems at all in wiring a French house with correct circuitry and nec...[/quote]This bit quite true, but what the f*** does the rest mean? Who is who?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave&Olive Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 Christ nick first time Iv`e seen you loose it, good on you .. just been up to a mates house in chiche he`s had his house rewired by a pro uk lecky .... my god it`s a death trap .3x3core downn a gain, i am not a lecky but I can read a book.what do I say to him ???he thinks his mate has done a quote "brilliant job " dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkon Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 [quote]Piss off! I never said that. If you have nothing useful to say, say nothing.[/quote]You should read your own posting again. I'm sure that you know you were saying that because you have descended to the level of swearing and insults which means that you have no real argument to put forward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restanza Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 [quote]You should read your own posting again. I'm sure that you know you were saying that because you have descended to the level of swearing and insults which means that you have no real argument to put ...[/quote]Well said. I got the same impression as you! It's worth repeating: "There you go all you UK electricians, you can't work on the French system, Nick Trollope says so!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VJ Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 Nick Who is the question and indeed who would not And reading on oooohhhhhhhhhh errrrrrrrrrrrrr hand bags at 3 paces And Dave as I said before there are Pro's and Pro's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcazar Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 Just to get this back on track, I'd like to add that my four points were meant to be a "heads up" and not the be all and end all of French vs British wiring. They just seem to me to be the four major points, although as stated elsewhere, there are numerous others.Perhaps we need "Plato comes home" to come back and set us all straight ?Alcazar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave&Olive Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 hi I also see Monty- Python is being repeated on BBC 3ANYONE FOR AN ARGUEMENT also brings back memories of breaker breaker 19 windups from the 80`s ,breaker breaker 19 for the ruptured duckquack quack dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkon Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 [quote]I believe that a lot of people will want you to go into details on such an important point! Please let us know what you are not telling us.[/quote]Dave&Olive, I am still awaiting an answer to my query - do you not have the details I asked for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave&Olive Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 [quote]Yes, please do. You are surely not saying it goes on, AND IS ACCEPTABLE? I have to say that when I replaced my old (sigle fuse) fuseboard with a modern tableau, both live and neutral wires were colo...[/quote]hi ok boring details we have tri phase supply to our wreck, phase 1 is blue, phase 2 is green/yellow( with a hint of brown tape around it)phase 3 is green. n.. is red . and earth is well i`ve just put the earth rod in the sand filtre before I back fill , should get an epic reading on that when the water reaches the bottom.. dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ty Korrigan Posted September 22, 2005 Share Posted September 22, 2005 Hello, Dave and Olive..3x3core down a gaine is dangerous... Why? I feel your postings often lack the full picture... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave&Olive Posted September 22, 2005 Share Posted September 22, 2005 [quote]Hello, Dave and Olive.. 3x3core down a gaine is dangerous... Why? I feel your postings often lack the full picture...[/quote]hi if you donot understand why..... I donot think you should mess with electric...... dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bejay Posted September 23, 2005 Share Posted September 23, 2005 Hi there DaveI have to say that I agree with Ty. I struggle to see why 3 core cable (do you mean UK twin and earth or cable rigide) down a gaine should create an electrical death trap. If you mean that using UK twin and earth in a french system is a very foolish for regulatory reasons then I entirely agree but it just not the same problem and the two are best not conflated.bejay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave&Olive Posted September 23, 2005 Share Posted September 23, 2005 hi read the post I did not say 3 core I said quote 3x3core read the book or stay away from it . you cannot smell it , you cannot see it, you cannot taste it, but it kills !!!!!!! dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bejay Posted September 25, 2005 Share Posted September 25, 2005 OK 3x3core down a gaine. I just wondered why you thought this would create a death trap because I cant see it at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ty Korrigan Posted September 25, 2005 Share Posted September 25, 2005 Hello, why are you being so weird with your responses Dave...?My family in the U.K have several electricians who couldn't give reasons why not...Just tell us chap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ty Korrigan Posted September 25, 2005 Share Posted September 25, 2005 Earthing rods in sand filters... must be a precedent? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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