Re-wiring (again)

[Delboy]

I am aware from posts on this forum about the differences between French and UK wiring cabling standards (different cable, double-pole swithcing, radial networks etc), but just caught the tail-end of a tv prog the other night about renovating a place in France.

This house had been re-wired, and all the cables running above the ceiling were in individual soft conduits, ie what looked flexible plastic tubing about 20mm diameter. This may have been explained earlier in the prog, but I missed most of it.

What, if any, are the regs in France concerning conduits for cables - are they mandatory?

Thanks to all for a very informative and at times amusing forum.

DB

[Joh]

>all the cables running above
>the ceiling were in individual
>soft conduits, ie what looked
>flexible plastic tubing about 20mm
>diameter.>

One word answer, Souris.
Terry

[Moulin]

Cables should always be run in either Conduit (rigid or flexible) or Trunking and flexible conduit is the easy option in areas where cosmetic appearance does not matter. In the uk most wiring is run above the ceiling in 3-core cable and drops either go up or down from there, in France it is usual to run wiring under floor, laying conduit before the concrete base is poured.
The conduit system has a big advantage over the uk in that re-wiring is easy, just pull out the old cores and pull in the new, the same applies to additional wires.
If you are doing a total rewire always use the largest diameter conduit possible, use large radius bends and do not over crowd it. Run 2 or more conduits if necessary. Then when you pull the cables in always put in an extra core that can be used as a pull-wire to install an additional supply at a latter date if required. When you are limited to the number of outlets you can have on one supply a little pre-planning can save a great deal of future agro.
I have mailed you a copy of the French regs. I obtained from a recent Legrand catalogue, hope you find them useful.

Stuart.