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meter tails


Gyn_Paul

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What are the requirements for enclosing the 10mm or 16mm phase and neutral where EDF's tableau is on one side of a doorway and the proposed boite de distribution is on the other?

If behind plasterboard, can they go in large gaines?

If surface mounted can they share wide trunking with cables going from the boite or must they be separate?

Given that the existing just-post-war 3-phase cabling is little better than 'wires stapled to the woodwork',  almost anything would be an improvement!

EDF (who now, it seems, charge for anything and everything) will turn up shortly to replace the meter, breaker, and change the supply to single phase, and the owner is keen to prep the installation in readyness.

p

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My installation passed Consuel one year ago, my book is going to be returned to me by my friend this lunchtime so I cant access the normes at the moment so will work from memory.

My incoming 16mm meter tails (for want of a better word) are not in a gaine and run down to the tableau in the same goulotte as the other gaines.

I did however use a section of gaine where the cables went through cloisons or walls, for the life of me I cannot remember whether they only had to be in gaine at that point or I was trying to give the illusion that they were in gain for the whole inaccessible length.

So I am confident that they can share a goulotte without gaine and uncertain about behind the plasterboard, realistically speaking unless you can use 90mm gaine with lazy bends behind the plasterboard you would not be able to change te cables at a later date as is the intention of the norme as they are far too rigid. Also the EDF guy will either not look at anything as the house already has a supply or will demand a Consuel certificate if it is a new installation or complete rewire, in nay case it would be the Consuel guy you would need to satisfy not the EDF fitter.

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"....in any case it would be the Consuel guy you would need to satisfy not the EDF fitter."

Well yes,  I agree. I was simply passing on the question from a colleague.  My impression is that most hard-pressed EDF engineers would replace a meter to an existing, working system even if it comprised bare wires on porcelain insulators!

I had suggested to him he builds a sort of architrave of trunking up, across the top, and down the other side of the doorway, but then had an awful thought that it might be required to be in gaines of some sort.

Having had a little experience of persuading 16mm tails up the back and over the top of a boite de distribution, I would view with some scepticism the suggestion that they could be pulled through a gaine of any diameter without a good deal of pain and some tears.

thanks for racking your brains, JR

p

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[quote user="Gyn_Paul"]"  My impression is that most hard-pressed EDF engineers would replace a meter to an existing, working system even if it comprised bare wires on porcelain insulators!


[/quote]

That is exactly what they did in my main building I posted some pictures some time ago under the heading "scary electrics"

I still have the largely bare wires (original canvas insulation long since rotted away) on porcelain insulators although thankfully I have moved into the consuel approved converted outbuildings and only use the main building as my workshop.

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My book (returned lunchtime) shows several examples of moulures (semi-encastrée) passing above a doorway, i.e; like an extended architrave, it also shows some examples of gains passing 1/2 way above a door before going upward to join the others crossing under the ceiling.

It also shows that the gain can cross under the floor across the doorway but must be staggered back to avoid fixings for a barre de seuil.

I could not afford to buy les normes so am relying on a book which was probably already out of date when it was printed, I would normally rely on you Nick for any confirmation[:)].

Whether or not it is contrary to the normes I agree that it is best practice to avoid running a hidden gain above a door and would suggest that the poster uses a moulure or goulotte that is clearly carrying conductors rather than trying to disguise it as an architrave.

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Another point about meter tails.

The French electrical philosophy is that everything should be double insulated i.e cable (which is inherently double insulated) or single conductor inside gaine or moulure. UK meter tails are double insulated, they're like single conductor cable with an inner (colour coded) layer and an outer (grey) layer. French single conductor is only a single layer, so would have to be inside gaine or moulure. I have 16mm single conductors inside gaine, and yup I had a lot of bad language connecting it up ....

Also anything that is buried or not accessible HAS to be in gaine....

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[quote user="Nick Trollope"]Isn't passing cables above a door (and below the ceiling) - any cables - strictly interdit?

[/quote]

Why, exactly? - I've got FIVE doors here with cables passing up, across and down in one form or another, and I doubt I'm the only one.

p

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I am converting  a Cave and was intending to use studded delta membrane on walls then cast slab up to the back of the vertical dpm so allowing condensation from the wall to migrate to ground, prior to tanking slab insulating and screeding.

Question is it ok to run gaine between the montants and rails forming the stud walls to conceal wiring dropping from the ceiling void (these cables will likewise be tubed) do I need access elbows at wall ceiling junctions?

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