Jump to content
Complete France Forum

Electrical wiring systems


rands

Recommended Posts

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

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

[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

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

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

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

[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

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

[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

[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

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

[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

[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

Hi there Dave

I 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

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...