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electrical panic...help please


P.Shute

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Hello I am about to have my test for my certificate of conformity...

Everything from the consumer unit to the sockets lights etc in the house is ready but can someone tell me what size cable should be between the counter/meter and the consumer unit... Is it 10 mm2??

I am running mono phase but I cant seem to find any green, blue and red 10mm2 cable. Do I use a 3 phase cable and use only the three I need?

Or is this part of the system not required for the certificate???

many thanks

phil

Test on Wedsnesday.
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We have only live and neutral from the EDF box. Sorry but cannot remember if it is 10 or 16 - is this dependent on power rating though ?

When CONSUEL checked us he did not seem to look too closely at this part of the system, maybe because it was in a big fat conduit !! Most of his time was spent checking the earths, almost every socket. We only had 2 small failures, wrong type of ceiling light near shower (removal was easier for us than changing) and we had to put a cut out switch on the 1st floor where we live - the electrics are all in sous-sol with no internal stairs. I just faxed a form saying we had done the necessary and we received cert by return, no follow up visit.

For big cable you may have to go to a trade electrical supplier rather than M. Brico - they will tell you what size you need.

Best of luck

John

not

 

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Paul will probably know better than I, but...

You will not be allowed to connect to the meter. There should be a disconjuncteur after the meter, for you to connect to...

The diameter of the cable depends on the load. It's easy to use the largest you can fit and as it does not include an earth, either a piece of 2-core cable or 2 wires in gaine will do. How far apart are the meter & tableau?

To get a CONSUEL certificate, then the system must be finished to a certain standard...

 

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Nick is technically correct, but I think the original poster meant the connection to the disjoncteur as the EDF meter is sealed anyway. The customer is allowed to connect to the load (outgoing side), of the EDf disjoncteur. For single phase the colour for neutral is light blue only. The colour for the phase conductor is black or red, usually but oother colours could be used, as long as it is not blue or green or green/yellow.

Sizes (monophase) should be 10mm for up to 45A (9KW), 16mm up to 60A (12KW), and 25mm for 90A (18KW).

Normally you would use single cables in a conduit to feed your tableau. You have to provide your own earth usually by rod(s) or plates buried in the ground. John is correct that the Consuel will be primarily concerned with the earthing.

Paul

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My builder advised me not to fit any lighting fittings before the consuel in case there were objections to any of them.

I seem to remember we put in cheap pendant bayonet fittings that are used by electricians for temporary installations only, until the inspection had taken place.

Earth testing was the prime focus of the inspection.

Patrick
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Yes Patrick, all lighting points should terminate in a ceiling box called a "dispositif DCL" which is basically a plug and socket outlet. Conduits just hanging out of the ceiling, with loose wires do not comply with French regulations.   Cheap lampholders or "douilles de chantier" just plug into these boxes, and give light, until proper light fittings are chosen. It does depend on the inspector, some are stricter than others.

Paul

 

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[quote]Yes Patrick, all lighting points should terminate in a ceiling box called a "dispositif DCL" which is basically a plug and socket outlet. Conduits just hanging out of the ceiling, with loose wires do ...[/quote]

Paul

 

"....all lighting points should terminate in a ceiling box called a "dispositif DCL" which is basically a plug and socket outlet. Conduits just hanging out of the ceiling, with loose wires do not comply with French regulations...."

 

Is this new, then? - seems to me that every French house I ever been into sports a length of gaine sticking out of the ceiling with a couple of wires and a bare bulb on the end !

 

paul

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Every flush cable or conduit has to terminate in a box, and this also goes for lighting points. This reg has been around for a long while. The "DCL" type of box for ceiling lights has been a requirement on new installations since , I think June 2004. (Regulation 559.1.1 of NF C 15-100.)

Paul

 

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If it is anything like our house - there were round boxes fitted into the 50mm terra cotta brique ceiling, but the wiring still hung out and was fitted with the cheapie push fit bulb holder. Wiring for the outside lights stuck out from the wall in it's gaine! Been like that since the house was built seven years ago.
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