Yes, exactly…
Meaning black lead will be the live?
As it is/can be here in France.
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Though neutral is not normally white.
Ah yes, 3 phase.
Yes and no
Black is a permitted colour for phase even in single phase installations. In fact the two specified colours are green/yellow for earth and blue for neutral - just about anything goes for phase but brown/black/grey would be the modern set for Ph1(or single phase), Ph2 and Ph3 respectively. However I think blue/red for neutral/live are pretty common for single phase as well.
In fact I have bits of brown (stuff I put in), black (probably the most recent re-wire) and red in the installation chez nous.
White/ivoire can be used as a live/phase colour in France.
I would have assumed so, yes.
Absolutely.
It’s easy to spot older 3 core R2V cable as that always used black as live, but that changed to brown, probably when European harmonistation came in & created the L1 brown, L2 black & L3 Grey standard.
Interestingly the default colouring for the pre-filled gaines available in all the brico sheds is to use red as live…
To avoid any confusion with earth conductors simple green or simple yellow are not allowed to be used in France.
That, at least, is sensible.
While we’re on the subject of wiring, I’m probably asking this 20 years too late, but should a light switch be up for off and down for on, or the reverse ? We argue about this from time to time…
I don’t think it matters.
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Conventionally, push the top in to turn off, bottom to turn on (unless it’s 2 way switching), but as @anon88169868 says, it doesn’t really matter
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all our light switches in a new build inspected by Consuel are as @Mark indicates and they were quite content with that arrangement.
Thanks Mark. Oh dear ! I just checked and the column of 3 switches in one room are upside down, while most others are OK. That accounts for why I’m always turning the wrong one off/on. Plus old age of course.
Aw someone spotted my earlier sarcasm over colour
Hahaha
I obviously skim read that before & missed your typo. Maybe time for an edit to blue? (I worry about someone taking these comments seriously).
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