Hi all
I’m seeking advice on the following.
Domestic wireing in a typical French house is 3 wire in none metallic conduit and normally radial circuits.
1.5mm and 2.5mm 10 amp and 16amp respectivly as norm, can stranded core cables be used, for some reason I have it that French norm use solid core and I haven’t seen any solid core 2.5 or come to think of it 1.5 for many years due to the current carrying capability.
You comments would be greatfuly apresiated
Arthur
Solid vs stranded doesn’t change current carrying capacity for a given size of cable but stranded is more flexible.
Runs to socket outlets can be 2.5mm2 (max 8 sockets and 20A breaker) or 1.5mm2 (max 5 sockets, 16A breaker).
There is a useful summary of various wiring standards, including French, here - http://www.legrand.com/files/fck/File/pdf/Guide-International.pdf
2 Likes
[quote=“Arthur_George_Charma, post:1, topic:19149”]
French norm use solid core and I haven’t seen any solid core 2.5 or come to think of it 1.5 for many years due to the current carrying capability.
[/quote] I am sure now you have posted Arthur you will see only solid core cable when you go to any of the Brico sheds. It’s the the most common in French shops.
That is a good document from Legrand.
1 Like
Continuing the discussion from Electrical wiring standards:
Thanks
I’m going to rewire my old French cottage with a mix of tech and more standard wiring.
All the switch point for lighting will be kinetic or wireless to avoid disturbing my old stone walls.
Wireing will be French norm in conduit some flexible and some ridgid behind new stud walls in and in between the joists thes will be exposed as much as poss. I intend to use mainly 1.5mm radials, mostly are short max 10mtr at 16amp DP with 6amp DP for the lighting due to the lighting being switched via remote relays controlled by the kanitic switches -programable- easy with 2-3 way configurations. I could arguably wire these circuit in 1mm.
The cable I will bring from our stock in the UK as our installation
The main DB will be located on the landing to gain access to all areas without disturbing the existing floor joists with a short sub main from the metering point 6 mtrs and wired in SWA clipped to the floor joists and boarded over, poss 10mm as the supply is only 45amps 9KW
I am an experienced electrical engineer working throughout the UK and Europe mainly on industrial instalation for petrochem, but as France is a little unique especially on the domestic frount I was just curious about would cable ?
Anyway I’ll Keep you all informed on my progress from start to completion especial with testing and inspection.
There will be a lot of low energy lighting and wireless connectivity where practical.
I’ve ordered a copy of the French wiring regs but hey ho it’s in French
Happy Days and warm evening in front of a log fire with some good French wine and my old age
1 Like
You may be mistaken when you see t&e and 3 pin sockets… people before
Not an artisan I would say
Arthur, you say " the cable I will bring from our stock in the UK ". Will it be T&E?
I’ve used kinetic switches for the reasons you state and find them really good.
No I will bring single insulated 1.5mm
I intend to wire in singles in conduit as per French norm.
T&E has a reduce earth cable and is not insulated so best left in the UK.
Quite honestly I like singles in conduit as it is similar to industrial wireing here in the UK that is my background as an industrial engineer.
I’ll Keep you informed on the kinetic idea, I intend to program the light switches to operate the extraction fans combined with occupancy sensors.
With only 45amps to play with I’m intending to make the best use of any energy saving devices I can.
Regards
1mm is not I believe in the French normes?
1 Like
These were the switches I used in a paneled room a year ago and I’ve been really pleased with the looks, quality and ease of fitting.
As you say, T&E is best left in the U.K.
I would do the link from the meter to tableau in 16mm2 - 10 is marginal at 45A and you might want to increase your supply agreement at some point.
I don’t think there’s much point to 25mm2 though - as I understand it anything above 12kW will be 3-phase.
I’d do the prises on 2.5mm2 as well, even if you only want to have 5 outlets and a disjoncteur of 16A - again you can do 1.5 per the normes but it’s marginal at 16A so I’d rather have the safety margin.
I’m not using the ones from Amazon I have a company that are developing the next generation with intelligent language. Not just dumb servers and yes Twin and earth is best left in the UK .
I agree. I did do the calcs on 2.5 And I came out better but vilt drop was not a concern only the capacity of the cable to handle the current.
It’s a real smal place and in concerned with the amout of trunking.
Any advice is welcome because once the plaster board is up then it done. Hopefuly
Thanks for the input guys
Work is well underway
As most French wiring accessories now use push fit connections you will find stranded conductors a bit of a nightmare to use here. Also I find the greater ridgidity of solid conductors actually helps when pulling (pushing!) stuff through conduits (& I was brought up on UK stranded wires & metal conduits).
Half agree
Pushing stranded cable into the connector is fine.
Getting them out again, if necessary, is, indeed, a bloody nightmare.
Stranded cable should utilise a bootlace end if used in a push in fitting. Clamping types, wago 221 etc can use both rigid and stranded but I still prefer a bootlace end on fine stranded.
I’m thinking of 2.5mm2 into the push fit prises - the 7 strand stuff is fairly stiff - certainly on the scale of 10-12mm stripped back and goes in well enough. In fact I think that the contact generated might even be better than with single core. Certainly I see no significant increase in loop resistance as I go down the chain so doubt I’m incurring more than a few milliohms per connection.
However it is a bitch to get back out of the prise if needed so I actually agree that I wish I’d brought solid core over.
But if we’re talking about 50 strand “flex” then, yes, you’re going to need something to make it rigid.
Have been reading everything you lot have said about wiring.
I thought someone might benifit from my experience, but not if I am not welcome.
Barry