A quick European wiring puzzle with a simple answer

[Dustydazzler]

3 phase and n

or

2 phase and n

 

[Lucien Nunes]

TP+N or sometimes cheekily 2P + 2N (not an official configuration but used today)

And it goes by the name of...?

 

[DPG]

I like the look of those.

 

[timhoward]

TP+N or sometimes cheekily 2P + 2N (not an official configuration but used today)

And it goes by the name of...?

Perilex I think

 

[Lucien Nunes]

@tinhoward you win this round, 16A Perilex, often used as a cooker plug in domestic 3-phase installations that are common in mainland Europe. 3x16A = equivalent to 48A single phase so plenty of juice for any kind of cooker. Increasingly though, where you have a single-phase oven, and a hob that can use 2 phases out of 3, Perilex gets used on single-phase installations with two line pins and two neutral pins. A bit naughty, I've seen it done with either L1 or L3 as the second neutral, usually marked on the front in sharpie.

The 25A version is not as widely used, the two are distinguished by the orientation of the flat, central earth pin, horizontal = 16A, vertical = 25A.

I like them too although the contacts on some of the basic sockets are not as well engineered as many Schuko sockets of the same rating.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Oude stoppenkast. Wat zijn de stroomwaarden van de twee zekeringen?

 

[timhoward]

@tinhoward you win this round, 16A Perilex, often used as a cooker plug in domestic 3-phase installations that are common in mainland Europe. 3x16A = equivalent to 48A single phase so plenty of juice for any kind of cooker. Increasingly though, where you have a single-phase oven, and a hob that can use 2 phases out of 3, Perilex gets used on single-phase installations with two line pins and two neutral pins. A bit naughty, I've seen it done with either L1 or L3 as the second neutral, usually marked on the front in sharpie.

The 25A version is not as widely used, the two are distinguished by the orientation of the flat, central earth pin, horizontal = 16A, vertical = 25A.

I like them too although the contacts on some of the basic sockets are not as well engineered as many Schuko sockets of the same rating.

I've never quite understood the size and 'b*ggeration factor' between a UK 13 amp socket and a UK 16 amp socket.
This seems to confirm that we we have gone way over the top....!

 

[DPG]

Oude stoppenkast. Wat zijn de stroomwaarden van de twee zekeringen?

View attachment 93100

I'm guessing the colour of the centre pin is a clue?

 

[timhoward]

We are now in Holland?! ..
Little aside -in my old IT job I learned OK and Cancel in most languages fairly rapidly as I was doing support for people all over Europe.
Actually visiting Holland didn't help. The shops have Uit over the exit. So I assumed Uitwerken was cancel. Ooops. I was told it means Out-working (OK!)

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Ja, aber diese Art von Sicherung hat ihren Ursprung in Deutschland

 

[Mikegh]

We are now in Holland?! ..
Little aside -in my old IT job I learned OK and Cancel in most languages fairly rapidly as I was doing support for people all over Europe.
Actually visiting Holland didn't help. The shops have Uit over the exit. So I assumed Uitwerken was cancel. Ooops. I was told it means Out-working (OK!)

I used to be ringing california for tech support when I was in the US


Staff would be laughing at me trying to follow the chinese accents

 

[timhoward]

Ja, aber diese Art von Sicherung hat ihren Ursprung in Deutschland

I have an unfair advantage with this one - I had to get highly creative to get an outside broadcast unit powered enough to function off something similar once. But that's another story for another day.
I seem to recall "Zekering stoppen" was an important phrase.

 

[Vortigern]

5a and 30 a is my guess based on the colours of the centre pin in the picture of the old stop box

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Colours are different to the UK ones though, and there's a story behind how they were originally chosen by Siemens. The coloured disc in the middle of the endcap is an indicator - it pops out when the fuse blows so you can see at a glance through the window in the screw cap.

 

[Vortigern]

Ok second try, 4a and 25a

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Nope. There are more different meanings for different colours of fuse than you can shake an MCB at:

A red fuse could mean:
BS1362 3A
Blade car fuse 10A
Continental car fuse 16A
US plug type panel fuse 20A
BS1361 30A
etc etc

Your clue here is: Briefmarken.

 

[LastManOnline]

Oude stoppenkast. Wat zijn de stroomwaarden van de twee zekeringen?

View attachment 93100

Het is een tijde geleden sinds Ik gewerkt in Nederland heb maar Ik denkt the rode is 10 ampere en the grijse is 16 ampere?

 

[Vortigern]

ok so the original diazed fuse was coloured by the stamp colours as it was so say easier to remember. The red stamp was 20 so 20a for the red one. Still working on the white.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

@LastManOnline got there: 10A red, 16A grey. Bonus to @Vortigern for identifying the type of fuse.
DIAZED:: Diametrisch abgestufter zweiteiliger Edison-Schmelzstöpsel.

Two-part Edison-screw fuse insert differentiated by diameter. I.e. the diameter of the 'nose' contact depends on the rating. Each fuse holder has an interchangeable gauge ring or screw base of matching colour that will accept any fuse up to its size but not a larger one.

A very good design of fuse with high performance from the very beginning, now over a century old. This is the DII range up to 25A, the DIII range with a larger body covers the higher ratings. Technically superseded by the Neozed D01 and D02 designed on similar lines in a more compact format, but both ranges are still to be found in widespread use throughout Europe.

The Dutch fuse box has, like all of its era, a DP isolator for each outgoing way. A nice feature that no-one in the UK thought to implement. Also interchangeable cable entry plates (blank / large hole / small hole / coupling to next box) that just slot in.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

And the complete box, kindly sent to me along with various other dutch wiring accessories, by Oof Oud of the plug and socket museum.