Electric Showers in France - are they allowed?

[Mr.Si]

Hi all,

The topic heading asks it all really...

One for those experienced in things over on the other side of the English Channel...

I went to see my old boss yesterday to do some IT work for him. He's got a house in Saint-Suzanne France and now that he's finally got EDF to change him from a 3ph to a 1ph supply, he's asked if I'd do the wiring and then it can be inspected and tested by a French Registered Artisan.

Anyway, one of the things he's been trying to find out, is, can you use a normal electric shower in a house in France? or do you have to use normal showers with BOTH pipes?


I look forward to your responses.

Thanks,
Si

 

[truckster]

Do the French use showers?? mangetoute Rodney

 

[malcolmsanford]

I got a feeling Si that France still have this tiered electrical capacity system. I think up to 32amps is the cheapest tier and then you pay a lot more if you want to exceed that, and so the 9kw+ Shower is not something you see a lot over there, well it wasn't

 

[Mr.Si]

I've just looked in to this a bit more (hadn't really looked in to it at all to be honest).

It looks like in France, a single phase supply is quite a lot LESS than in the UK, with supplies being only around 36A (or 9kW).

So with that... well, a lot of electric showers will draw this amount, so no chance - it's just not the done thing.

I have my answer.

 

[Mr.Si]

Thanks Malcolm, looks like you've just confirmed what I've just found out.

Thanks!

 

[Engineer54]

Have something similar in Cyprus, in the few cases where the property doesn't have solar heating panels, they use a 4.6KW electric showers. These units need quite a decent flow rate, but in my experience provide a pretty acceptable hot shower.... So it's probable they have something similar in France, though i couldn't say for sure!!!

 

[dpg2]

I live and work in Cyprus.

 

[Engineer54]

I live and work in Cyprus.

What are you doing in France then?? Are you on the Cyprus August month off holidays??...lol!!

 

[telectrix]

iso now we know why the froggies are always munching garlic. it can overpower even the smelliest armpits.

 

[1shortcircuit]

iso now we know why the froggies are always munching garlic. it can overpower even the smelliest armpits.

Wee-wee Monsieur lol

 

[DNS1]

Mr Si, are you completely sure on the figures quoted for the supplies in France?

Just curious as most places don't have mains gas, so electric heating is the norm. The house I had in Lyon in the mid-nineties had about 10 fitted convection heaters (at least 1kW each), as well as electric underfloor heating downstairs, immersion heaters etc. At full load (not unreasonable in mid-winter), we'd have been drawing 15kW, not including lighting and appliances.

Mind, I've only had new builds over there, so maybe older supplies are a bit different.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

Would that have been 15kW over three phases or one?

 

[DNS1]

Single phase if I recall correctly.

My parents have a similar house in Brittany, similar loads, definitely single phase.

 

[rick]

Spent quite a bit of time over there and not once seen an electric shower. They do seem to have a fair bit of unvented hot water, and all MCBs are double pole. All seems quite sensible to me (plus appliance plugs orientated so you can't tred on them which I think is a top idea!)

 

[Mr.Si]

Mr Si, are you completely sure on the figures quoted for the supplies in France?

Just curious as most places don't have mains gas, so electric heating is the norm. The house I had in Lyon in the mid-nineties had about 10 fitted convection heaters (at least 1kW each), as well as electric underfloor heating downstairs, immersion heaters etc. At full load (not unreasonable in mid-winter), we'd have been drawing 15kW, not including lighting and appliances.

Mind, I've only had new builds over there, so maybe older supplies are a bit different.

Only from what I have read DNS1, but there seem to be a few places where similar figures are given.
My Ex-Bosses house was on 3ph, but there were a few out buildings with power run all over the place, so it was probably for workshops etc.

As yet, I don't know how it fully works, but he's got EDF changing his supply over to 1ph on Wednesday.
It's only taken him a couple of years to get them to do this...!