French Fuse Box

[Dom.]

A friend bought a house in France and asked me a few questions I couldn't immediately answer.





I'm sure those are the same posts that are used on the back of my hifi speakers.. hang on a minute.. yes they are!

There are four speaker posts, one for each phase and I assume the red one's neutral, which I assume goes to a rod outside?

When the speaker posts proved inadequate a distribution board was added. I would replace the three speaker posts with three CUs; making it easier to balance the phases for one.

Thought you might find Johnny Foreigner's efforts amusing. Can I say that? Anyway it's here for your amusement/suggestions/helpful nuggets of experience.

Dom.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

hmm....a bit like the cars then.....

 

[Specialist]

Hi: The Speaker posts your talking about look like Line taps (Would'nt like to stick 240 supply wiring on Speaker terminals), Neutral to Rod outside ?.
Looking at the state of the Wiring showing in your pictures i'd be telling your mate to call a Good local Electrical Contractor & get it re-wired properly.

 

[a1guvner]

Quality - we are so behind with our devices

 

[Specialist]

After seeing that mate, aren't you glad we are:tounge_smile:, looks like a disaster waiting to happen.

 

[Geordie Spark]

After seeing that mate, aren't you glad we are:tounge_smile:, looks like a disaster waiting to happen.

It looks like it already has !!! :lol:

 

[sparkiegaz]

oooh that dont look to good,,,,

 

[Engineer54]

That must be a very old CU, for a rural installation too i bet!! It's the smallest i've seen in France!! These day's they would be at least 3 X the size of that one, and that would be a small one...lol!! Now they fit everything into there DB'S timers, ELV TX's, SW/relay's, ...the whole nine yards go in them now....lol!!

 

[Specialist]

That must be a very old CU, for a rural installation too i bet!! It's the smallest i've seen in France!! These day's they would be at least 3 X the size of that one, and that would be a small one...lol!! Now they fit everything into there DB'S timers, ELV TX's, SW/relay's, ...the whole nine yards go in them now....lol!!

Any Speaker Terminals ?:tounge_smile:

 

[oldtimer]

My understanding is their new DBs use double pole circuit breakers (handy on a RCD board when you have a neutral to earth fault) also 2 way switching forget it they have a latch module fitted at the DB and they wire the lights off it and pulse switches ie switch down and spring return so you can fit as many swithes as you like ie no intermediate. Also if new build or update you run the cables in white flexi conduit so 30 years down the road its a scooosh to rewire. Old elctrics wel they have some properties in the same state as ours just seen a property in the new town (Edinburgh) and it had the original 1920 doble pole fuseboard plus VIR cables to boot. One other thing is about 10 years ago France still had duel voltage supplies in some areas ie 110v and 230v How do I know this Well looked into getting a property 10years ago and spoke to a guy who lives over their last week

 

[Engineer54]

My understanding is their new DBs use double pole circuit breakers (handy on a RCD board when you have a neutral to earth fault) also 2 way switching forget it they have a latch module fitted at the DB and they wire the lights off it and pulse switches ie switch down and spring return so you can fit as many swithes as you like ie no intermediate. Also if new build or update you run the cables in white flexi conduit so 30 years down the road its a scooosh to rewire. Old elctrics wel they have some properties in the same state as ours just seen a property in the new town (Edinburgh) and it had the original 1920 doble pole fuseboard plus VIR cables to boot. One other thing is about 10 years ago France still had duel voltage supplies in some areas ie 110v and 230v How do I know this Well looked into getting a property 10years ago and spoke to a guy who lives over their last week

Spot on oldtimer!! Though generally the DP breakers are on TT systems, of which there are a great deal of in France. They also use a fair bit of neutral switching on control circuits, which is a bit strange...lol!!

 

[GLENNSPARK]

That must be a very old CU, for a rural installation too i bet!! It's the smallest i've seen in France!! These day's they would be at least 3 X the size of that one, and that would be a small one...lol!! Now they fit everything into there DB'S timers, ELV TX's, SW/relay's, ...the whole nine yards go in them now....lol!!

come on eng...bet that aint old at all....like something citroen shoved out the back door last week..lol....

 

[Geordie Spark]

come on eng...bet that aint old at all....like something citroen shoved out the back door last week..lol....

Tell you what Glenn, my girlfriend had an 08 reg. Citroen C4 until recently. I slagged it off when I first saw it cos of all the plastic in it, but I changed my tune a bit when I drove it.

I found it very lively (it was a GT version) but the thing that really impressed me was the ride quality & the fact that it seemed to be glued to the road. I chucked it about all over the place & it just got on with it without complaint.

The all-round visibility was very good too & I was obliged to change my opinion of that car pretty smartish !!!

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Tell you what Glenn, my girlfriend had an 08 reg. Citroen C4 until recently. I slagged it off when I first saw it cos of all the plastic in it, but I changed my tune a bit when I drove it.

I found it very lively (it was a GT version) but the thing that really impressed me was the ride quality & the fact that it seemed to be glued to the road. I chucked it about all over the place & it just got on with it without complaint.

The all-round visibility was very good too & I was obliged to change my opinion of that car pretty smartish !!!

well is she french??..lol.....
Always been suspicious of french engineering though i have......they dont arf build a lovely bird though dont they..yhhmmnnmm

 

[Engineer54]

come on eng...bet that aint old at all....like something citroen shoved out the back door last week..lol....

Believe me, ...it's an old-un!! lol!!!

 

[Geordie Spark]

well is she french??..lol.....
Always been suspicious of french engineering though i have......they dont arf build a lovely bird though dont they..yhhmmnnmm

Nah ..... she's a Pikey - from a family of travelling showmen, originally part of Pat Collins Fairs in Staffordshire or thereabouts.

Built like a brick outhouse but with a lovely nature & brilliant humour. Good cook too !!!!

 

[Engineer54]

Nah ..... she's a Pikey - from a family of travelling showmen, originally part of Pat Collins Fairs in Staffordshire or thereabouts.

Built like a brick outhouse but with a lovely nature & brilliant humour. Good cook too !!!!

Into big girls are you then Geordie?? lol!!!

 

[Geordie Spark]

Into big girls are you then Geordie?? lol!!!

After 27 "not-so-big" girls with no personality or humour I am now bonny lad !!!

 

[Dom.]

That must be a very old CU, for a rural installation too i bet!! It's the smallest i've seen in France!! These day's they would be at least 3 X the size of that one, and that would be a small one...lol!! Now they fit everything into there DB'S timers, ELV TX's, SW/relay's, ...the whole nine yards go in them now....lol!!

The TV signal/Router/AV also has to be distributed from here I hear, if you want to get the work signed off. Altho my friend is looking to retire here, so a) the roof etc only has to last twenty years b) selling will be someone else's problem.

My understanding is their new DBs use double pole circuit breakers (handy on a RCD board when you have a neutral to earth fault) also 2 way switching forget it they have a latch module fitted at the DB and they wire the lights off it and pulse switches ie switch down and spring return so you can fit as many swithes as you like ie no intermediate. Also if new build or update you run the cables in white flexi conduit so 30 years down the road its a scooosh to rewire. Old elctrics wel they have some properties in the same state as ours just seen a property in the new town (Edinburgh) and it had the original 1920 doble pole fuseboard plus VIR cables to boot. One other thing is about 10 years ago France still had duel voltage supplies in some areas ie 110v and 230v How do I know this Well looked into getting a property 10years ago and spoke to a guy who lives over their last week

Spot on oldtimer!! Though generally the DP breakers are on TT systems, of which there are a great deal of in France. They also use a fair bit of neutral switching on control circuits, which is a bit strange...lol!!

I like their pulse on pulse off idea. They insist on Radials with 8 sockets per Radial and insist on singles pulled through Gaines - now that sounds like a right Ball Ache to me. There are four bedrooms, so that's four Radials plus lghting going downstairs.. Here's an idea.. What about a DB at the top of the stairs and
ONE
FAT
cable going from the DB, down the stairs, across the living room, and to the CU @ the front door? Is that permittted I wonder?

The kitchen will have to be balanced across three phases so I guess a fistful of cables WILL HAVE to be run from the kitchen to the CU.. Then again the DB in pic 4 is three phase - in pic 2 you can see a large grey cable wired into all three speaker posts & N - that's the cable which runs to the DB @ the bottom of the stairs in pic 4.

What are the merits/pitfuls of having fuseboxes spread around, or is it better to shove it all in "one fusebox under the stairs"?

Thanks Oldtimer & Engineer 54

 

[oldtimer]

Just to expand 2 way or even 2way intermediate they have a pulse relay in the panel and you wire the light in parallel from the module and the same with the switches so in a sense you can have as many switches you like because it is just a pair looping in and out with the switch on a spring return ie send the pulse light come on send it again lights go off this sounds like a trainees dream in this country no more passwires or strappers as you call them