Spanish voltage?

[wattsup]

Anyone any experience of the real voltage.
I've searched but cannot find a definitive answer. From 190 to 240v.
It's important because the equipment I intend to install has +/- 5% factor based on 230v uk.

Also red tape? I've had dealings in France which was a bloody nightmare, it was sorted eventually (9 months) which held up my final payments..I don't want to go through that again.. Are the Spanish authorities of a similar vein?
Any advice however vague would be appreciated

 

[UNG]

I think you have found the answer and I don't think you will get any better than that

When I have been to Spain wide voltage variations seem to be the norm as are complete outages

 

[ian.settle1]

Anyone any experience of the real voltage.
I've searched but cannot find a definitive answer. From 190 to 240v.
It's important because the equipment I intend to install has +/- 5% factor based on 230v uk.

Also red tape? I've had dealings in France which was a bloody nightmare, it was sorted eventually (9 months) which held up my final payments..I don't want to go through that again.. Are the Spanish authorities of a similar vein?
Any advice however vague would be appreciated

We're all supposed to be harmonised now in Europe so it should be 230v

 

[Sintra]

As stated it should be 230V but I have seen it as low as 203V this was in Ibiza, the voltage around Barcelona & Madrid is pretty steady 225V - 235V. Again outages are common.

 

[m4tty]

do you lot take your mft's on holiday lol. Imagine customs opening your suitcase and seeing your sunblock toothpaste, clothes and megger lol .... crack up

 

[UNG]

Upto a few years ago I did take a caravan to Spain quite a lot. Always carry a multimeter in fact all my vehicles have a cheap multimeter stashed somewhere on board

 

[Sintra]

unfortunately most of my work is abroad so I always have kit.

 

[Notsosmart]

do you lot take your mft's on holiday lol. Imagine customs opening your suitcase and seeing your sunblock toothpaste, clothes and megger lol .... crack up

I have been known to take some Hand tools with me on holiday.

Stems from getting a belt off a faulty hot-plate in the restaurant, and another from a loose euro socket in the same hotel.

 

[bugsy]

Spanish voltages are far from stable as sintra has mentioned , what kit are you going to use and can you not take a voltage stabaliser with you,
PS My instrument flight case has got easy jet fragile stickers allover it!! and it's always being examined

 

[Sintra]

Sorry Bugsy but I am going to have to disagree with you on this one.I have carried out mains analysis tests in Barcelona & Madrid prior to additional works being done.Checked the graphs again on lap top and there is no great voltage fluctuation on either & only 1 brief outage. Both tests where of a 2 week duration.I have found that in recent years supplies in Europe have improved greatly.

 

[wattsup]

Thanks for the input guys, but even here not many are sure. My customer is long standing, it is not a suck it and see. However all previous work is UK. No probs. The guy is down to earth and does not suffer fools whatsoever, he asked would I be interested; do I know the ins ands outs...he wants me to do it, he does not want the hassle of finding someone else. I said I would make enqiuries...hence.

The job is a backup generator for his place in Spain, northern Spain, near Santander contry house. Power cuts last summer were numerous. No problem, I can sail to Santander or Bilbao and take one with me. But he is absolute insistant on auto start. There lies the problem. I've tried to convince to go manual start then under/over voltage is no problem. All gennies (auto start) I've priced are +/- 5% @230v...no good.

I do know they suffer from voltage fluctuations because lights dim regular. I suppose I could install a voltage regulator along...but the costs involved and then a failed gen start gets me concerned.

The set would be fairly big, 25 - 30 kva so not cheap. Added he does want a min 48 hour run time...anyhow I've declined now...with various excuses.

So really this post is a waste of time, but I may as well let you know

N.B the Spanish authorites say a backup generator can be used in rural areas in the event of a power cut and only a full power cut, neighbours must be informed you have backup power. Auto start would cut in if voltage fluctuated beyond the theshold allowed. I believe this would happen frequently and annoy neighbours 2km away!...I know it would, France was very similar, people in Paris complain of the noise of a genset in Lyon -

 

[dixon9]

220V "officially" in Spain.