Discuss UK cable 1mm coloured red blue yellow -- what is it? in the Electrical Forum area at ElectriciansForums.net

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WilcoxElec

When replacing a lighting circuit which had been done with UK type materials in a renovation here in France I came across (and ripped out) lengths of a type of cable I have not seen before. It looked like gray twin and earth, but thinner, and had 3 separately insulated conductors of 1mm section (I think – - but I was in a hurry to get it out) The colours of the insulation on the conductors were blue red and solid yellow ....... I just wanted to ask what it was, what should it have been used for – given that it should not have been used for wiring lights in the wrong way in France ! (we don't chain the lights here - to avoid having an "always live" wire in the "DCL" ) ...I ask only because having worked in industry in the UK I get asked about the bits of DIY wiring using stuff brought over from the UK .... despite not having had much to do with UK domestic electrics (which – incidently – other than using to make a cup of tea for a UK sparky I would not touch as a professional! ).



So, anyone tell me what this red/blue/yellow stuff was?, I don't think there was also an unsheilded earth conductor as well, because otherwise I would have guessed it was a version of "4G" .. Just wondered :D
 
It's a length of 3core and earthin the old colours pre harmonisation. Most probably used in 2 way light switching in your property

No earth in cable according to OP.

To Wil, My mother has friends with a house/farm type place in Brittany, is it right that the French don't allow use of Twin & Earth cable?
 
No earth in cable according to OP.

To Wil, My mother has friends with a house/farm type place in Brittany, is it right that the French don't allow use of Twin & Earth cable?

The earth conductor must have the same diameter as the other conductors and be separately insulated yellow/green - so no , twin and earth should not be used and does not conform to the NFC 15-100 wiring regs. I have ripped out miles of it in rewiring to French standards! We use the U-1000 type industrial cable usually, especially in the countryside :D
 
I don't think it had an earth, I have seen something similar with an earth used for a two way switch, this was used in a lighting chain, the yellow was used as earth - and not often connected! Thanks :D
 
OH, I see, thankyou, I only ever saw brown, grey black -- even in the UK :/ although I have seen loads of red and black twin an earth.
 
Is it like this?? I would say they have used it and removed the unsheathed earth. That way, they can use the yellow as the earth and it complies with your reg by using the same sized conductor for an earth.
UK cable 1mm coloured red blue yellow -- what is it? {filename} | ElectriciansForums.net
 
Ouch! I've just thought, we have enough trouble understanding our English version, let alone one written in French! :)
 
I shall have a look in the recycle bin to see, but I am fairly sure there was no earth. ---- Actually I only posted this because I felt I should post something new :D -- thanks for your help anyway ...... :D -- as I said - I shll see if I can find a bit :D
 
was going to say, what's the use of 2 volumes nobody can understand.
 
It is actually much the same sort of things - both are national implementations of IEC wiring regs :D ...
 
I need to get back to the paperwork ! Thnkyou all... I can now tell French Sparkies that some old UK cable has blue red and yellow insulated conductors .... and sometimes an uninsulated earth as well! I wish there was a way of preventing it being used by Brits doing DIY in France, although this is not usually the principal concern in these cases ....
 
could it by any chance be the 3 core red/blue/white of the 70s which had no cpc(earth),maybe the white has discoloured a bit.clutching at straws but that most definetly had no earth.
 
Ha! That's just what I was going to say. Get the red white and blue stuff here loads.

So how's the wiring regs huge and 2 volumes? It's bad enough huge and 1 volume. There's no chance the general public will bother with any of that is there?
 
Ha! That's just what I was going to say. Get the red white and blue stuff here loads.

So how's the wiring regs huge and 2 volumes? It's bad enough huge and 1 volume. There's no chance the general public will bother with any of that is there?
There are condensed guides produced by a professional association which are useful working guides - which are from PROMOTELEC - " Norme installation électrique, certification électricité, label hpe Promotelec pour une meilleure sécurité " -- I was given a copy of their red booklet the day I started my training for French domestic , these are frequently updated ---- as are the Normes NFC 15-100 and NFC 14-100 ... The equivalent of your City and Guilds here - The Chambre de Metiers provides subsidies to keep registered artisans trained up as the rules change ---- I need to go and catch up in a couple of weeks (it will probably be mostly about changes to telephone/digital and TBT.
 
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