Wiring in Tenerife

[vjsmarwick]

Hi has anyone on here got any knowledge of the wiring system in Tenerife is it anything like the UK or is it like opening a bag of worms ?
The reason I ask is I have a cousin there who wants a few things looked at and it’s giving me a free holiday. But am I going to find things straight forward or spend more time testing it than site seeing ?
Any advise from any in the know would be great thanks in advance and no I’m not needing a spare hand for a free holiday the wife will be there for that ! Lol

 

[littlespark]

I expect it to be the same as many European countries, and they use copious amounts of radial circuits. No rings.

Maybe different cable design/ containment… but it’s just same live, neutral, earth…

 

[James]

The preferred method of installing cable through most of Europe is in trunking.

 

[Diddy]

The preferred method of installing cable through most of Europe is in trunking.

I mostly saw copex in southern spain when I lived/worked there...30 years ago mind lol. The basics are the same though. All radials. No rings as said. You can and do have things like washing machines in bathrooms (well it was commonplace back then anyway).
There was a certain simplicity to everything.

 

[James]

Sorry, brain fart moment, when I said trunking, the word I was looking for was infact conduit!!

 

[littlespark]

Sorry, brain fart moment, when I said trunking, the word I was looking for was infact conduit!!

Where the saying "pushing a square shape into a round hole" comes from

 

[pirate]

I do have a little, limited experience of Spanish wiring systems in domestic properties, not specifically Tenerife though but I expect it's much the same everywhere.
The points already mentioned are spot-on, namely a lot of cabling in conduit and radials for everything. Lighting conduit tends to be the spiral-wound type and quite small. I don't know if they have prescribed zones or not, but I doubt it.
In some properties you will find plastic cover plates scattered around the walls, and removing these will reveal junctions which can give a clue to how the cables are routed.
Many houses are built of hollow concrete blocks and you may find the cavities house wiring and plumbing. Faced with these walls, solid and tiled floors and solid ceilings it can be very tricky to add new circuits and I've seen a few additions done in white trunking as most of the walls are painted white. If you have vaulted ceilings with exposed beams then you have extra scope for additional circuit placement.
The good news is that the Spanish have no fear about breaking into walls or even lifting tiles and making good afterwards, just as we have no problem with breaking into plasterboard walls and lifting floorboards.
Some very modern properties, especially commercial ones, have stud wals with plasterboard over which makes their wiring much more similar to ours, but these are relatively rare.
Wiring is almost always in singles, and the only T&E you will find will be flex.
Single RCD boards are commonplace in older properties and yes, a washing machine in the bathroom is very common. My neighbour has a socket next to her wash hand basin and the light switch is not only inside the bathroom but actually in the shower enclosure!
Tip: If the kitchen sockets are tripping it's almost always the kettle at fault!

 

[vjsmarwick]

I do have a little, limited experience of Spanish wiring systems in domestic properties, not specifically Tenerife though but I expect it's much the same everywhere.
The points already mentioned are spot-on, namely a lot of cabling in conduit and radials for everything. Lighting conduit tends to be the spiral-wound type and quite small. I don't know if they have prescribed zones or not, but I doubt it.
In some properties you will find plastic cover plates scattered around the walls, and removing these will reveal junctions which can give a clue to how the cables are routed.
Many houses are built of hollow concrete blocks and you may find the cavities house wiring and plumbing. Faced with these walls, solid and tiled floors and solid ceilings it can be very tricky to add new circuits and I've seen a few additions done in white trunking as most of the walls are painted white. If you have vaulted ceilings with exposed beams then you have extra scope for additional circuit placement.
The good news is that the Spanish have no fear about breaking into walls or even lifting tiles and making good afterwards, just as we have no problem with breaking into plasterboard walls and lifting floorboards.
Some very modern properties, especially commercial ones, have stud wals with plasterboard over which makes their wiring much more similar to ours, but these are relatively rare.
Wiring is almost always in singles, and the only T&E you will find will be flex.
Single RCD boards are commonplace in older properties and yes, a washing machine in the bathroom is very common. My neighbour has a socket next to her wash hand basin and the light switch is not only inside the bathroom but actually in the shower enclosure!
Tip: If the kitchen sockets are tripping it's almost always the kettle at fault!

Thanks that was what I was looking for someone who had actual experience!
I wasn’t sure what I may find I was imagining all white wires and no markings and having to test everything lol I guess I always look for the worst so that when I see the job I am then pleasantly surprised !
Thanks!

 

[Mike Johnson]

I am not sure of the regulations in Tenerife, as others have said no FRC's, wired in singles inside flexible plastic spiral conduit In most of the EU (France and Germany) there is a maximum of eight dual pole MCB's to an RCD, domestic appliances and water heater will be on their own radial, sockets will be restricted in number for the size of cable (France is 12 x 2.5, 8 x 1.5) Lighting circuits will possibly be by latching relay's hence two wire at the switch, rural properties will be TT and you could have a domestic three phase supply into the property.

Following all the rules for a three phase domestic supply in France I ended up with a four row by thirteen consumer unit in Germany it would have been by twelve, but still with the same restrictions as above.

 

[Mike Johnson]

This may be helpful: Spanish Electrical Regulations Book - January 2024 1st edition | 9798889212379, 9798-889-212-379 | VitalSource - https://www.vitalsource.com/products/spanish-electrical-regulations-book-january-2024-v9798889212379?duration=perpetual

 

[pirate]

Sadly, I don't think my Spanish is good enough to understand the technical bits, and being an e-book is not so handy for me.
I'm still learning the language, slowly, but I doubt if "dos cervezas por favor" will cut it!

 

[Mike Johnson]

I was in the same boat at first with my French, I found that this book: L'installation électrique - David Fedullo , Thierry Gallauziaux -... - Librairie Eyrolles - https://www.eyrolles.com/Loisirs/Livre/l-installation-electrique-9782416000058/ was so profusely illustrated I was able to understand what the text was trying to explain, eventually I found I did not need the text as the illustrations indicated all I needed to know, without looking inside the Spanish equivalent difficult to say if it would be helpful or not, but thought it worth a post, not forgetting both countries are in the EU and the Regulations are possibly the same, or very close.

One thing I do know is the same is the power supply is through an RCD that is current set, so if you go over your paid for tariff it will switch off, can seem like a fault, but is not, worth being aware of.

 

[pirate]

That's very interesting. Not sure I'd be doing much work except replacing like for like, because the electricians close to me are very reasonable with their charges.

I did not know about current limited RCDs. I will have to check my contract for this. I renewed the supply contract last year so will dig it out next time I am over there.

I do know that shortly before I bought the place the supply cable had been upgraded. All has been fine, but then I don't plug in welding gear or other heavy use items!

 

[Mike Johnson]

The current limiting RCD used to trip during the day for no apparent reason until I dealt into the electrics and realised that the water heater was not time controlled, but on 24/7, put it on a timed control for overnight only use and that problem went away, our water heater was single phase although the supply into our property was three phase, others I know have three phase water heaters, in Spain and Tenerife I would assume the tank is on the roof using solar gain mostly.

 

[pirate]

Yes, my water heater is also on 24/7 when I am there, but your suggestion of putting it on a timer is one I will attend to next visit, as electricity is very expensive there. I didn't do this before as I used to rent it out during the Summer and a family of four needed plenty of hot water for showering etc. but I'm usually there on my own now so an hour a day/night will be fine for my needs, once I have had it on for a day on arrival just to get the tank up to temperature.
I had my immersion heater here in UK on 24/7 for a while but fitted a new timer and noiceably reduced my electricity costs. It now comes on for an hour in the morning but still within off-peak hours and that gives me what I need on a daily basis, with the occasional boost if I have guests.

 

[Mike Johnson]

I had to bring the water heater timer from the UK, it was impossible to find a decent one in France, they where mostly just clockwork on/off with two options for time periods, I bought a Horstmann from TLC and took it over myself, bit more difficult by aircraft I would imagine could look like a bomb of some kind, suggest hand luggage and instructions available during the scan.

 

[vjsmarwick]

Thanks everyone for their input I’ll have to wait and see what’s wanted but I think I’ll be willing to do the like for like but anything else I think he’ll have to contract in ! The apartment is in a complex so don’t want to cause issues had it have been just a separate private house I’d have been willing to do more ! I’m too old now to start messing with things in another country lol.

 

[Mike Johnson]

Complex as in lots of apartments in house's inside a gated community or Complex as in apartments in a large building, each have different requirements for maintenance according to the management committee and rules.

 

[vjsmarwick]

Complex as in lots of apartments in house's inside a gated community or Complex as in apartments in a large building, each have different requirements for maintenance according to the management committee and rules.

Apartments in a large building and cousin is chairman of the management committee I wouldn’t do anything without proper permission and it’s only in his own apartment I wouldn’t be doing anything I wasn’t sure of either ! I just wasn’t sure if I was going to arrive and find everything done with was wired with same coloured wires lol
I’m 56 and have never been abroad so have no idea what to expect. More than capable of anything I find here tho as Ive been in the trade since I started my apprenticeship at the age of 15.

 

[Mike Johnson]

Wire colours are EU standard, live feed is usually Orange, strapping between switches if not on latching relays will be purple any three phase will be Brown used for the first phase (L1). Black used for the second phase (L2) Grey used for the third phase (L3). Blue is universally used to denote the neutral conductor (N). Green/Yellow used for earth, but in older properties this can be a solid Green.

The problem I found in France is that some so called electricians use whatever is on the Van so colour identification went out the widow, some I think did it on purpose to ensure they where called back rather than another electrician.

In domestic work most electricians are not qualified, Pierre down the local wine bar happens in France far more than Fred down the pub in the UK as there is no controlling body to answer to or check the installation, only on property sale's does any inspection happen (compulsory diagnostics) and even then its mostly checking earth at the sockets.

I also started work at 15, but just over twenty years before you.

 

[pirate]

I feel sorry for that widow who is colour-blind!

Bringing stuff from UK to Spain is tricky, especially in hand luggage.
Yes, always have the instruction book to hand to prove what it is. I flew easyjet to Spain a few weeks ago and had only a CCTV camera, some cable , some cable clips and a big Wago box in my minuscule hand luggage. The camera was in its original packaging, the Wago box had the other stuff inside but the fastening screws loosened for easy inspection...
I was a bit nervous, but the GLA-LGW leg nothing beeped. The LGW-MAH leg, nothing beeped, so all good. Last year, direct flight GLA-MAH...haggis confiscated!
I took out a battery/cordless drill 2 years ago...read all the guidance on that, which suggested it was OK to pack the drill in hold bag provided that the battery was actually installed in the drill. (The drill on its own was NOT permitted in hand luggage)
OK, I packed the drill, charger etc in hold bag, and took the 2 batteries and wrapped them in duct tape so no exposed terminals, then put them in ziplock bags in my hand-luggage...what could go wrong?
Well, a drill without batteries is useless...
Batteries without a drill is useless...
Did I sail through Security?
Yup!
Except they were a bit annoyed I had 3 vapes in my pocket, as 2 was the limit then!
All was fine in the end, but do be aware that transporting tools can be very tricky indeed. Yes, I am a DeWalt man, but the cost of drills/combis/SDS is prohibitive in Spain!
That's why I chose a cheaper platform, and for my limited usage it is just fine...indeed it's perfect for what I need. I have a combi drill and 2 batteries for £50...a DeWalt drill, 12V is €100, and batteries are extra.
What did I buy and take to Spain?
Guesses please!

 

[littlespark]

More haggis, Pirate?

 

[vjsmarwick]

I feel sorry for that widow who is colour-blind!

Bringing stuff from UK to Spain is tricky, especially in hand luggage.
Yes, always have the instruction book to hand to prove what it is. I flew easyjet to Spain a few weeks ago and had only a CCTV camera, some cable , some cable clips and a big Wago box in my minuscule hand luggage. The camera was in its original packaging, the Wago box had the other stuff inside but the fastening screws loosened for easy inspection...
I was a bit nervous, but the GLA-LGW leg nothing beeped. The LGW-MAH leg, nothing beeped, so all good. Last year, direct flight GLA-MAH...haggis confiscated!
I took out a battery/cordless drill 2 years ago...read all the guidance on that, which suggested it was OK to pack the drill in hold bag provided that the battery was actually installed in the drill. (The drill on its own was NOT permitted in hand luggage)
OK, I packed the drill, charger etc in hold bag, and took the 2 batteries and wrapped them in duct tape so no exposed terminals, then put them in ziplock bags in my hand-luggage...what could go wrong?
Well, a drill without batteries is useless...
Batteries without a drill is useless...
Did I sail through Security?
Yup!
Except they were a bit annoyed I had 3 vapes in my pocket, as 2 was the limit then!
All was fine in the end, but do be aware that transporting tools can be very tricky indeed. Yes, I am a DeWalt man, but the cost of drills/combis/SDS is prohibitive in Spain!
That's why I chose a cheaper platform, and for my limited usage it is just fine...indeed it's perfect for what I need. I have a combi drill and 2 batteries for £50...a DeWalt drill, 12V is €100, and batteries are extra.
What did I buy and take to Spain?
Guesses please!

So do you think there may be an issue with me taking a hydrogen cell to Tenerife then lol got it for my cousin to then transport it to the Philippines so my luggage may well draw attention lol

 

[Mike Johnson]

Without doubt the best story is in Chris Boardman's book on his flight to Scotland in an RAF Nimrod which had landed to pick him up at Manchester City Airport, he had been invited to open the RAF Velodrome and to take his bike along to demonstrate how to use the banking, he was detained at Manchester airport whilst the customs started to take his bike to bits, the RAF captain saw what was going on and asked why they where taking such an interest in his bike, the explanation was the bike may be packed with explosives, the captain said to the customs officer not to worry he would put the bike in the bomb bay with the Nuclear armament's already on board.

 

[littlespark]

I think I might have mentioned it before, but I did work at the Royal Marines base in Arbroath…. Used my own car, and on one say they heavily searched every vehicle going in and out….

Cable drums, toolbox and a suitcase with wires hanging out of it.

Apparently the test kit was quite interesting.