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House Renovations
Topic has 45 replies.
  
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 05/05/2008, 21:00
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Anton Redman
Joined on 23/08/2004
Gironde
Posts 1,921
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Re: Putting in own electrics
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Let us put the cat amongst the pigeons.
I am pretty upset about the tone of replies to this :
“ I'm considering putting in a new consumer unit and have a choice - I have a good electrician who will put one ine in with breakers etc or I can do it myself - can anyone tell me how practicable this is? For instance whilst replacing some wiring a couple of years ago I got a shock which I'm told shouldn't have happened and that I';ve probably got a problem with the earth. Could I fix that easilt? Is it a big deal to connect the unit to the main supply? “
Returning to the original question :
It is perfectly possible provided you are prepared to research and understand the theory and practise and can work methodically. You need either a reasonable command of French or and understanding of the rules in the UK and an acceptance that in France they do things differently. Both Castorama and Leroy Merlin produce very short and in my opinion totally inadequate leaflets on replacing Tablea d electricite. The parts of your original posting that are bold suggest you may have problems with this.
http://www.leroymerlin.fr/mpng2-front/pre?zone=zonecatalogue&idLSPub=1081511655
If you work with a French installation without switching off all power and then checking all wires are dead you will eventually receive a shock. Ways to dusty death include mixed power and light wires within the same conduit. Telerupte/Relay feeds on different circuit breakers to the lights they switch. Use of green and yellow wires for power to and from switches. Parts of a house actually on the neighbour’s power supply.
I cannot see why a problem with the earth would cause you to receive a shock if you had switched off the entire system. It is easy to improve the quality of a French earth. Picquets be Terre (earth spikes you hammer in) a thicker copper feed to replace the thin strands that you frequently see in older French homes. The proper testing of an earth is a complex procedure but not that difficult.
I am basically a coward / know my limits. I have reshelled cars, caved, scuba dived, serviced light aircraft, navigated light aircraft and small boats, replaced brake disc and drums on cars any of which if you do not do it correctly will kill you. If it were legal and I owned the appropriate test equipment I would instal my own gas pipes.
On average I think you will find more people die from badly vented chimneys / CO1 poisoning that are electrocuted in Europe each year .
Now would one of you sanctimonious people like to post in detail about how you test the quality an earth with or without a MEGGAR I would be pleased to read it. Sorry if this sounds a bit aggressive but I thought most of the replies were less use than a condom which had encountered a cheese grater.
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05/05/2008, 21:55
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Val_2
Joined on 23/08/2004
Posts 3,055
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Re: Putting in own electrics
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06/05/2008, 0:15
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BIG MAC
 
Joined on 25/02/2006
53 Mayenne / Hants
Posts 297
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Re: Putting in own electrics
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I don't know whether we may have dissuaded the OP from entering into the electrical fray or from the Forum itself. Simply put electrical work like any other engineering work in my opinion can be done one of two ways 1) The right way 2) The wrong way. Option 2 can be very unforgiving, option 1 is perfectly achievable if you have the moxy, wherewithall and plan to ensure you don't dim the lights in the village on your way to meet God.
And for the record
I am not a sparks and never will be, does supervising electrical installation in a nuclear reactor chamber count as valid experience?
I would rather try to help in a supportive fashion, call me old fashioned................
BIG MAC The frying Scotsman
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06/05/2008, 8:55
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J.R's gone native
Joined on 16/07/2006
Picardie, Sussex
Posts 1,695
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Re: Putting in own electrics
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26 replies (including this one) on the trollometer, will it get to 50?
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06/05/2008, 12:21
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gosub
Joined on 15/01/2008
North 47
Posts 148
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Re: Putting in own electrics
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06/05/2008, 16:41
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J.R's gone native
Joined on 16/07/2006
Picardie, Sussex
Posts 1,695
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Re: Putting in own electrics
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Nick!
Just to make sure you realise I wasnt thinking of you when I coined the phrase "trollometer"![Smile [:)]](/cs/images/emotions/smile.gif)
Reminds me of when I saw Lenny Henry live in a loal disco just after he had won "opportunity knocks", he can only have been 16 or 17 at the time and he certainly didnt have any loyalty to the man whose program ws his spring board to fame as he told the following joke;
"Hughie Greene had to visit the VD clinic last week, he got 140 on the clapometer"!
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France Forum » Building and Re... » House Renovatio... » Putting in own electrics
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