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Woody[_7_] Woody[_7_] is offline
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Default Why does discussion always tend towards power plugs?

Two points:

Part P was brought in supposedly to stop people doing dangerous
domestic rewiring causing death. The most recent records
available before Part P came in (2007 and 2005 IMSMC) showed that
in that year four people had died and twenty had received
significant electric shocks as a result of unsafe domestice
wiring alterations. If ever there was an instance of jobs for the
boys this must be it.

The other issue is that continental electricians don't seem to
have any concept of live and neutral. BS4343 outlets are very
clearly marked L and N on both plug or socket but my experience
(caravanning, mainly in France) is that more are reverse wired
than correctly wired. Perhaps it is because (from what I have
seen) most Euro MCB's are dual pole and will break both both
conductors under fault conditions (remember most Euro wiring is
radial) so polarity at the point of delivery is largely academic.
I purchased a 10A two-pole MCB (LeGrand) for my caravan in a
French DIY shed for less than a 6A single pole from a UK
wholesaler. Is there any wonder we have to take more steps in our
protection chain than they do?



--
Woody

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