On 2012-09-11, Stephen Mawson wrote:

"Adam Funk" wrote in message
...

And does this have anything to do with the existence of 10 A sockets
and plugs (and special circuits, I assume) in Italy, in addition to
the usual European 13 A ones?

(Oops, I meant 16 A.)

(Sorry for the late FU, but I just happened to be rummaging through my
travel adaptors/cables recently & the 2nd question popped up.)

May I comment, since I live in Italy part of the time?
Almost all Italian houses or flats in my experience have a supply limited to
3kW, though it is possible to pay extra to get a 6kW supply. The smart meter
(fairly common in Italy for at least ten years) includes a cut-out which
trips at 3.3kW for a nominal 3kW supply like mine. So, yes, you have to
keep an eye on what you switch on at the same time.
Italian plugs come in two sizes, nominally 10 amp and 16 amp. Both have
three in-line round pins with earth at the centre and with the live and
neutral interchangeable (but then a 'salvavita' -- an earth-leakage
circuit-breaker) incorporated in the fuse-box has been common in Italy for

Same as an RCD or similar?

many years.) Most domestic appliances come with a German/French style
("Schuko"?) plug attached and the corresponding wall-sockets are available
as also are adaptors.
House wiring circuits are radial, normally in conduits embedded in the walls
(which makes rewiring easy) and following a change in the rules some years
ago the wire used is now always flexible. Blue is used for neutral with a
variety of colours for live (mine are black, just to make me keep my wits
about me.)

To what extent are the live & neutral interchangeable? Just at the
plug-socket interface?