European double sockets

Data cable is the same (American) standard everywhere as far as I can tell.

I agree. From what I've read recently, ANSI TIA-568 equates to BS EN 50173-1 so I wouldn't be at all surprised if Germany used something like DIN EN 50173-1 which was a word for word translation.


I have head that the Germans did have a habit of putting two sockets on one cable (as the old Ethernet standards only used 2 of the 4 pairs) - but I presume that approach is long since dead these days.


  - Andy.

yep - the Germans  go

"Mein Gott !! , Rot fur Fase 1 !!"  when looking at old UK wiring,  but the 'wow' feeling of incredible danger  is the same on both sides.

Which is why for the last decade or two all of us on both sides now use brown for phase 1 and stripy earths in all new works, but in older German buildings you will see odd red singles, black lives and grey neutrals..

Data cable is the same (American) standard everywhere as far as I can tell.

Thanks for all of the replies guys..........Wow- red wire for earth.......


I have to install 2 double sockets for 2 x a TV/conference screens and I'll just have to copy whats there from an existing circuit.


Hopefully the data over there is the same as for over here because I've got two of those to do too and an under counter kitchen cupboard light (LED Strip lights)


Is the data the same? RJ45 socket to a patch panel type deal..........I'm very good at data here and assume it'll be the same there and I'm taking CAT 6 cable from here (Purple) - does anyone know if that may be a problem?


Kind Regards


Tatty

Germany, more like the UK runs a bit understaffed across the summer hols, but because school holidays are phased by region, it is not so obvious. Also people without children often make a point of working in the holiday season, and then having a quieter holiday at another time.  (and mostly, like us, they see the French as something else)

But yes, beware of exceeding agreed working hours - I was told off by the local union rep for working late, as it undermines our colleagues. Although when they are 'on' there is no hanging about, so it is more as if there are 2 speeds "go" and "stop". Actually I found the Berlin driving experience a bit like that as well ? Equally it was a while ago, and there will have been something of a generation shift among those in charge, so it may not be  quite like that any more.


Oh, and German and French sockets are not the same, and beware the old east German practice of converting a 2 wire installation to an earthed socket, with a link behind the socket, now depracated.


If you see a red wire, it is an earth, do not liven it up.

I worked for an upmarket kitchen company that sold English,German and French kitchens, the customers were told they could not have a French kitchen during July and August, if we started a kitchen in July and anything was damaged or missing it would not be available until September, so it was easier to put the jobs off for a couple of months.


One job I phoned the office to get to speak to the French manufacturer to tell them that we needed a oak back panel to replace the beech panel they had fitted in a oak tambour unit, their comment was “Oh! You English are do fussy,we don’t have these problems with the Germans!”.


Another job I phoned the office to say that the wicker baskets didn’t fit in the island unit they had made, their comment was “Oh! Yes we know they don’t fit, but it was Friday afternoon and we didn’t have time to fo anything about it”.


Then there was the job that needed a mantelpiece to go over an existing Aga, they looked at the design and said “We can’t make that its English”. So a mantelpiece was made in Bolton and shipped to France on a return trip so they could paint and distress it along with the rest of the kitchen so that all matched. When the mantelpiece arrived back in England it obviously had been painted and distressed by a different person to the rest of the kitchen, so I ended up having to refinish it using acid catalyst paint, distressing fluid and an air brush running off a can containing a mixture of compressed air and propane along with a selection of abrasive papers. All completely unnecessary work that only had to be done because they would not go with the flow and do what should have been a straightforward job.


As regards August, it’s a complete nonstarter trying to get anything done by the French until September.


Andy B.

Basic info (in german ) is in the pubic domain and then the VDE regs you have to pay for, or more sensibly, get someone else to do the paper design in advance.

tattyinengland:


I believe that all of Europe goes on holiday for 2 weeks and there are no tradesmen available at this time...

I know from experience that in France you're unlikely to get any work done in the month of August, as a general rule... ???


Not sure if the same applies to other European countries though?

You ask the German engineers how do I wire this here? Answer vee ask ze questions

Thank you all for the replies - especially MapJ1 as I now have some lingo to go with the job! 


I believe that all of Europe goes on holiday for 2 weeks and there are no tradesmen available at this time; this is when the Berlin office needs this project delivered; hence why we're being shipped in - well I've submitted costs and we'll see if they go for it.........


Hope so....... it'll be an amazing adventure. 


Kind Regards


Tatty

I went for a long weekend in Berlin last year, I doubt you will work on a Sunday and will find working hours are much more rigid.


Currently I am sat in my van looking across Bath in glorious sunshine with the abbey tower framed against the green wooded hills behind it, over the last year I have literally traveled the length and breadth of the country, but my only international trips have been to Wales. I have just carried everything I am likely to need with me and have only been to local wholesalers four times, but I am working out of a van not a suitcase.


It does sharpen the wits when you’re a hours drive from a wholesaler.


Andy B