European double sockets

IIRC the Germans usually use circular back boxes for their sockets (much more efficient to cut a round hole into a wall using a rotary cutter than a square hole) - two similar holes slightly overlapping for a double socket. Typically held in with screws these days, although the tradition was a nasty side gripping sharp prongs kind of thing.


There might be the occasional UK manufactured one that'll fit a BS 4662 box (I've a feeling MK used to do one) - but the normal stuff, no chance.


   - Andy.

The back box is a 'wanddose'  = pronounced like VanDozer meaning wall (wand)  box(dose)

Stecker is plug, Steckdose is wall socket or just socket.


Strom is current, or in site slang Saft == juice (it is the same - Orangensaft is orange juice you drink, 'kein saft' == "no juice" means there is no power )


The circular holes are indeed still common though for double sockets you will also now encounter a shape that is the over lap of 2 circles - not a fig of 8, but more like a routed slot.
heir ist     some example 

To explain the types- Hohlwand == hollow wall is plaster board walls

.Doppel - is double

Schalter is switch

and anything with

Feucht (prononunce like foykht ) is for damp atmospheres, kitchens cellars and  baths.


I suspect the trade suppliers expect you to open an account, the likes of Bauhaus, (the website linked above), are more like Wickes or B and Q, and will sell to anyone with a valid bank card or money, useful if you get stuck and need a small thing in a hurry. Get the locals to pre-order the big stuff.


Some cautions, you will not need T and E or earth sleeving, all final circuit cables have the CPC the same size as the live, and you will see a lot more 3 phase (drei fase , pronounced like dry fa-ah-ser ) in domestic than you would here. 3 phases at 16A each is a typical cooker circuit. Lights and power are often mixed, but more circuits, often 16A RCBO radials  and singles and flexiconduit are common in masonary.


I cannot comment on current working practices, but back in the early 2000s in Berlin, it all started early in the morning and was pretty fast moving . Equally they would only work agreed hours and then drop everything and go home.

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

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

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

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?

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.

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.

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.

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