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Radial Circuit for sockets and lights and in general

Former Community Member over 3 years ago

I was interested in gaining a better understanding of what is and isn’t allowed here in the UK under radial circuits. Specifically, if one wanted to add Schuko or Type F (or French variant of Type E) of plugs into the mix.

I understand that we can have a radial circuit with a 20amp MCB, but most here advise to install a 16amp MCB.

I saw the posts by some advising that you can install European standards in a home as they can be invoking ‘invoke directive HD384’.

While I appreciate, we do things differently I wondered why no one (if it is allowed or not) then installs a small circuit with plugs and lights on the same circuit as opposed to separating each lighting and socket. Is this at all possible?

Personally, I did install a couple of Type E plugs from Schneider (not the German ones  ) as I have some German friends who come and for the same reason the previous posts mention they are better than travel adapters (and they also allow me to use the steam cleaner we obtained from Germany without changing the plug). They are on a solitary 20amp MCB in a small radial but themselves. I did use NYM-J 2,5x3 also http://www.batt.co.uk/upload/files/nym-j_1432822108.pdf

https://www.legrandgroup.com/sites/default/files/Documents_PDF_Legrand/Nos_solutions/Guide_International_standards_EN.pdf

0 mapj1 over 3 years ago

Maybe within 2.5m of a bath after the latest amendments have rolled throug, who knows..

Personally I have no issue with designing things that are not to BS7671, but then I'm not a domestic sparks who needs to do things a certain way to satisfy the rules of the organisation he needs to belong to to notify works to the local authority, which allows a certain amount of indepandance.

For the mother in law (also now in the UK) it was easier to make up half a dozen short extension leads by putting a UK plug onto a German ready made extension lead. This stops her using the cheap adaptors, many of which do not give an earth, and a couple cases have actually melted through use with the kettle, or was it the iron ?

Why not cut all the leads and fit UK ? well, because she may move back at some point, and she has a home full of things with Shucko plus moulded onto them, including really occasional use stuff like an electric drill (unlike me she really scarcely needs one) and she goes back and forth, as there are family over there, and regularly purchases a new thing and brings it back.

There must be plenty of folk who live in more than one country, and would like to be able to use the same stuff in both places.

I agree on hotels, but there are more permanent cases, where folk rent a flat for 3 months or however long the contract.

Mike.
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Radial Circuit for sockets and lights and in general

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