DISTRIBUTOR CANNOT BE TRUSTED...

An interesting project.


Firstly I think I wouldn't assume anything as far as the supply is concerned. That might mean you can't just apply BS 7671 blindly - as the UK wiring regs (and standard practice) make certain assumptions about the supply - e.g. that the N is reliably at or about Earth potential - just for one example.


Local regulations/legislation/practice might also actually prohibit some of the more 'interesting' UK practices (reduced c.s.a. c.p.c.s, uninsulated c.p.c.s., or ring circuits for instance). I'd guess you'd probably want to stick with the local socket format (probably Schuko/Type F) too rather than BS 1363 13A ones for convenience of being able to use locally sourced appliances - which strict adherence to BS 7671 doesn't make easy.


The lack of an earth might not be as much of a problem as it first seems to UK eyes. Much of the continent traditionally used a mix of double/reinforced insulation and earth-free locations, which even in western Europe often resulted in simple unearthed 2-pin (type C) sockets in the majority of rooms - ones with earth contacts (type E or F) only been seen in 'wet' locations such as kitchens and bathrooms. It's only in the last perhaps two or three decades that earthing on all sockets has become the norm - and there weren't any great big piles of dead bodies before that.  I gather that in many part of Eastern Europe prior to the 1990s that TN-C "to the socket" was common too - i.e. both N and PE contacts of the socket were connected to the supply cable's N - so you perhaps can't even deduce a lack of earthing from the lack of a c.p.c.. That sort of thing also calls into question other UK practices such as DP switching and even the use of RCDs.


All in all I think some care is going to be needed to blend two different systems together. Some non-electrical precautions - such as going for plastic rather than metallic plumbing - may provide a greater level of safety than just trying to apply BS 7671 alone.


  - Andy.

An interesting project.


Firstly I think I wouldn't assume anything as far as the supply is concerned. That might mean you can't just apply BS 7671 blindly - as the UK wiring regs (and standard practice) make certain assumptions about the supply - e.g. that the N is reliably at or about Earth potential - just for one example.


Local regulations/legislation/practice might also actually prohibit some of the more 'interesting' UK practices (reduced c.s.a. c.p.c.s, uninsulated c.p.c.s., or ring circuits for instance). I'd guess you'd probably want to stick with the local socket format (probably Schuko/Type F) too rather than BS 1363 13A ones for convenience of being able to use locally sourced appliances - which strict adherence to BS 7671 doesn't make easy.


The lack of an earth might not be as much of a problem as it first seems to UK eyes. Much of the continent traditionally used a mix of double/reinforced insulation and earth-free locations, which even in western Europe often resulted in simple unearthed 2-pin (type C) sockets in the majority of rooms - ones with earth contacts (type E or F) only been seen in 'wet' locations such as kitchens and bathrooms. It's only in the last perhaps two or three decades that earthing on all sockets has become the norm - and there weren't any great big piles of dead bodies before that.  I gather that in many part of Eastern Europe prior to the 1990s that TN-C "to the socket" was common too - i.e. both N and PE contacts of the socket were connected to the supply cable's N - so you perhaps can't even deduce a lack of earthing from the lack of a c.p.c.. That sort of thing also calls into question other UK practices such as DP switching and even the use of RCDs.


All in all I think some care is going to be needed to blend two different systems together. Some non-electrical precautions - such as going for plastic rather than metallic plumbing - may provide a greater level of safety than just trying to apply BS 7671 alone.


  - Andy.