Hello there, I am just about to start to wire french plugs onto some of our appliances we are to take to our new holiday home.
They do not appear to have a positive and negative as we do, can anyone tell me if it makes no difference ? The earth is marked ok
thanks
bill
french electric plugs
Phew I don't know much about anything...but I do know the answer to this 
The answer being it doesn't matter...I worried when I first changed ours so I asked my electrician...I still tend to do them English style just out of habit, you know blue on the left, brown on the right but it really makes no difference, he did explain the science but I can't rember it. You know if you have appliances with only two wires you can use the diddly two pin plugs, I like those...
The answer being it doesn't matter...I worried when I first changed ours so I asked my electrician...I still tend to do them English style just out of habit, you know blue on the left, brown on the right but it really makes no difference, he did explain the science but I can't rember it. You know if you have appliances with only two wires you can use the diddly two pin plugs, I like those...-
Alan Knighting
- Posts: 4120
- Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 7:26 am
- Location: Monflanquin, Lot-et-Garonne, France
I asked a local electrician about this.
There is a long complicated explanation as to why it is important for some three pin plug appliances. Something to do with components and switches being live ........ or not.
And there is a correct live/neutral - left/right rule. I can't remember the rule !
You can read a bit more about it here.
Appliances with only two wires appear to be OK to wire either way.
Peter
There is a long complicated explanation as to why it is important for some three pin plug appliances. Something to do with components and switches being live ........ or not.
And there is a correct live/neutral - left/right rule. I can't remember the rule !
You can read a bit more about it here.
Appliances with only two wires appear to be OK to wire either way.
Peter
-
Alan Knighting
- Posts: 4120
- Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 7:26 am
- Location: Monflanquin, Lot-et-Garonne, France
When considering the wiring circuits of the house what is “live� and what is “neutral� is of paramount importance. All switches must control the live side of the system, not the neutral side. Otherwise even when a light, for instance, is turned off the live side remains “live� and if you fiddle with it you could become “dead�.
The way I understand it is that in France both the live and the neutral sides go through the circuit breaker whereas in the UK it is only the live side which does.
Fluffy
The way I understand it is that in France both the live and the neutral sides go through the circuit breaker whereas in the UK it is only the live side which does.
Fluffy
electric plugs
thanks for all your replies, i think i will wire them as per the english system then at least they will all be the same way round
regards bill
regards bill
It is not that important because both poles are fused.
I had the same problem, & it is nice to be consistent, so I took the switch cover off an earthed french appliance, & used a continuity meter to see which pin the live went to.
The left when looked at from behind.- but who knows, this is France!
Robert
I had the same problem, & it is nice to be consistent, so I took the switch cover off an earthed french appliance, & used a continuity meter to see which pin the live went to.
The left when looked at from behind.- but who knows, this is France!
Robert