Garden electrics

[CRB]

Any comments on the following extract from uk.rec.gardening?

Message 12 in thread From: Ric ( [e-mail]) Subject: Re: Spec for greenhouse electical fittings View this article only Newsgroups: uk.rec.gardening Date: 2003-10-31 12:17:03 PST

In the UK electrical fittings are always massively over-specced. You will be fine using the lowest spec and cheapest ones.

By way of example, here in France I have so-called "exterior" sockets all around my garden in various places for exterior lights and garden tools. They are just the same as interior sockets except in a mildly more shock absorbent plastic. They are considered perfectly ok here.

CRB

[Andy Hall]

The author can do what he wants.

Personally, I always buy the best quality fittings and fit according to the IEE Wiring Regulations. One can argue that in some aspects British Standards for both are somewhat over-engineered. However in this application we are talking about an environment of potentially high humidity and/or presence of water and dirt and a risk of mechanical damage.

If the author wishes to risk his own life for the sake of a few Euros, that's up to him, but it isn't responsible to suggest that others should do so.

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

[BillR]

In mitigation, mostly French electrics all appear to be RCD controlled as I experienced in a Gite where a shower tripped the whole property off! So they are probably fairly safe if somewhat inconvenienced.

[Andy Hall]

True. In fact a lot of hotel rooms in France seem to have consumer units, although that is also to house impulse relays to operate the lights from muliple switches.

.andy

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[Andy Dingley]

An inevitable consequence of not using ring mains. The length of the cabling runs gets silly otherwise. Even in the oldest and nastiest of old French buildings with old French wiring, you had "fuse boards" at what seemed very small intervals by English practice.

-- Die Gotterspammerung - Junkmail of the Gods

[Pablo]

As is feeding cattle engine oil and pretending BSE doesn't exist in France.

[Andy Hall]

Which reminds me....

I recently learned that when the whole mad cow saga began, the French ministry of agriculture decided that it would be a good idea to label French-produced beef with the letters VF to mean "Viande Française".

Unfortunately, these letters also stand for "vache fou"

It was later replaced with VBF - "Viande Bovine Française"

.andy

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[BigWallop]

Thanks for the new insult Andy. I can use it under my breath when arguing with SWMBO. :-))

[Huge]

Indeed. Which is why I have regularly returned to hotel rooms there to find them in darkness...

[Steve Firth]

Mucca pazza is also useful.

[BigWallop]

Sì. Grazie. :-))