Doing Electricity. Part 1 of many, no doubt.

I think I may have mentioned I am planning our electrics. (Yup, I have, here).

This has turned into a monster job, because I may have got carried away. Not for me one light bulb hanging in the middle of the ceiling and three power points in each room - this is going to be done right and proper.

After a week and a bit of thinking I have graduated from my piece of paper to using the computer, plotting everything on Photoshop. The results are scary, even when written out in my own invented code. I am going to have so many cables running around the house, it will be like living in a Faraday Cage: I have, at last, worked out what I want to go where.

The overall plan

So that was stage one. Stage two will be a challenge.

Part of the reason for this is the way french do wiring. It is a radial system, so all the electrics come directly from the "coffret" or distribution board, there is a strict limit on the number of power points/lights you can have on one circuit, all wires must be in conduits, and heavy use items have their own dedicated circuits which have to go all the way to their own dedicated circuit breaker on the fuse board. (This last one will be fun for us - the fuse board is in the old entry hall - the other side of a 1 metre thick stone wall. As we will be wiring for an oven, dishwasher, washing machine, fridge, and clothes dryer, that means that a 2" hole has to be drilled for each item. Yehaa!)

Power points and zones

I have two alternatives to this: one is bringing the supply into the house by taking the three phases through the wall and installing a new board, and the other is getting EDF to put in a new supply for us straight into the kitchen. This appeals on one level, but it does mean the house will be a new wiring job rather than a rewire, and in France that means having no less than the legal minimum of power points, lights and phone points in each room. Not that that SHOULD be a worry, but what if I don't want a telephone point in every bedroom?

Of course, being France, you can buy all the bits you need in any old hardware store - even down to pre-loaded conduit, so once you know your plan it should all sort of fit together. You can also buy many books which explain it all, because a true Frenchman likes to do these things himself.

Lights and switches

This, of course, assumes you're not getting too ambitious. Hands up everyone writing this blog who has got ambitious...

I mentioned previously about using LED spotlights in the kitchen, bathroom and over the stairs. I love the idea of never having to replace a lightbulb, but wiser heads have counselled me, and I am reconsidering. As for fittings, I really want to use Legrand switches and power points because they are so funky. You can get an idea of the sort of thing they do from the website here and here, but be warned, it's all a bit irritatingly French.

So there you go. I now have a plan. This will be discussed with the electrician and no doubt changed. I hope it doesn't have to be changed too much.

And while we are talking of electricity: some you may be aware it was a little blowy on Monday and quite a few places lost their electricity supply. Our local newspaper has a selection of photos from the tempete and its aftermath here. (link now working)


Simon