Hello everyone - 3-phase German wiring needs

Pictures, diagrams would help a great deal

Pete999 said:

Pictures, diagrams would help a great deal

Click to expand...

I was going to create a new conversation and provide photos and more details there. Is that the done thing? Or can I expand on the greeting post?

Hello I have moved this thread to another section so keep all posts to the thread.

Paul Cole said:

I was going to create a new conversation and provide photos and more details there. Is that the done thing? Or can I expand on the greeting post?

Click to expand...

reply to your existing, or edit it if you are in time, sorry Mods didn't mean to stick my oar in.

Hello everyone,

Following on…

The electrical system has three-phase entering the property, and a single-phase meter. The meter then feeds a number of relays that control the lighting and a series of old (10A) miniature circuit breakers. There is then a single phase connection to a more modern (90s) consumer unit that returns a neutral to a busbar distributing the earths.

The 90s consumer unit controls all kitchen circuitry and a couple of other radial output circuits in the cellar (also the location of the consumer unit).

What I planned to do was (I thought) simply replace the existing consumer unit that contains a Main Switch and no RCDs, with a more secure unit. Stage 2 would then be to add further circuit breakers and circuitry controlling upstairs (c. 4 radial) to the consumer unit at some point this spring.

Stage 3 would then be to make the old circuit-breaker-relay system redundant, which could then be ripped out and a new connection to the meter be established. This could either be done circuit-by-circuit, or as a single project.


The electricians on the German forum have had an interesting debate, with one guy saying it was plausible but who also suggested that I replace the meter with a 3-phase meter, which I didn’t understand the need for.

The German Code is different to the UK which is what I’m spending my time trying to understand at the moment, but in principle, isn’t simply replacing the consumer unit practically possible? There is currently a single phase feed with a neutral return to a busbar!

Many thanks
Paul

Hmm there's me thinking that the new regulations were unified across Europe. Bloody brexit. The Germans tend to use radial circuits, which is what you appear to have here. You have RCD protection to at least one circuit and by adding more RCD units you could protect the whole place. You certainly look as though you have the space in the unit. An alternative would be to replace the MCBs with RCBOs. You certainly don't have to replace a consumer unit with so much space. You probably have space to fit AFDDs and SPDs in there if so desired. Gawd knows what the other contraptions are, perhaps Noah will know. The fact that it is all single phase should be relatively easy to deal with though some of the control gear looks old and therefore the cables to and from it may be beyond serviceable condition.

The presence of Diazed (rather than Neozed) fuses would concern me regarding the age of the installation. Rewiring may be necessary.