French wiring book showing Type AC 40a breaker with N and L wired opposite

[pipunch]

Looks to me like the two connection block L and N are just that, the thing you describe as a copper thingy with pins, is Bus bar to feed the top of the DP CBs the L and N at the bottom are for the out going circuits.

Ok thanks - i actually found a video in French which shows the bottom L and N poles on the RCB wired up to the L and N poles on the first circuit breaker as i suspected.

Still don't get what that picture in the middle on the left is all about, with the L and N poles wired to the N and L on the first CB.
Any ideas?

 

[pipunch]

Can you not post a pic of your box.

They are 'interrupteurs différentielles' - which are breakers that only protect people and not equipment. The other type you can buy here are called 'disjoncteurs différentielles' which are the type that protect both people and equipment in case of a surge.

 

[pipunch]

Here is a clearer picture of the part i mean. See how it's showing the N on the RCB wired to the L on the first CB ? The part is headed 'Different ways of wiring.' What's that all about ?

View attachment 35208

 

[Pete999]

Ok thanks - i actually found a video in French which shows the bottom L and N poles on the RCB wired up to the L and N poles on the first circuit breaker as i suspected.

Still don't get what that picture in the middle on the left is all about, with the L and N poles wired to the N and L on the first CB.
Any ideas?

Looks like different methods of connecting the supply to the CU utilizing different styles of bus bars,
If you follow the wires the brown wire goes to the brown bus bar and the blue wire to the blue bus bar

 

[pipunch]

Looks like different methods of connecting the supply to the CU utilizing different styles of bus bars,
If you follow the wires the brown wire goes to the brown bus bar and the blue wire to the blue bus bar

But isn't the bus bar just there to link the supplies without having to wire separately ? If so the L is still connected to the N which is then connected across the board to the rest of the N's via the bar ? The neutral feed is going into the live pole and the live feed going to the neutral pole on the first circuit breaker isn't it ? Can you do that ? And why does the entire rest of the book and everything online show Neutral to Neutral and Live to Live, even with the same RCB with poles top and bottom ?

Confused !

Admittedly i'm not a spark but following a diagram is straight forward it's just this difference that's baffling me !

 

[pipunch]

This video shows the type of RCD i have with poles top and bottom but wired up N-N and L-L like normal. Does it make a difference that they're all Type A ? ie, do you wire up AC and A types differently or doesn't it matter ?

 

[kingeri]

TBH, maybe you'd be better consulting a local électricien, to be sure all is done correctly. I haven't gotten involved with this thread because I simply don't know about French wiring at all, and to try and give advice over the internet on this could lead to disaster. Better safe than sorry??

 

[pipunch]

TBH, maybe you'd be better consulting a local électricien, to be sure all is done correctly. I haven't gotten involved with this thread because I simply don't know about French wiring at all, and to try and give advice over the internet on this could lead to disaster. Better safe than sorry??

Yes i've got a guy i can ask but it will be like £40 just to ask him one question. I am following the schematic laid out in the book and on videos etc i'm just confused about that one picture showing N wired to L and L wired to N. I thought, theoretically speaking, that you couldn't do that ?

The spark will be coming out to check on the installation before i switch anything on - i'm wiring up the consumer unit first and then putting it on the wall after, and the last thing to be connected (AFTER the electrician tells me everything is correct) will be the live and neutral feeds coming from my monophase supply - so i will be safe i just want to have it all ready and prepared so my £40 gets me a definitive answer rather than a 'that'll be £40, call me again and pay me another £40 when you're ready to switch everything on' ! Just wanting to make sure i get it as right as possible before he comes.

 

[Risteard]

You need a local (French) Electrician to install this. It is abundantly clear that you lack the competence to do this safely and possibly to comply with the law.

 

[kingeri]

Yes i've got a guy i can ask but it will be like £40 just to ask him one question. I am following the schematic laid out in the book and on videos etc i'm just confused about that one picture showing N wired to L and L wired to N. I thought, theoretically speaking, that you couldn't do that ?

The spark will be coming out to check on the installation before i switch anything on - i'm wiring up the consumer unit first and then putting it on the wall after, and the last thing to be connected (AFTER the electrician tells me everything is correct) will be the live and neutral feeds coming from my monophase supply - so i will be safe i just want to have it all ready and prepared so my £40 gets me a definitive answer rather than a 'that'll be £40, call me again and pay me another £40 when you're ready to switch everything on' ! Just wanting to make sure i get it as right as possible before he comes.

Fair enough, but are you really that skint?

 

[pipunch]

You need a local (French) Electrician to install this. It is abundantly clear that you lack the competence to do this safely and possibly to comply with the law.

I don't see how it's possible to 'lack competence' when i'm following a schematic from a book and several websites from qualified installers. Here, you're allowed to install your own system - they sell ready made-up consumer units off the shelf for the DIY'er. The electrician i know (qualified and registered in both France and the UK) told me that triphase would be too dangerous for me but monophase i could do myself.

I simply want to know why all but one drawing shows Live and Neutral cables being wired into live and neutral poles, but one single solitary drawing shows it the opposite way round. It's an answer to a theoretical question i'm after - i've found a video online that shows the unit wired up as i've already wired mine - same thickness and type of cable, same kind of RCB, same equipment and accessories used...so i know it's safe. You don't need to be qualified to copy someone who is. Live from mains to L. Neutral from mains to N. L and N from RCB to L and N on circuit breaker all in same thickness of cable as the feed. Live in same thickness as feed. Not exactly hard.

I appreciate the help here but i'm no closer to an answer...i'm not going to pay £40 to ask a spark why one diagram shows a unit wired backwards. I thought the point of this place was to have questions answered by qualified people....but then said qualified people send me to other qualified people for answers ? Confused !

 

[pipunch]

Fair enough, but are you really that skint?

Yep - i have a farm house that needs a roof, a septic tank, new windows, new floors, a new log burning fire place, a new dormer window and an extension doing...every pound saved is vital to us. As i said - i won't be connecting anything up without first getting a spark to check over my work.

Still, any ideas on whether or not it's theoretically correct or do-able to wire the neutral and lives out of an RCB into the opposite poles on a circuit breaker ?

 

[mache]

I'm pretty sure that the schematic of Brown (line) to Neutral is probably just an error by the artist producing the drawings for the manual and that no body has picked up on it before. Just contact the manufacturer directly and ask for confirmation.

 

[westward10]

I can see what you are saying it looks like a pictoral error.

 

[Risteard]

I don't see how it's possible to 'lack competence' when i'm following a schematic from a book and several websites from qualified installers.

Perhaps you can't see how it is possible, but believe me it is and I stand by my comment.