SP/DP RCBO's for domestic .Do you have a preference ?

[LukeD]

Ive seen a few guys happy to fit both and a couple of others who only fit DP's . Do you have a preference ?

 

[timhoward]

I suspect some folk regard SPSN = single pole switched neutral.

I suspect some folk regard SPSN = single pole solid neutral.

I'd assumed the former in my comments. The MEM catalogue says
"SPSN and TPSN indicate switched neutral. Neutral makes first and breaks last."

 

[Mike Johnson]

@Mike Johnson or anyone else with knowledge of French electrics. Off topic, but is the polarity of sockets specified in France? Most of my encounters with French electrics are 16A sockets on camp sites, and, while most are wired neutral on the left when earth at the top, as in the UK, it's not at all unusual to encounter one with the live on the left.

Most electricians in France would connect the neutral on the left, but and its a big but, in domestic installations anyone is allowed to work on the electrics, Francois down the local wine bar is just as prevalent as Dave down the pub, domestic sockets are restricted to eight on 1.5mm protected by 16amp MCB and twelve on 2.5mm protected by 20amp MCB, RCD's are restricted to eight circuits and all white goods on their own circuits, so the boards are bigger than we encounter in the UK and so much easier to work on, Oh yes all are dual pole, dual module.

Being dual pole dual module the polarity is not, in reality an issue as the plugs are not fused.

 

[brianmoooore]

I have a 13A s/socket with a neon near the door of the caravan, modified so that the neon is connected between live in and earth.
I would estimate that this neon lights when I plug in to around one in ten of the 16A sockets on French campsites. Not common, but a significant proportion.
I carry a 16A plug connected by a few inches of flex to a 16A line socket which is deliberately incorrectly cross connected to add in and correct things when this occurs.

 

[kropaske]

Had a chat about this with a spark that worked in Germany and Poland and 1P+N (spsn) rcbo are in fact allowed i assume it would be the same in France otherwise why would they be available to buy - commercial install perhaps.
Ring final circuits are also allowed there but very rarely used.
As for those huge boards circuits divisions are different and often houses are supplied with 3Ph instead 1Ph. There is no requirement to use double module Rcbo's however the requirement is to use rcbo that are voltage independent which means if N is lost rcbo will still operate unlike UK Rcbo's which won't. Majority of voltage independent Rcbo's are double module hence most install in EU will have those, but there are single module voltage independent 2P rcbo available as well.

 

[Mike Johnson]

Not the same in France, double pole double module only in domestic installations and definitely no rings, most rural properties are 3Ph and boards tend to be four row to split the phase's, the only real difference between Germany and France is that German boards are twelve modules wide, whereas French boards and thirteen modules wide, but I have insufficient knowledge on German installs to comment on single module voltage independent RCBO's?