Spanish wiring colours

[DUNCANEDAVIES]

Hi,
I have recently bought a private stand alone single car garage in Spain, the owner had previously rented it to me for 5 years, during that time the electricity supply had been disconnected. I now want to upgrade the system so there are 2 lights, and 2 power points and get it re-connected. However has anyone come across a system, where from the junction box in the wall, there are 2-2 core wires embedded in the building, feeding the ceiling light and original power point. Both these have blue and black cables which I assume is black for live and blue for negative. The query is the main cable from the fuse board to this junction box, which is 3 core having 3 blue cables, these connect to the previous wires in the junction box. I'm guessing may be one is negative and the other 2 are live, could that be possible.

 

[telectrix]

it's spain. colours vary according to the day or whether the bull or the toreador won.. only thing you can do is bell them out and label them.

 

[dingledong]

As above

 

[mayfair]

Stop talking crap you guys In all new install the standards are very high as for old stuff well Ive seen some sH***t in the UK. As for the OP the regs are quite clear in your an electrician in Spain if your not how will you get this work certified.

 

[Adam W]

It seems to me there are one of two ways:
If you feel competent, as telectrix suggests isolate the supply and bell out the cables,
or as mayfair suggests, Spanish electrics are fine, or you could get a very polite, amiable and chilled-out ex-pat electrician to have a look for you.

 

[7029 dave]

Time to call Pedro.

 

[mayfair]

What lenth and size are the supply cables? also how is the cable supplying the garage protected is there a cpc is it TT ? What do you intend to plug into the sockets lots of things to consider Im afraid In most outbuildings in Spain you would expect to find a sub DB with its own circuits for lighting and sockets switches/sockets would usually be IP 65 as a minimum depending of conditions relavent to the outbuilding, plus rcd protection this would be feed from the main board with the supply cable protected by a RCD taking into account diversty between the two RCD's. the lighting circuit would normally be fed from a 10A 2Pmcb using single 1.5mm the sockets if for normal use would be fed from a 16A 2P mcb using 2.5 mm singles. yellow green = earth, Blue = neutral, black, brown or grey can be used for live the norm would be Brown on single phase but any of the three colours can be used as long as you stick to the colour. As for switching Brown feed....Black switched. if surface mounted all cables should be in 20/25 mm pvc tubing supported at min 75cm spacing all surface mount Junction boxes should be ip65 rated if TT the cable should be 16mm from Spike to box. Maybe time to call pedro lol

 

[DUNCANEDAVIES]

Thanks for all your replies regarding my query on Spanish wiring colours, following on from this I have now proved what all the existing cables are and where they run, mainly by plugging a generator into the the existing power point system. This proved everything is working including the additional lighting that I have installed, however it has also proved that the sole existing power point is all part of the original lighting circuit and is without an earth. I intend running a second separate 16amp circuit with earth for my additional power points. You may have gathered I am not a qualified electrician although as a design engineer on process plant, have gleaned some info over the years. To that end, once I have completed the donkey work, I will be having the whole system checked by a qualified Spanish electrician, in order to get a certificate for Endesa who will then hopefully re-install a new external meter/cabinet. Out of interest does anyone know the size of the new metal door cabinets Endesa now use as I can see a problem, my garage is between 2 houses and the max distance I have from garage door frame to adjacent properties is 450mm

 

[trev]

Usted necesita un electricista Espanol o Mayfair

 

[Besoeker]

it's spain. colours vary according to the day or whether the bull or the toreador won.. only thing you can do is bell them out and label them.

I've been around a bit. Including Spain on electrical business. Anything seems to go. Sometimes a frightening absence of safety.

On a lighter note...
British guy having dinner in Pamplona.
He notices what looks like an apetising dish on another diner's plate.
"Can I have that?"
"Sorry, no senor. That's the bulls testicles. We get just one a day from the bullfight."
"May I order them for tomorrow?"

Next night the diner is served a tiny portion. And expresses his disappointment.
The waiter shrugs.
"Sorry senor. Sometimes, the bull, he win."

 

[mayfair]

Your going to strugle getting someone to sign your work off ...just as you would in UK as for new meter cupboard you will also need a certificado de enlaces . Good luck you'll need it.

Thanks for all your replies regarding my query on Spanish wiring colours, following on from this I have now proved what all the existing cables are and where they run, mainly by plugging a generator into the the existing power point system. This proved everything is working including the additional lighting that I have installed, however it has also proved that the sole existing power point is all part of the original lighting circuit and is without an earth. I intend running a second separate 16amp circuit with earth for my additional power points. You may have gathered I am not a qualified electrician although as a design engineer on process plant, have gleaned some info over the years. To that end, once I have completed the donkey work, I will be having the whole system checked by a qualified Spanish electrician, in order to get a certificate for Endesa who will then hopefully re-install a new external meter/cabinet. Out of interest does anyone know the size of the new metal door cabinets Endesa now use as I can see a problem, my garage is between 2 houses and the max distance I have from garage door frame to adjacent properties is 450mm

 

[Knobhead]

Your going to strugle getting someone to sign your work off ...just as you would in UK as for new meter cupboard you will also need a certificado de enlaces . Good luck you'll need it.

That sounds ominous.

Is it a case of the brown envelope gets the job done?

 

[DUNCANEDAVIES]

I take your point regarding getting the work signed off, but I will be employing a Spanish electrician to replace the original internal fuse board with a modern one and to install a totally separate power ring main to the workshop above, which has never had electricity. As for my work in the garage, everything I have done is easily visable, as it is in surface mounted tracking so I'm hoping I can find the RIGHT electrician in order he will certify the completed work. This will then lead onto getting Endesa to re-install their outside meter.

 

[Engineer54]

I take your point regarding getting the work signed off, but I will be employing a Spanish electrician to replace the original internal fuse board with a modern one and to install a totally separate power ring main to the workshop above, which has never had electricity. As for my work in the garage, everything I have done is easily visable, as it is in surface mounted tracking so I'm hoping I can find the RIGHT electrician in order he will certify the completed work. This will then lead onto getting Endesa to re-install their outside meter.

Afraid you're Spanish electrician won't know anything about installing power ring mains, you'll just have to settle for a radial circuit or two and lump it!! lol!!