Hello all!

I was back in Ireland last week on a family visit and just went round to look at my sisters mansion!  I will have to finish that first fix sometime- a good excuse for another visit me thinks!

Anyways a couple of pics for you peruse this week….. The first concerns the difference in Irish regulations to ours.  Check out my mothers consumer unit…….

Not very clear, this, but first the story.  Ireland gained full independence from the UK around 1937.  The UK nationalised our supplies around a decade later.  The Irish government  went to the Germans for help so the Irish adopted German regulations and this is the result. On the left is a SINGLE POLE MAIN SWITCH.  Next along is a ‘diazed’ MAIN FUSE of 63A rating.  After this is then regular breakers of which there are four.  Next is an ELCB (Earth leakage circuit breaker) which we call an RCD. After this there are three RCD protected breakers supplying sockets.  Finally there is an RCBO at the right end that I fitted donkey’s years ago to supply a shower for dear mother.

The supply is what we call a PME (protective multiple earth) or more recently a TN-C-S.  The Irish have a real cool name for this…… Get ready…… ‘neutralised’!

The second of this weeks pictures was took in the street outside the pub!  So you see, even when in party mode, I still put my readers first, all seven of you!  (that is a joke!)

This explains why, across Europe the regulations people adopted the 230/400V standard.  It is mid way between us on 240/415 and our European neighbours who are all on 220/380V.  With our tolerances we can all be good 230/400V Europeans!!!