Much of my work is rewires and renovations for domestic properties in rural France, and appreciate it when I get an opportunity to do electrical work at non-domestic premises, especially a milking parlour.

Very recently I was asked to take a look at connecting a 3 phase milking machine for local enterprise, Noah's Ark Farm based in Bouin. I made a visit before commencing works to see a huge carefully dis-assembled milking machine with its wiring loom completely intact. More than happy to undertake the work so returned the following week to find the machine re-assembled and mounted ready for re-connecting the wiring loom.

​The fuseboard, fed with 5 core cable [3phase] had to be moved to a safer location as goats, apparently, can be a bit disruptive. I also installed a 3 phase cut off switch that was within easy reach for extra safety measures. In a short space of time an impressive ramp and trough system had been built ready to milk many goats at once.

On completion, the system was tested to make sure that the motors worked in conjunction with the pump and suction hoses [apologies for the terminology, electrics and farming are two very different things]. We made sure the safety cut off worked, voila and the system was ready for the lady goats in no time.
Wishing Noah's Ark Farm all the very best with their increased milking facility.

For more information visit their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NoahsArkFarmBouin/
They produce a variety of quality farm reared free range meats and eggs all year round. Plus they are taking turkey orders for Christmas already!  

The use of an LED light bulb allows a lower consumption of 80% compared to a conventional incandescent bulb. This can save you money, as on average 12.8% of total electrical consumption is lighting.

There are a number of reasons to consider LED lighting in your home

On average the running cost of an LED light bulb is €2.25 when compared to €11.07 for a halogen bulb per year.

LED bulbs don't contain harmful materials such as mercury and lead found in other bulbs.

People believe that yo have to compromise in light quality when using energy saving light bulbs. This is not the case with LEDs. They reach brightness almost immediately and also come in different shades. There are also dimmable options too and even LED security and flood lights.

LED are very low wattage but give you the effect of high wattage light, e.g. a 5 watt LED is equivalent to an old 60 watt bulb. These comparisons are clearly marked on the box to give you the 2 levels.

LED lighting is very flexible and adaptable. You can have the option of traditional light bulbs, downlights, strip lights, outdoor and come in most colours.

So next time the light bulbs blow or if you are thinking of installing new lighting let it be LED.
Having recently purchased a French home myself, I will definitely be using plenty of LED lighting.

It is quite common in older French property to find that the electrical system is supplied in 3 phase, as opposed to single phase.  

When called to quote on electrical work on french properties by new proprietors, I am often asked what is the difference and what does it mean? And more often than not, there are numerous common problems such as when the kettle is switched on the power cuts off or when the hoover is used the power trips. This is because small electrical items can draw a large amount of current. E.g. A kettle can draw around 8amps for the period that it is boiling.

A 3 phase system can work well if you have and use a small amount of electrical appliances or a large incoming supply. With single phase these problems are less likely.  3 phase is a balance of loads. 

For example, using an incoming supply of 60amps [60A], the supply is split into 3 x 20A. Old houses in France usually have outbuildings so having 3 phase means that the supply might be split as follows: 20A for the house, 20A for the barn and 20A for the workshop. Bearing in mind that many years ago there would have been less use of electrical items such as kettles, hoovers, radios, tumble dryers, washing machines. Therefore, very little tripping of power in the kitchen. If you have purchased a property today with 3 phase and plug in all of your appliances – you are very quickly going to over draw on the 20A. E.g. a washing machine may draw 10amps, your freezer may draw 4-6 amps, then when you put the kettle on, another 8amps could be drawn and click you exceed the 20A and the power trips out. With single phase you have 60A feeding the house, you have one large supply coming directly to your dwelling. So your appliances can be switched on with no problem of overload.

I have recently worked on a property which had to be reverted back to 3 phase purely because there was not enough power to the house. I.e. it needed 90Amps minimum which could not be provided by single phase. Therefore I have had to very carefully balance all 3 phases at 30A.
​
No phase can be exceeded, so a qualified electrician has to carefully balance the phases so that should all items be working at one time the current drawn will not overload any of the phases.   

I was asked to rewire a small house at Melleran in August. The current owners are looking to sell the property and were aware that the old installation was outdated and impractical. It was agreed with the customer that the new system would be installed in surface mounted trunking due to timescale and practicalities.

I installed new cabling to service sockets, switches and lighting to 3 bedrooms, bathroom, toilet, kitchen and lounge and attached barn.

While the installation was in progress, the customer asked if 3 electric radiators could be added. Of course! It was easy to add the circuits at this stage and I installed wiring for future additions. The fuseboard was then fitted and connected and the installation tested.

The install was completed in the 2 weeks as promised and I wish them all the very best with their future sale.
To see what the electrical diagnostic entails visit here

Testimonial:  Paul rewired our house promptly, efficiently, was flexible and highly professional at short notice. He arrived on time every day and worked very hard and was obviously very knowledgeable and experienced. I enjoyed having him around and liked his sense of humour and thoughtfulness. I used him by recommendation from another highly satisfied customer and would recommend him to anyone myself. I will use him again and feel confident in doing so.

The last couple of months have been busy for Electricien Anglais En France with the van clocking up some miles.  Here’s a round up of electrical works carried out in April and May.

Bouin 79: Installation of new time clock for swimming pool pump.

Chaignepain 79: Start of full rewire for new purchasers. Overhaul of electrics to blend with customers needs.

Fontenille 79:  Corrective works for new house purchase. Diagnostic report had identified a number of corrective works.

La Gours 16:  Start 1st fix installation for ongoing project.


Lezay 79:  Kitchen sockets for kitchen for one customer and installation of separate cooker feed for another. Another customer wanted lighting and extractor fan installed for new bathroom.

Loize 79:  Connecting extractor fan and new outside lighting for one customer and connected an additional satellite feed installed additional sockets and phone points.

Lusseray79:  Client had new kitchen fitted and wanted lighting and circuits updated.

Montalembert 79: New external supply for workshop and install required number of sockets and lighting.

Paizay Le Tort 79:  Conversion of barn into bedroom with en suite. Installing lighting, sockets and heater outlets.

St Martin L’Ars 86:  New feed for hot water boiler.  Initial visit also identified lack of earth rod, so new earth supply installed plus replacement of VMC unit.

Tillou 79:  Barn converted into new lounge area.  Wiring for sockets and wall lighting plus adding new circuits to garage, outside lighting and pond pump.  Regular visits to another Tillou based client for lighting repairs and additional lights and sockets.

Electricien Anglaise En France is definitely keeping homes electrically safe!! 

Gite owners recently required my services for their workshop area. Having had a new roof on a large barn area, it was perfect timing to address some electrical issues and upgrade to accommodate the busy 'laundry' area and a newly planned games room. The existing wiring was not suitable for the power required.

I started by installing a new feed cable from the main incoming supply at the main house to connect to a newly installed fuse board in the workshop. From the new fuseboard wiring, sockets and switches were installed as per French normes to accommodate the heavy usage of appliances attributed to gite ownership.

A satellite feed was installed on the first floor games room, and the customer had also chosen some nice large domed lights to be installed there too.

This was a great project to work on, one where the customer had the foresight to make better use of space within the barn and ensure that functioning areas were compliant.  

Electricien Anglais En France has worked with a number of gite owners to ensure that accommodation and working areas are compliant. 

My last rewire of 2014 was local in Chef Boutonne and a delightful project to work on. A sound 3 storey building with an existing supply, the owners wanted to take full advantage of getting their electrical planning exactly as they wanted to fit the needs and wants of the rooms that they were creating. I met with them in advance of any building works. The wiring was carried out in stages to coincide with building works. Changes were made along the way, but this is to be expected, as clients are able to see what will work and what will not as their new home takes shape.

The installation required the removal of all old cabling and it's original antiquated fuseboard. As the garage was joined to the house it made sense to house the new fuseboard in the garage and working to French normes, such as making sure that appliances that required independent feeds were adhered to.

The installation was finished in the allocated time frame and the clients were very happy with the finished result.

I am extremely familiar with the normes. These are applied to the work that I do every day in peoples homes - electrical safety is paramount.  If you are buying a house in France and want, particularly in and around Chef  Boutonne, please do make contact.

Hot tubs have become trendy, particularly in Depts 79, 86 and 16! I received a call from a new client back in May who was having a hot tub installed and they were advised by the manufacture to seek electrical assistance from a qualified electrician. I was only too pleased to help and since then have received a number of calls.

What could be nicer than sitting under the stars in the summer with a bit of music and a bottle of something chilled relaxing.  The lifestyle statement has many plus points for your physical well being as well being an impressive feature to invite friends to.  It's a great way to unwind and sooth aching joints and muscles and let's face it there's some stunning scenery in France to look onto.

As the months have gone by I have been fortunate enough to visit personally and professionally homes where there has been an inviting hot tub, they have been cool conversation starters and I know that in 2015 my services will be called upon to help ensure that consumer units are geared up for these additions.

Now for the serious stuff
Hot tubs are governed by strict regulation under the French normes, always consult with a qualified electrician.  Your hot tub will be powered at the mains via and independent miniature circuit breaker [mcb] and will generally require a 32A supply from your consumer unit - this may vary and is dependent on the guidelines of the manufacturer.  An isolator switch will also factor in as part of the installation, allowing users to be able to isolate the power should you need to stop power from your main board flowing to the hot tub.

A great way to enjoy aperos en France! 

Suppliers of Spas:
http://www.canadianspacompany.co.uk/5-People/THUNDER-BAY-hot-tub.html
http://www.limousin-spas.com/
http://simplyspasfrance.com/