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 Topic: Reverse Polarity Light
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11/7/2016 at 6:13pm
Location: Northern Ireland
Outfit: Sterckeman Alize Concept CP480
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Her we go! Haven't had a decent polarity argument for some time!
Be careful that you do not apply British wiring methodology and ideas to a very different system.
The CEE 7/X system i.e. "Schuko" and the French 16A plug/socket system is never polarised. Live and neutral are randomly assigned depending on which way the plug is inserted.
Polarity on a 230V A/C single phase system does not actually matter in almost any instances. The only circumstances where it is particular necessary would be if you were using an ancient appliance with a live chassis neutral e.g.. some very old valve radio and television sets used the internal chassis of the appliance to carry the neutral. This was a potentially lethal practice, if you were servicing the appliance or the outer casing was open. It disappeared by the 1950s/60s.
Modern appliances that are made to European standards e.g. that carry the CE mark, are designed to be used with non-polarised AC supplies. They do not care which is the live and which is the neutral and operate perfectly safely in either polarity. Remember, you are using alternating current, so it moves back and forth 50 times per second. Polarity is more of an issue with DC systems for motors. DC power systems in buildings are LONG LONG gone.
Even European ES (screw-type) lamps are designed so that you cannot touch the screw of the bulb when you are inserting a new light bulb into a holder.
Obviously, when servicing an appliance, it is ALWAYS important to remove the plug from the wall socket. This applies in every country, regardless of whether the system is polarised or not as there's always the potential for live internal parts even when the switch is off.
The main reason that polarity is such a big issue in the UK and Ireland is because of the use of the fused BS1363 plug.
The British and Irish regulations allow the use of ring circuits. These are 32A circuits fed from both ends. The over current protection for the plug, cord and appliance are not on the distribution board, rather they are in the plugtop itself. So it is absolutely vital that the plug is inserted in the correct direction because otherwise you risk plugging an appliance directly into a 32amp circuit with the fuse on the neutral !
On the continent, a 10 or 16A fuse or MCB is always on the live, because it is on the distribution board and professionally installed on the live (or, in some installations it's often a double pole MCB that cuts both live and neutral when off).
When you use a UK/Irish plug with an adaptor on the continent, it still doesn't matter about the polarity because you are never connected to a ring circuit. You'll be protected by a 16 or 10A breaker, so even if the fuse is on the neutral, you're still relatively safe.
Even in Ireland and Britain some appliances have random polarity. For example, any appliance that you connect using a figure of 8 connector e.g. your Sky box, most small radios/audio equipment etc.
Likewise, if you use any appliance with a continental plug and a converter plug e.g. many sony televisions are sold that way.
However, it does not matter provided that the BS1363 plug or adaptor and wall socket are correctly polarised as then you are definitely not plugged into a ring via a plug with a fused neutral.
Finally, regarding your 10A mixed socket and lighting circuit. That is not unusual in Spain and in many countries and there's nothing particularly dangerous about it either. However, it is becoming much less common as people want to be able to plug heavier appliances into circuits these days.
Normally, in older Spanish wiring you've got flat 2-pin sockets which are only meant for light appliances and then you'll have recessed Schuko (earthed) sockets which are meant for up to 16Amp appliances.
Spanish light fittings are rated to cope with at least 10Amps and are protected by an RCD too. They're not the same as in the UK where they're usually 6amp circuits and are often not protected by an RCD.
So, they're perfectly OK to use for sockets where the planned load is low.
In more modern installations the sockets are all 16A schuko and are on 16amp radial circuits.
I would suggest that you should consider calling an electrician and having some extra circuits installed if you are short of schuko sockets in some rooms.
The wiring must be 1960s/70s?
End of sermon .... 
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