Who's rewired their house for this hobby?

[Johnny Billquist]

On 2014-11-23 13:21, Holm Tiffe wrote:
> Johnny Billquist wrote:
>
>> On 2014-11-23 12:45, tony duell wrote:
>>>
>>>>> No, instead your table lamp is protected by a 15A breaker in the
>>>>> distibution panel. Hmm.. I am told that in some continental
>>>>> European countries it's common to have a pair of 16 A (230V)
>>>>> outlets protected by a single 32A breaker. And no other protective
>>>>> device. So a table lamp is effectively fused at 32A. No thanks.
>>>>
>>>> No. That's hearsay and forbidden everywhere.
>>>
>>> I've not seen all the electical regulations for all EU countries... Until
>>> I do I will not be convinced that such
>>> wiring doesn't exist anywere..
>>>
>>> What is the typical German wiring ? A 16A breaker for each outlet?
>>
>> Typical is probably 10A. Same in Sweden, and Switzerland (which
>> admittedly is outside the EU).
>
> No. 16A is typical for actual installations. Nevertheless there are 10A and
> 6A circuit breakers too, but each outlet and each plug is rated 16A.
> 10A is history.

Really? All my circuits both in Sweden and Switzerland have 10A breakers 
on them.
I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the actual wiring might be 
designed for more, but that's what *all* my breakers are at.

I don't know what the actual plugs are rated for. But for computers, the 
part that plugs into the computer are rated for 10A. There is a 16A 
rated model, which you might find on tea kettles, but every computer 
item I own (or even have owned) have the 10A version.

(And Sweden use the same SHUKO plugs you have in Germany.)

>> You might have several outlets on the same 10A breaker. However, all the
>> wiring can take the full 10A, so there is no possibility of actually
>> draw more than the breaker allows, and no way to have more than 10A
>> flowing through the wires.
>>
>> But if your lamp is only designed for 1A, then yes, the house wiring can
>> still deliver 10A to it. How on earth the lamp would be able to draw
>> more than 1A though, would be a mystery.
>
> Even if the lamp is designed to for 1A it's wiring has to be able to
> withstand 16A so if a short occurs the fuse is blown with no risk at all.

Hmm. Possible. I don't know what the regulations are around that. I know 
that some wiring for small lamps seem to have pretty thin wiring. But as 
Tony remarked - if something actually breaks, it's normally a short 
circuit, so it will immediately trip both 10A and 16A breakers anyway, 
and the lamp wiring never have a chance to even start heating up.

	Johnny