Originally posted by kent:
16 Amp is a very common size for main fuses. If you have a house which in heated with electrical radiators you may have 20.
You're referring to the main service fuse for each phase, right? If so, this sounds like some of the houses I've seen in France with a max. of just 15 or 16A per phase.
If this is normal, I can certainly understand why most cookers, stoves, etc. are designed for 3-phase supply over there. I imagine you have to be pretty careful about assigning phases for big appliances such as washing machines as well.
10A are the standard fuse for light branches.
I take this to mean that your general-purpose sockets are also fused at 10A. I thought the Schuko sockets you use were rated 16A.
I get a bit confused when you say fuses or breakers. Do you sometimes use breakers (breaker is a type of switch in my World) instead of fuses?
Sorry, maybe I'm confusing you by using abbreviated English. What I'm referring to here are "circuit breakers," often written as "C/B." These are overload protection devices used instead of fuses, and which when tripped are reset by pressing a button or switch handle. I'm sorry I have no idea what the Swedish name is for these!
The types used in homes here are called MCB (Miniature Circuit Breaker). They have been available here for decades, but have only become widely used in residential panels in the last few years.