Hi there,

i am an electronics engineer from germany, just signed in at your board.

Perhaps somebody is interested in some main facts of german electric installation.

voltage is 230V to Neutral (220 until about 10 years ago) at 50 Hz, and 400V between phases.

cable colors:

Phase 1 - black
Phase 2 - brown
Phase 3 - black (violet in some rail systems for fluorescent lamps)
Neutral - blue
Ground - Green/Yellow striped

the use of this is given everywhere, if not a home-worker has installed his stuff badly himself. An electrician would never use different colors.

When you have cut a 5-conductor cable, you can find out which black wire is L1 and L3. L1 is between blue and Green-yellow. the other black wire next to brown is then L3.

Unlike in the US, in Germany the Ground wire in a standard installation cable must be insulated and the same AWG as the other wires!
Thinner ground wire is only allowed off big diameters over 70mm² (thicker than AWG1).

A few basics if anyone's interested

Stranded wires are not allowed for fixed installation!! We use only solid copper wire, less common AL for >80A or so.
If stranded wire is used for Industrial controls, in small equipment... the use of "Wire end sleeves" (dont know the word), small metallic pipes that are crimped over the stranded copper to protect it from being damaged by a clamp. Some Cage Clamp systems (Wago, Phoenix) dont need the sleevings.

Standard Diameter for Schuko Receptacles and Lights is 1,5mm², AWG15. Fusing is, depending on the lenght and Way of installation (In/on wall, in thermal insulation walls), normally 16 A, with MCBs for Overload and short-circuiut protection. So you can get 3680 Watts from one outlet!

Bigger outlets are: CEE or CEKON in 3-Phase 16A, 32A and 63A.

Safety Regulations and testing are very hard, and therefor the Quality is pretty good.

RCD (i think they are called GFCI in the US) are permitted for bathrooms and kitchens. The RCD integrated in a receptacle is very unusual here, mostly there is a RCD in the breaker panel. And overall, mostly there is a 3-Phase Master RCD for the whole house / one per floor.
RCD trip current must be 30mA or lower.

There is no metal casing used in the house installation! Only for extreme industrial use. All Panels, Receptacle and connection boxes as well as the tubes between them are plastic.


A house is standardly supplied with 4x 16mm² = AWG 5. 3-Phase and combined Neutral/Ground.
Fusing in the House at the Annexe box (right word??) is normally 3x 50 or 63A. Down-fused at the meter to 3x35A. Meters are in-house here. The 50 or 63A are melting fuses, they are permitted in the house, to trip if a MCB should fail in case of a short-circuit. the meter-fuses are partially becoming breakers in between.

The neutral is connected to Earth at the house, and split into Neutral and Ground for the Power panel(s).

Every conducting part must be touch-protected! Every Switch or Receptacle clamp, every breaker, you wont be able to touch a live part in a well made installation. Breakers are mounted on a DIN rail and supplied by a 3-Phase-rail (insulated). this has alternating L1, L2, L3, L1... coming out in a fork form, that is screw-clamped to the Breaker. Line is always on bottom, load on top. RCD's line is on top, load on bottom. So you can go rightaway from the RCD to the breakers with a 3-phase-rail.


If anyone is interested in pictures, i can upload some (Outlet&Switch fixtures, Breaker and Meter panels, Connection boxes...)

now i hope i didnt write all this for nothing
greetings. I wrote as good as i knew, but all info is without guarantee



[This message has been edited by :andy: (edited 10-18-2003).]