I tried a search on Google and came up with this link, but it doesn't appear to be working at the moment:
www.euramcom.freeserve.co.uk/wires.html However, the page is cached by Google, so here's the appropriate section:
WIRING IN HOLLAND (PA) {from Mike Perry, PA3ASC}
Mike says :- "I do not have professional experience of electrical installations in buildings. My background is computers and satellite on-board radar and here are some general remarks based on my own observations over the past 28 years residence in Holland"
The Netherlands standard for low voltage installations is "NEN-1010 Veiligheidsvoorschriften voor laagspanningsinstallaties" available from:
Nederlands Normalisatie Instituut, Postbus 5059, 2600GB Delft.
The price of the document makes it unattractive for the casual reader.I understand English translations are available, but don't quote me.I also understand that some local authorities may have their own supplementary regulations, but that point needs checking.
The electric supply here is 230 V single phase (400 V three phase) 50 Hz a.c. Distribution in urban areas is underground using a four-wire system, i.e. three phases and neutral brought from the star point at the substation. What follows is confined to the installation in a private house and thus excludes other buildings.
Distribution within the house radiates out from a central point where the supply enters the building and the meters, isolators and fuses are located. The safety earth is also located here. PVC insulated wiring is drawn through plastic conduits, which are sunk into the walls and ceilings of the building. Underground cabling, to a shed for example, has a tough plastic outer sheath and an earthed protective copper braid and must be sunk at least 50 cm in the ground.
Wall sockets and lighting points, in a given room, are often all connected to the same circuit, which is protected at the distribution board by a cartridge fuse (often 16 A per circuit). The maximum number of switches and outlets (light or power) which may be connected to a single circuit is defined by regulations. Ring mains are not used.
Colour codes used for wiring in old buildings were green, red and grey for live, neutral and earth respectively. A black wire is used to connect the isolated terminal of a light switch to the live contact of the light fitting. In modern buildings the IEC standard colour codes are now used, i.e. brown, light blue and green/yellow.
Fused plugs or fused sockets are not found. Wall sockets in 'damp spaces' (such as kitchens or garages) are of the 16 ampere, two-pin 'Schuckert' type which use side contacts for earth. These sockets are unpolarised and accept two round pins 5 mm in diameter spaced about 19 mm apart.Otherwise, in most other rooms of the dwelling (living room, bedrooms) the unpolarised two-pin power sockets (two pins 4 mm diameter, 19 mm spacing) have no earth connection, and are rated at 10 A. Double-insulated appliances are popular here so the the lack of an earth is not really (regarded as)of a safety hazard. Light sockets are the edison screw-cap variety, which are polarised. The neutral wire should be connected to the outer contact ring and the black (switched) wire to the centre contact.
Shaver points in bathrooms are protected by transformers and switches (for lights and other appliances) are operated by pulling an insulated cord. It is not uncommon for a washing machine to be installed in the bathroom; these are installed as fixed equipment which is permanently wired to ground and also to the supply, via an isolator. Approved water-tight fittings have to be used for this type of installation.
Central heating pipes, water pipes and metal kitchen sinks are grounded. (Some water undertakings use main supply pipes of plastic so a water pipe is not a reliable ground.) Three phase supplies are quite common in dwellings where permanently connected heavy loads (such as water boilers) have to be supplied.
One last point, not strictly technical. The custom and practice here is to take all electrical light fittings with you when you move house. The new owner (or tenant) will be welcomed by bare wires, hanging out of the ceiling roses. Lights are mechanically supported by a small hook mounted in the ceiling and the electrical connections are made using 'Belling-Lee' type (chocolate-block) screw terminals, obtainable from most hardware stores.
Tex,
I don't know if this might be the article you saw, but it does say green, red, gray for hot, neutral, ground respectively. That's one very weird color code!
The page contains general notes for wiring in different countries, followed by items supplied by individual contributors.
Whoever wrote the general introductory notes for the page seems to have let a few careless mistakes slip in, but the items from other contributors seem to be much better.
Try
this link for the full cached page.
[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 08-19-2002).]