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does anyone know what colours the spainish electric cables are? i need to install a switch are they the same as in england?? :
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Hi Helly, welcome to SPI. For the purists maybe you should have posted this on the ‘problems or settling in thread’.
The colours of your cables will depend on the age of your property, colours were harmonised across europe to be brown(live) blue (neutral) and green/yellow (earth) a couple of years ago. In reality you will probably have a mix of grey, black and white cables in your lighting circuit.
Would strongly recommend you get an electrician, many expat ones around who would help you outS
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In my experiences of Spanish wiring, the colours used are normally what the electrician had to hand at the time.
Also do not assume that if a live wire at one end is say red it will be the same colour at the other end. The electrician may have only had enough red wire to reach the junction box, and used blue wire for the rest of the run. 😯Get yourself a multi meter to make sure. 🙂
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Oh, and do not forget you will need roll of sticking plaster to wrap around the wires once you have twisted them together. 🙄
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& finally remember that just because the G/Yellow is earth don’t assume it’s not live , for if they were a cable short they have a tendency to use it. Then you ‘ve got a “live earth ” + NO earth wire, & they don’t even tape it. I’ve seen it many times!!!
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funny stuff (unless you get hold of the wrong colour)
In our apartment the electrics were messed up from the start so the construction company sent an electrician to sort them out. A guy pitched up with a cardboard box (toolbox) clearly tooled up for the job in hand. his test equipment consisted of a light bulb with a piece of cable with bare ends which when “testing” he twisted on to cables disconnected from chocblocks fished out of junction boxes.
Credit where credits due he found the fault much to my (and by the look on his face his) surprise.
clearly a worrying episode for me as my CPR is not what it should be 😳
My advice get a local in and brush up on your CPR (or be out when he comes to fix it)
Regards
Paul
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We have earth coloured cable in our outside wiring carrying the current so as has been said don’t assume anything with the colours, if its just a simple switch you are changing then the colours wont matter, there will just be 2 wires and the switch is the bridge, there may be more than 2 wires but still only using the 2 holes so they can be lumped together as they will be in the old switch.
A neon screwdriver would be better than a multi meter on switch cables as it will pinpoint a live feed without a return
As has also been said, if you are unsure the get someone that’s knows what they are doing, electrics can be dangerous 😯
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