magnaub

Hello,

We are new to this forum and I already have a question.

We are in the process of building a new house in Abruzzo and our builder and all other tradesmen have been great. However, we are now about to select light switches and all the available European lines look too big and clumsy ('fist-operated' springs to mind! - sorry). We would like to use English stainless steel flat-plate switches and dimmers which are contemporary and elegant. Unfortunately our electrician is unsure if they comply with Italian regulations and I can't find any descent info on the net.

Does anyone have any experience with this or know where I can look for more info?

Many thanks
Magnaub

squires80

they should be ok, as long as they conform to bs EN 60669-1.

linseed oil

welcome we have lived in abruzzo for 10 years where are you . yes
english light fitings aRe much superia to italian the italian ones are rubishif you need any more imfo iam here

Scozzese

Goodness, has your electrician been living under a rock? Of course they are fine as long as they confrom to CE standards... My MIL has them at home.

magnaub

We are in Palombaro, a small village near Casoli, Chieti

Yes I was thinking that everything nowadays should conform to European and CE standards. Maybe he wants to make money from selling us his 'preferred' range rather than us buying it all here in the UK.

mikethomo

few of things to bear in mind you will need uk type back boxes fitting and if you are fitting dimmer switches you need deepish ones 25mm +it would be best to fit deeper ones anyway to allow for the conduit. Also ensure an earth wire is brought to the switch as metal switches require an earth.From the uk MK or crabtree are the best makes. In italy Legrand in this area seem the premium brand.

magnaub

Thanks - that's very helpful. I thought about the back boxes but of course assumed the earth wire would be fitted as standard - I will mention it in my next site meeting!

linseed oil

hi we are nealy neighbers about 25 mins away what you will learn about the tradesmen in abruzzo they lke to do things there way and a reluctant to change and all english are stupid and rich mind there are some forward thinking tradesmen but not many

Domino

think you will find that many EN/CE products from the UK are superior in manufacture to those you may find in other European states.

also the EN/CE standards have been written around UK guidelines, they even take British Standards and rewrite them


just look around at any new builds in the area, you will see some really appalling work carried out, with switches that will only last a couple of years.

37100

I find the cutting edge end of the market to be far superior. There is a by far, a larger choice than the UK. And you can find smaller ones too. However, not from your average DIY chain. Now price............this is IMO an issue here.

Domino

cutting edge ??
I suppose some of the Italian designs could be deemed such, but since someone somewhere who forgot to take out a patent designed the very first light switch the principle hasn't changed. The outer packaging has changed, but then having had to replace all sorts of things from taps to light fittings to switches to find that they are no longer available, a "funny" size, leading to replacement by more generic products.
Cutting edge - an architect's statement to cover the fact he was able to source a job lot no one wanted.


I have always found the standard generic products that are to set standards replaceable year on year.
But no one has ever really changed the switch action

magnaub

Oh dear! I hope I have not started an argument about the superiority of one country's design abilities over another's.

I think that, as tastes differ, we all find something somewhere we like.
That's why we like the - shall we call it 'English style' switches. I will therefore go and get some, take them over to Italy and show the electrician the CE and EN compliance. I'm sure it will be fine - that's what Europe is for isn't it (oh don't get me started on that subject)

Thanks everybody for your input.
I shall report back after my next site meeting!

Domino

buy them and free issue to your electrician, remembering the back boxes.
get them from Screwfix on line

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Lorna at Vicenza

Are you going to put your English light switches at Italian level on the wall or higher up the wall English placement - lol ?

My son can reach all our switches here, but not at Granddad's house in the UK.

Domino

thats a good point, even here in Spain they seem to be lower than the Uk, hence all the greasy marks where my hand has reached for the switch and then had to grope upwards.

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