Ceiling electrical boxes for fixtures from North America to France

[tinpanalley]

Are ceiling electrical boxes for light fixtures going to be the same whether they're in Canada or France? I essentially have some ceiling light fixtures I'd like to use in France that are from North America and I know the bulbs will need to be 220 and possibly need adapters for the socket but is that all there is to be concerned about?

 

[FrodoOne]

Ceiling light fixtures need to be supported adequately (depending upon their weight) no matter in which country they are installed.

While appropriately rated Ceiling Boxes are required in North America,
this is not necessarily true in other countries - where the "support" and the electrical "enclosure" may be separate entities.

If "standard" "ES" sockets are involved, while E26 (in North America) and E27 (in Europe) are theoretically different in size (by 1 mm)
in practice this usually does not matter.

Photos of the fixtures may be of assistance.

 

[Ragnar_AT]

In my opinion the difference does matter, an ES27 lamp in an ES26 socket will leave much more screw thread exposed than it should. Yes, that should be connected to the neutral but you aren‘t supposed to have permanently bare neutrals either.

French homes these days are required to have DCL sockets for any lights so you‘d have to modify the mounting hardware and fit a DCL plug. Personally I‘d leave the light in Canada.

 

[yaznover12]

Are ceiling light fixtures from Canada usable in France? I essentially have some ceiling light fixtures I'd like to use in France that are from North America and I know the bulbs will need to be 220 and possibly need adapters for the socket but is that all there is to be concerned about? Or is mains wiring completely different gauge, insulation and so on making it impossible to bring a lamp from North America to France and vice versa?

snaptube vidmate​

 

[FrodoOne]

Are ceiling light fixtures from Canada usable in France? I essentially have some ceiling light fixtures I'd like to use in France that are from North America and I know the bulbs will need to be 220 and possibly need adapters for the socket but is that all there is to be concerned about? Or is mains wiring completely different gauge, insulation and so on making it impossible to bring a lamp from North America to France and vice versa?

snaptube vidmate​

You are posting a "different" question on another "thread".

To use a "North American" light fixture in France,
the wiring and other equipment within the lamp MUST be rated at 230V AC - (Minimum)

For ES lamps, it is probable that no adapter will be needed. (However, see Post #3)

"Mains wiring", is a different matter to the wiring within the lamp fixture itself,
which needs only to be rated at 230 V AC
and
of "adequate" current carrying capacity - for that lamp and its rating.

European Mains Wiring uses different "specifications" to North America - NOT American Wire Gauge (AWG) -
and
different wiring "color codes".

 

[Ragnar_AT]

If you really want the light to comply with French standards you‘d most likely have to rewire it and replace all the sockets, which requires thread adaptors because NA sockets have a UNC mounting thread while European ones are M10 fine thread.

As I‘ve written before, ES27 Lamps do fit ES26 sockets but aren‘t particularly safe. ES26 sockets leave an awful lot of thread exposed in the first place and using ES27 lamps makes the problem even worse. Not to mention the fact that metal sockets from NA have weird cardboard sleeve insulators and I‘m not sure these comply with regs anywhere in Europe.