Video summary

Themen aus der Praxis: Ertüchtigung von Zählerplätzen & DIN VDE 0100-701 - Orte mit Badewanne/Dusche

Main summary

Key takeaways

Educational

Main ideas, concepts, and lessons

  • DIN VDE 0100-701 update (bath tubs/showers)

    • The talk focuses on low-voltage installations in “places/locations with a bathtub or shower” (updated wording and scope).
    • Major conceptual change: it no longer refers only to rooms with a bathtub/shower, but to locations with them—important because such installations increasingly show up as outdoor showers (e.g., garden or rooftop terraces, ice-bath/whirlpool/sauna/steam contexts).
    • Area 3 removed. Applicability is now defined using height and distance limits:
      • Anything higher than 3 m is no longer part of the standard’s zones.
      • Anything 4 m to the left and right of the water connection is not included.
      • The boundary approach uses:
        • a virtual horizontal surface at 3 m
        • virtual vertical surfaces at 4 m distance.

  • Why “6 cm” is mentioned (and what it’s really about)

    • The speaker links the 6 cm wall-slot depth to the practical need to avoid drilling into pipes, which can cause unintended potential equalization and potentially dangerous touch voltages (i.e., “wasting foreign potential” / wrong potentials).
    • Practical reasoning: bathroom walls are drilled frequently (towel rails, mirror cabinets, holders), so standards implicitly assume deeper drilling is risky unless carefully planned.

  • Methodology for upgrading installations (especially meter locations in existing systems)

    • Core theme: upgrading existing meter locations while maintaining safety and respecting interfaces between old and new parts.
    • Principle emphasized:
      • If you do not touch the old part and build only what’s needed “on top,” you create a clean interface and avoid unnecessary rework.
    • Clarification on “grandfathering”:
      • It’s not an engineering-style technical clause.
      • It stems from building law, and only applies if:
        • the installation was compliant with the rules at the time it was built, and
        • there are no changes to operation/environment/use.

  • Standards research: how to avoid misinformation

    • Warning against relying on:
      • Google snippets,
      • AI-generated summaries,
      • unverified interpretations from blogs.
    • Example of a misleading claim:
      • A website suggested socket allowance in protection zone 2, but the speaker suspects the source was a normative annex relevant to other European countries (Spain referenced).
    • Main takeaway: verify against the actual standard and correct sections, not secondary sources.

  • Electrical supply on construction sites (DIN VDE 0174 / DGUV context)

    • DIN VDE 0174 is presented as not brand new, but derived from DGUV 23006 (rewrite context).
    • Mentioned key points:
      • 3-phase socket outlet Type B
      • RCD use
      • Manually operated disconnect devices
      • A lockable main switch / pluggable power supply up to 32 A
    • Practical note: the speaker questions whether certain plug-in switching concepts always function as true separating devices (e.g., potential coupling becoming inseparable after prolonged use).

  • Construction-site cable guidance and pitfalls

    • The speaker highlights permitted cables and warns about cable types sold widely but not permitted.
    • Notes:
      • H07RN-F was previously a common approved option.
      • “New but overlooked” options include H07BQF (polyurethane insulated; mechanically strong).
    • Country-specific/legal caution:
      • A cable sold online labeled ATN07 V3 / V3F is treated as legally permissible only for construction sites in Austria, not Germany/general use.
    • Additional pitfalls:
      • Avoid improvised extensions using connectors unless the correct permitted cable type is used.
      • “Armored extension cable” advertising can be misleading if it depends on non-permitted variants or country-specific legality.

  • Continuous current / rated current (charger/sockets)

    • Explains rated continuous current load:
      • A device can operate continuously at a maximum current value under specified environmental conditions without damage.
    • Contrasts with intermittent operation (typical household usage).
    • EV-charging-related warning:
      • Many products (including Schuko sockets and “Mode 2” style setups) may be unsuited for continuous high-power use.
    • Test logic examples:
      • Schuko socket standard DIN VDE 0620: operation at 1.45× rated current for about 1 hour; after that hour it need not behave identically to the beginning of the test.
      • For higher claimed continuous charging power (e.g., “3.6 kW continuous”), continuous operation may exceed what the test assumption covers.
    • CE socket note:
      • Similar testing logic is mentioned for DIN VDE 0623, including temperature allowance—but no blanket claim that CEE plug devices are “automatically suitable” for permanent use.
    • Practical conclusion:
      • For permanent EV charging, use a proper fixed connection (dedicated electrical solution), not an improvised adapter onto an existing socket type.

  • “Grandfathering” / upgrading logic and safety responsibility

    • Treated as:
      • building law protection of existing rights, not an automatic technical engineering exemption.
    • Situations that can trigger upgrade obligations:
      • change of use
      • increase in power
      • change in environmental conditions
      • change in network configuration
      • existence of a continuous current load where none existed before
    • Safety emphasis:
      • The installer must judge whether continued operation is defensible; if not, the customer must be informed.

  • Use of VDE FNN guideline as an argumentative tool

    • Mentions VDE FNN materials/guidelines (free PDFs).
    • Claimed benefit: they provide explanations phrased in a way that’s easier to communicate to customers than full, cryptic VDE text.
    • Mentions a guideline table for upgrading meter installations depending on conditions (e.g., presence of separating devices, network operator requirements).

  • Upgrading meter boards: practical inspection and decision chain

    • A repeated decision method:
      • Check whether a surge protection switch (“SH switch”) can be retrofitted / already exists.
      • Check the system-side connection compartment type and what it allows.
      • Determine whether the existing setup can be expanded (or replaced) using a suitable cabinet solution aligned with an application rule 4100-type approach.
    • Mentions cabinet categories and examples:
      • Old black meter boards (older equipment)
      • Upgrades by replacing/adding components where appropriate
      • Cabinet concepts and abbreviations associated with application rule 4100 (e.g., AAR / APZ / RFZ / ZRFZ / THB, plus related system-side compartment terms).

  • Cable installation directive constraints (don’t forget building realities)

    • Even if the electrical “interface principle” seems correct, the cable installation directive can impose constraints:
      • where cabinets may be mounted
      • where fire-protection separations are required
    • Example complications:
      • Cabinet placement may be forced into basement/stairwell areas depending on fire protection and access routes.
      • Old wooden stair structures may make certain fire-door solutions insufficient, potentially requiring an architect and additional structural changes.
    • Conclusion: meter upgrade planning must include electrical interfaces and building/fire safety requirements.

  • Modern metering vs “black meter boards”

    • Practical/legal concept:
      • Even with old (“black”) meter panels, modern metering may still be required unless there is a serious hazard.
    • Notes possible contractor behavior:
      • Meter installers may issue only a “defect notice” and schedule work later—often delayed in practice because meter reader cycles are long.

  • Final practical emphasis

    • Repeated stance:
      • Ensure upgrades are safe and defensible.
      • Communicate realities (downtime, costs, constraints) clearly to customers.
      • Use correct standard sources to avoid wrong assumptions.

Methodologies / instruction-like sequences

A) How to approach DIN VDE 0100-701 scope changes (bath/shower locations)

  1. Recognize that the standard addresses locations/places with bathtub or shower (not only “rooms”).
  2. Expect the scope to cover outdoor showers and similar contexts (garden, rooftop, container/mobile shower units).
  3. Apply the updated zone concept:
    • Area 3 removed
    • Height limit: > 3 m excluded
    • Distance limit: 4 m left/right of the water connection excluded
    • Use virtual surfaces to define boundaries.
  4. If the shower element is present within those defined zones (including unusual container setups):
    • Treat it as subject to DIN VDE 0100-701.

B) How to reason about upgrading existing meter locations (interface principle)

  1. Determine what part of the system is being changed.
  2. If only new equipment is added “on top” without altering the old system:
    • Create a clear interface between old and new.
    • Avoid forcing unnecessary upgrades to unaffected old sections.
  3. Apply “grandfathering” correctly:
    • Only if the installation was compliant at the time it was built, and
    • no changes occurred in use/environment/power/network configuration.
  4. If any triggering change exists (e.g., continuous current load):
    • Treat the existing setup as likely needing upgrade and possibly no longer operable.

C) How to research standards without errors

  1. Do not rely on:
    • random Google snippets,
    • AI summaries,
    • unverified blog interpretations.
  2. Use the actual standard sources (subscription-based VDE/VDE FNN materials).
  3. Cross-check:
    • section numbers,
    • normative annex references.

D) How to decide on continuous-power EV charging strategy

  1. Understand “rated continuous” differs from intermittent household use.
  2. For high continuous loads:
    • assume many consumer sockets (e.g., Schuko/CEE) are not guaranteed for permanent operation.
  3. Recommended decision logic:
    • For permanent EV charging, use a fixed installation / dedicated solution rather than an improvised “socket + adapter” approach.

E) How to upgrade meter installations (practical checklist described)

  1. Check whether an SH (surge protection) switch exists or can be retrofitted.
  2. Inspect the system-side connection compartment:
    • what modules/circuits it can accommodate (speaker mentions assumptions/limits).
  3. Confirm the required surge protection arrangement (Type 1 / combined solutions discussed).
  4. If existing cabinets are tight:
    • evaluate DIN-rail surge protection approaches or cabinet replacement solutions consistent with application rule 4100.
  5. Verify spatial constraints from building requirements:
    • cable installation directive constraints,
    • fire protection/cabinet placement rules,
    • accessibility and separation requirements.

Speakers / sources featured (as explicitly named)

  • Martin Schotte (speaker; mentioned as from EPI / Epic)
  • Federal Commissioners’ Committee (mentioned as determining the talk’s allowed topics)
  • DGUV 23006 (accident insurance context for DIN VDE 0174 rewrite)
  • DIN VDE 0174 (construction site electrical supply standard)
  • DIN VDE 0100-701 / VDE 0100-701 (bath tub/shower location standard)
  • VDE FNN guidelines (free downloadable guidelines discussed)
  • DIN VDE 0620 (test standard referenced for Schuko sockets)
  • DIN VDE 0623 (test standard referenced for CEE sockets)
  • TRB / THB (mentioned in the context of meter cabinet and system rules; abbreviations not expanded in subtitles)
  • NetzBW (network operator mentioned)
  • AAR / APZ / RFZ / ZRFZ / THB / AR 4100 / application rule 4100 (rules/cabinet concepts referenced; not expanded beyond abbreviations)

Original video