CE marking

[RayS]

Can anyone (rob jax, lutz /) advise me whether German built trailer caravans should carry any overall CE marking or other certification relating to the overall 230v ac electrical installation ?

Individual components - the circuit breakers, sockets etc. carry such marks, but I understand that if a machine is fitted with a number of such itmes interconnected, then the overall machine should also bear the certification mark.

My new Burstner has no such markings nor any certificate of electrical compliance such as is provided with UK built vans.

It was supplied with the incoming mains connection socket (CEE) incorrectly wired which was not picked up by the supplying dealer during the so-called PDI.

Any information direct or reference to other sources would be much appreciated.

 

[rob_jax]

Hi Ray,

A quick search of the CENELC (European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization) web-site doesn't show any hits for the word caravan.

The CE Marking applies to products regulated by certain European health, safety and environmental protection legislation.

So the analysers my company builds for the petrochemical industry need to carry a CE mark because they are in one of the CENELC categories, but this is a "once only" certification process - covering a whole raft of things like electromagnetic radiation - and is not part of the normal build quality / testing process.

Our Eriba Triton does carry a T

 

[Lutz]

CE marking has no legal significance. CE marking is for consumer information only. Legal type approval requirements are covered by ECE and/or EEC markings.

 

[RayS]

Hi Ray,

A quick search of the CENELC (European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization) web-site doesn't show any hits for the word caravan.

The CE Marking applies to products regulated by certain European health, safety and environmental protection legislation.

So the analysers my company builds for the petrochemical industry need to carry a CE mark because they are in one of the CENELC categories, but this is a "once only" certification process - covering a whole raft of things like electromagnetic radiation - and is not part of the normal build quality / testing process.

Our Eriba Triton does carry a T

 

[RayS]

CE marking has no legal significance. CE marking is for consumer information only. Legal type approval requirements are covered by ECE and/or EEC markings.

Hi Lutz, thanks for quick reply (see also my comment to Robert above).

The van in question is a Burstner. Do you think it should have had a TUV or any other approval mark for the electrical system. I'm not too impressed with Burstner quality control. The main information sticker inside the wardrobe door is not even in German for this UK spec van, it's in Danish !

Dealer comment - "Oh, yes, they are all like that"

Suspect if it had been in English more Dane could have read it than the other way round, if they had wanted to buy a van with the door on the "wrong" side. Interesting question of liability if I fail to follow instructions I can't read ?

Thanks again.

 

[rob_jax]

Hi Ray,

On one hand I'm not overly worried about electrical polarity - like every continental caravan - we have an Eriba Triton - and all of the electrical system is double switched - so polarity doesn't matter.

On the other hand, the dealer should have picked this up at PDI becuase you probably will be using a UK kettle, etc. The IP44 socket is labelled internally.

We use continental appliances in our caravan because they are double switched as well.

Robert

 

[rob_jax]

You do need a CE mark on appliances in order to sell those goods in the EEA.

Since most companies self-certify - they add a CE mark on the appliance and then sign the certificate - there is room for improvement.

Robert

 

[ProfJohnL]

Just a slight ammedment to Lutz' answer. Ther are certain catagories of appliance that must be CE marked bfore they can be legally sold within the EU.

Domestic electricals are one such category, but the CE mark is applied through a self certification process that only implies that the manufacture belives the product complies with all relevant regulations not that it has been independanatly assessed.

Gas appliances are different. The product must be independantly type assessed by an approved test house before a gas appliance can have a CE mark applied. Any changes to the product have to be approved by an independant test house- this includes instructions!

There are other categories that also have special CE marking requirments.

 

[RayS]

Hi Ray,

On one hand I'm not overly worried about electrical polarity - like every continental caravan - we have an Eriba Triton - and all of the electrical system is double switched - so polarity doesn't matter.

On the other hand, the dealer should have picked this up at PDI becuase you probably will be using a UK kettle, etc. The IP44 socket is labelled internally.

We use continental appliances in our caravan because they are double switched as well.

Robert

Hi Robert. yes agree the incomers are double pole switched, but don't think this would help if using an appliance which incorporated a single pole switch e.g. a toaster when was or became faulty.

I've been digging deeper via IEE, BSI etc. and getting more and more confused. It still does not seem reasonable to sell a caravan in UK which has, apparantly, not had any sort of inspection of the mains electrical system.