Do you plug into the bollard mains and then into the caravan or do you plug into the caravan first and then the mains on the bollard? I always plug into the main bollard first as I am safety concious. Also I always unravel the whoel reel and never leave any on the reel. Are there any safety aspects involved whichever way you plug into EHU?
Plugging in the EHU lead
- Thread starter Surfer
- Start date
Hi Surfer, I don't know what the "proper" way of connecting up would be as laid down by the nanny state we live in but purely because mains electric can give a bit of a nasty bite I have a routine for plugging in, I first make sure the caravan electrics are tripped at the control panel, then I plug into the caravan and then I plug into the bollard, finally switching the power back to the caravan, making sure the whole of the lead is unrolled is or should be something everyone does as even with an ordinary extension lead it's recommended that it is fully wound out as being on the roll can I believe cause excessive heat, as I say maybe my way isn't perfect but I see it as being pretty safe, not least because I'm not actually handling the extension lead from the point of it actually becoming live once it's plugged into the bollard.
BP
BP
I always plug into the bollard after the lead is connected to the ‘van. That way the final connection is the one that makes the system “live”.
- Jul 15, 2008
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i always plug mine into the caravan first , then into the bollard , but there was one thing i didnt take into account last week , i place the cable along the fence so nobody could trip over it , a few days later our neighbour came up and said i had to move your cable , because the cows were chewing it ,
I totally agree that the safest way to connect up is to attach the mains cable to the van, unroll the entire length of mains cable then attach to the bollard
Surfer, Ray
If you connect to the bollard first and switch the bollard on then you are holding a 'live' end when you walk to the caravan. If you drop the end on wet grass and then pick it up again you stand a good chance of being fatally electrocuted.
Ray - "Still i have never had a problem" - you only get one chance!!
If you connect to the bollard first and switch the bollard on then you are holding a 'live' end when you walk to the caravan. If you drop the end on wet grass and then pick it up again you stand a good chance of being fatally electrocuted.
Ray - "Still i have never had a problem" - you only get one chance!!
RAY said:
I am not an electrician, but I dread to think what would happen should the circuit breaker on the bollard be faulty & you get a kick whilst holding a fist full of 230 volts at 16 amps
- Mar 10, 2006
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I am an electrician.
And i think you both need to re read beehpee's post.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J66DVHRcvvk&feature=relmfu
And i think you both need to re read beehpee's post.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J66DVHRcvvk&feature=relmfu
Hi Ray
The point I was trying to make was that if some one plugged into the bollard then unwound the cable should the MCB be faulty & that person get a 230 v kick at 16 amp then it could be fatal.
When an electric shock is reported to the ambulance service we automatically respond in case of fire & I am sad to say that I have seen every thing from fatalities, severe burns to minor burns.
One of the major problems with electric shock is the damage caused that you can not see internally with the only burns showing being the entry point at one end of the body & the exit point where earth is made with the internal organs cooked.
I am not trying to preach to the converted
The point I was trying to make was that if some one plugged into the bollard then unwound the cable should the MCB be faulty & that person get a 230 v kick at 16 amp then it could be fatal.
When an electric shock is reported to the ambulance service we automatically respond in case of fire & I am sad to say that I have seen every thing from fatalities, severe burns to minor burns.
One of the major problems with electric shock is the damage caused that you can not see internally with the only burns showing being the entry point at one end of the body & the exit point where earth is made with the internal organs cooked.
I am not trying to preach to the converted
Not sure why you would get a shock as the end is covered with a cap and the connections are sockets and recessed anyway. If you get a shock it coudl eb because yoru lerad is faulty and nto earthed properly. I have had many shocks during the course of my work and survived, but have to admit I am always extra careful as it is not pleasant.Woodlands Camper said:
So if vermin have had a chomp on your cable and you plug it into mains, then feed it back to the caravan and grab the cable that is damaged your going to get a shock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Unless you want to run the risk of an electric shock.
You must plug the cable into the caravan first and then plug into the hookup post. If you have access to the isolator for your EHU on the post, switch it off. Then when connected, switch it on. That way you avoid risk of electricution.
These days with hookups very near the pitch, a 25Mtr cable is often 3 times longer than needed and people leave it rolled which is wrong. A coiled/rolled cable generates excess heat which can break down the insulation of the cable, causing a short circuit. So first off unroll your cable fully. Better still. I would cut it and fit another plug and socket giving you a 10Mtr cable and a 15Mtr cable. This fit's most usages. My 15Mtr cable fits nicely to our van from the EHU and lies flat to the ground.
My bro-in-law used a 50Mtr 240v extension lead only extended 5Mtrs to run a 3KVa 110v transformer to run tek guns on a building site. After half an hour the power went off. He found he had got a moulten roll of extension cable costing him £40 to replace. I've also seen the same "chuckle brother" put a 6mm hex drive bit into the 13 amp plug instead of a fuse rather than findout why the fuse was blowing!
Frightening isn't it, how some folks don't know how to treat the silent killer called electricity
Even a damp cable is enough to transmit electricity so simply isolate before plugging in or out and do it at the post.
You must plug the cable into the caravan first and then plug into the hookup post. If you have access to the isolator for your EHU on the post, switch it off. Then when connected, switch it on. That way you avoid risk of electricution.
These days with hookups very near the pitch, a 25Mtr cable is often 3 times longer than needed and people leave it rolled which is wrong. A coiled/rolled cable generates excess heat which can break down the insulation of the cable, causing a short circuit. So first off unroll your cable fully. Better still. I would cut it and fit another plug and socket giving you a 10Mtr cable and a 15Mtr cable. This fit's most usages. My 15Mtr cable fits nicely to our van from the EHU and lies flat to the ground.
My bro-in-law used a 50Mtr 240v extension lead only extended 5Mtrs to run a 3KVa 110v transformer to run tek guns on a building site. After half an hour the power went off. He found he had got a moulten roll of extension cable costing him £40 to replace. I've also seen the same "chuckle brother" put a 6mm hex drive bit into the 13 amp plug instead of a fuse rather than findout why the fuse was blowing!
Frightening isn't it, how some folks don't know how to treat the silent killer called electricity
Even a damp cable is enough to transmit electricity so simply isolate before plugging in or out and do it at the post.
Martin_E said:
Hehehe! You will still get a shock if vermin have chewed into your cable even if you have plugged it into the caravan first!!
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