reverse polarity

[Aberdarian]

Going down to France and Spain next week and concerned about reverse polarity.Seen in a magazine that they do converted ehu leads with red and white stripe.I have got spare two pin ehu adaptor for abroad can that be converted for reverse polarity?.

Any tricks of the trade woulde be welcome in case I end up on site with reverse polarity

 

[rambler1]

No problem with the 2 pin adaptor just open it up and reverse the live and neutral wires.In France many camps are noe using similar electric hook ups to those of our country so you will also have to convert a british hook up again by reversing the wires in that.Also unless you have got a device on your van that shows it hasa reverse polarity you will need to get a plug in device to test your connection polarity.hope this helps

Cheers John

 

[Aberdarian]

No problem with the 2 pin adaptor just open it up and reverse the live and neutral wires.In France many camps are noe using similar electric hook ups to those of our country so you will also have to convert a british hook up again by reversing the wires in that.Also unless you have got a device on your van that shows it hasa reverse polarity you will need to get a plug in device to test your connection polarity.hope this helps

Cheers John

So what your saying with the two pin plug you hook up to their mains swap the live and neutral and thats it....if it not reverse ill use my other adaptor as normal so I don't have to phsically swap each site ...am I right?

 

[Aberdarian]

No problem with the 2 pin adaptor just open it up and reverse the live and neutral wires.In France many camps are noe using similar electric hook ups to those of our country so you will also have to convert a british hook up again by reversing the wires in that.Also unless you have got a device on your van that shows it hasa reverse polarity you will need to get a plug in device to test your connection polarity.hope this helps

Cheers John

So what your saying with the two pin plug you hook up to their mains swap the live and neutral and thats it....if it not reverse ill use my other adaptor as normal so I don't have to phsically swap each site ...am I right?

 

[Aberdarian]

No problem with the 2 pin adaptor just open it up and reverse the live and neutral wires.In France many camps are noe using similar electric hook ups to those of our country so you will also have to convert a british hook up again by reversing the wires in that.Also unless you have got a device on your van that shows it hasa reverse polarity you will need to get a plug in device to test your connection polarity.hope this helps

Cheers John

So what your saying with the two pin plug you hook up to their mains swap the live and neutral and thats it....if it not reverse ill use my other adaptor as normal so I don't have to phsically swap each site ...am I right?

 

[Aberdarian]

No problem with the 2 pin adaptor just open it up and reverse the live and neutral wires.In France many camps are noe using similar electric hook ups to those of our country so you will also have to convert a british hook up again by reversing the wires in that.Also unless you have got a device on your van that shows it hasa reverse polarity you will need to get a plug in device to test your connection polarity.hope this helps

Cheers John

So what your saying with the two pin plug you hook up to their mains swap the live and neutral and thats it....if it not reverse ill use my other adaptor as normal so I don't have to phsically swap each site ...am I right?

 

[rambler1]

So what your saying with the two pin plug you hook up to their mains swap the live and neutral and thats it....if it not reverse ill use my other adaptor as normal so I don't have to phsically swap each site ...am I right?

Yes if you change your spare 2 pin EHU to reverse when you arrive on site plug in your normally wired plug and puy your tester in an electric socket in the van if it shows reverse polarity substitute your normal polarity plug for the changed polarity plug in and the polarity will now be coming into the van properly.As also said many sites in France are now on UK style so unless you take a reverse wired plug you would have to strip your plug and reverse the wires if you got a reverse polarity connection.The French wire them as they think fit Quite often you can get normal wired EHUs and reverse on nearby connections so a good tip is if you get reverse when you plug try another socket and that may be OK

 

[ThePlotter]

Hi the answer is more simple than some make it.

First get a plug in polarity tester,if this show reverse then you need.

Get the english plugs/sockets and about one foot of mains lead cable wire this up but on one end reverse the live and neutral.

If the tester shows reverse,then plug the one foot reversed lead into the van,in to this plug the normal mains lead (this now corrects the polarity)

If the site has French EHU then add the normal french adaptor.

Plug the lot into the EHU bollard.

Job done,no need to mark up the leads as they can not be confused.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Plotter

Exactly what I do

French connection if needed at site box and polarity reverser at the van end

That way you only need 2 adapters to be carried

If you reverse the French connection you still need a reverse UK type blue plug socket for the increasing no of French sites so equipped

We came back from 5 weeks in France on Sunday and the site had the older French 2 pin and earth as well as the newer installations with the blue UK/Euro sockets

Its worth mentioning that the UK to 2 pin and earth adapters on sale in most UK caravan shops have the French earth pin and the German side earth so can be used in France ,Germany and other European countries whereas a standar German plug can not be used in France and a standard French plug can not be used in Germany

I have seen people pushing with force to get a German plug into a French site socket before they realised that the German plug does not have the hole for the French earth pin

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Plotter

Exactly what I do

French connection if needed at site box and polarity reverser at the van end

That way you only need 2 adapters to be carried

If you reverse the French connection you still need a reverse UK type blue plug socket for the increasing no of French sites so equipped

We came back from 5 weeks in France on Sunday and the site had the older French 2 pin and earth as well as the newer installations with the blue UK/Euro sockets

Its worth mentioning that the UK to 2 pin and earth adapters on sale in most UK caravan shops have the French earth pin and the German side earth so can be used in France ,Germany and other European countries whereas a standar German plug can not be used in France and a standard French plug can not be used in Germany

I have seen people pushing with force to get a German plug into a French site socket before they realised that the German plug does not have the hole for the French earth pin

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/EURO-SCHUKO-PLUG-WITH-2M-LEAD-_W0QQitemZ280246463222QQcmdZViewItem

 

[Lutz]

Plotter

Exactly what I do

French connection if needed at site box and polarity reverser at the van end

That way you only need 2 adapters to be carried

If you reverse the French connection you still need a reverse UK type blue plug socket for the increasing no of French sites so equipped

We came back from 5 weeks in France on Sunday and the site had the older French 2 pin and earth as well as the newer installations with the blue UK/Euro sockets

Its worth mentioning that the UK to 2 pin and earth adapters on sale in most UK caravan shops have the French earth pin and the German side earth so can be used in France ,Germany and other European countries whereas a standar German plug can not be used in France and a standard French plug can not be used in Germany

I have seen people pushing with force to get a German plug into a French site socket before they realised that the German plug does not have the hole for the French earth pin

A standard French plug can be used in Germany so long as an earth connection is not required. However, you are correct that the opposite is not possible.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Hi Lutz --regards

Surely on site an earth connection would be needed and all the more reason for using the correct plug and good of you point out that it is possible to use a French plug in a German socket but that then no earth protection would be given

Its also easier and less kit to carry to have just one lead if you purchase the one that fits both German and French sockets in UK or from a European camping shop

I have several German plugs from my time in Germany and soon found out the hard way that they won't fit a French site socket!!

 

[Chris_374413356]

Hi Taffy

Buy a 'CED plug in socket tester' from Screwfix,

 

[Lutz]

Hi Lutz --regards

Surely on site an earth connection would be needed and all the more reason for using the correct plug and good of you point out that it is possible to use a French plug in a German socket but that then no earth protection would be given

Its also easier and less kit to carry to have just one lead if you purchase the one that fits both German and French sockets in UK or from a European camping shop

I have several German plugs from my time in Germany and soon found out the hard way that they won't fit a French site socket!!

I was referring mainly to using appliances without a separate earth connection (of which there are many), rather than an uneartehd EHU, which would admittedly be risky, to say the least.

 

[RayS]

Oh, and if you change pitches once having sorted all this out, do not assume all bollards on a site will be wired the same or even all sockets on a bollard - 'cause this is very unlikely.

I carry an adaptor fitted with a short length of cable and then a UK 3 pin socket, into which I plug one of the socket testers.

on site i take this to the bollard and establish the polarity for my chosen socket and then use the appropriate adaptor. while there i usually test any vacant sockets on the same bollard, such that if we inadvertantly trip the supply we can just change to another (usually in the dark and cold) without undue trouble. It is courteous to tell the site owner about this when you leave in the morning !

 

[Lutz]

I have known other caravanners to pull someone else's plug and insert it in another socket without telling the respective caravan owner, so there is still a residual risk of a change to reverse polarity even though you may have checked it when hooking up yourself. As reverse polarity is not an issue on the Continent, such action may be conducted by a foreign caravanner without thinking about possible consequences in a UK caravan.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello taffy,

Reversed polarity can be a problem, and if you have means to check for it and correct simply, all the better. In general a short length of hook up cable with a male CEE form and Female CEE form with the phase and neutral wired crossed over is usually all that is required.

Strictly speaking such adaptors are not approved, because the wires are crossed. but it is the only way to correct for an bollard that has been wired up incorrectly.

Most mains appliances will work quite happily on a reversed supply, it only becomes a problem if an appliance develops a fault. If for example, a short circuit occurs, it should blow the fuse but if the supply is reversed then the fuse will only have disconnected the neutral supply leaving the appliance live.

If the short circuit is to earth, then the whole appliance will still be live and in danger of damaging its cables by over current ant its associated heating effect.

Fortunately in all modern caravans (and all new systems in houses) the supply has two other protective devices.

The current will be limited by an MCB (miniature Circuit Breaker)

which is like a fuse but much better and consistent in operation, and in the event of a fault to earth, the RCD (Residual Current detector) will trip. The RCD's fitted to caravans are double pole. meaning that the disconnect both phase and neutral simultaneously. This truly isolates the system and protects you.

RCD's will work with reversed polarity.

The most important thing you can do when you get to site, is to check the RCD in your caravan will trip out when you press the test button. If it does not trip out do not use the supply. If it does not trip it usually means the earth system is faulty.

 

[xtrailman]

taffy

as chris says get 'CED plug in socket tester' i bought mine for home use as a quick test, its a must have in my opinion.

Also got mine from screw fix, but tool station sell them also.