Electric socket tester shows fault
Just back from a lovely weekend near Sheffield, mainly using our caravan as a dormitory while visiting family there.
The Electric Socket Tester plug, (usual sort of orange variety with three lights on), showed "Neutral Fault" .but on first checking with a plug-in low powered table lamp, the plug-in 700w heater, and working up to the (also low-power),kettle, and water heater too, everything worked fine.
We let the site owner know, he was going to get an electrician to look at the post - it's had some problems before apparently.
I am seriously no electrician. but wonder what issues could arise from this Neutral Fault, given that nothing seemed to malfunction.
We were especially grateful for the heater working - it wasn't a hot weekend, and our caravan is not one of your modern highly insulated ones!
Thanks for helpful comments.
Comments
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It could be that positive and neutral were reversed on the post. Everything would still work but a fault would show. I'm not sure if the rcd side of your electrics would offer protection against a shock.
This reverse polarity is common on continental sites and they do not seem to worry. When abroad I carry a short home made reversal lead in case I pick up this fault.
Colin
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That helps. And we too carry just such a lead when across the channel too, but ididn't think it would be needed in this country - I must carry it in future!
Thanks greatly.0 -
Depends which tester you have but a neutral fault sounds different to reverse polarity. The latter is very rare in the UK as it is not a fault but incorrect wiring. Much has been written about reverse polarity elsewhere. Our UK wiring practice is different which is why the continentals don’t have a problem but we do.
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One of these, bought from our local caravan shop when we first set up 5 years ago.
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The French standard is to switch both Live and Neutral on their electrics whereas Uk only switch the live. Thats is why they don't worry about it. With UK switching however the live would always be on when connected to reverse polarity which is a bit dangerous if any problems occur with electrical items.
Bottom line is if you're showing a fault don't use the electrics until it is resolved.
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Do not think it is reverse polarity as this fault is covered by these plug in testers,but my advice would be to get it checked by an electrician as it could be a missing neutral somewhere in the circuit.
By the sounds of it you only have one socket outlet,as newer caravans and motorhomes have a radial circuit and these have plug in connectors connecting one socket outlet to the next.
I wonder if the pins have worn in the socket outlet causing a bad connection.Also these testers with except from expensive ones are not approved, and a decent electrician will have the correct test equipment to fault find.
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Thanks for all these.
Fozzie, while the van's 21 years old, it's had some extra sockets added to the 3 it came with, at some point before 2017 when we bought it. But certainly not a modern caravan!
Something I've not yet done since we returned home late yesterday is to try the same tester with the 'van plugged in at home. Now I've read your post I'll also try it in several sockets, just to check.
My suspicion is that it was just the post at that site, but it'll definitely be worth checking.0 -
Follow-up to that... thanks again for the suggestion.
I plugged in and tested today at home, and all three lights happily show with the tester plug in the same socket I used before. So it seems it was indeed down to the campsite post.
Which brings me to the question I had in mind for my OP. Given that this was the source of electricity available on a darkening and cold night in S Yorkshire, and that everything seemed to work fine, what potential problems are flagged up by the "Neutral Fault" indication?
PS In fairness to the site owner: I'd added a note when I posted the rent envelope into their box soon after Friday arrival. He came and checked on Monday morning that all had worked OK. Presumably he was relying on the fact we'd not been back to the farmhouse over the w/e to report more problems indicated it had been functioning well enough!
He was going to get his electrician back to check it.1 -
It would be interesting to see if the tester instructions explain what is meant by a Neutral fault. Possibly it’s a voltage between neutral and earth which is not uncommon. Whether it’s a problem or not cannot be determined without a proper electrical inspection a test of the supply to the EHU.
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Thanks for the update HG.At least you know it was not your van with the fault.I have to remember over 40 years now since I did my Electrical theory,and can remember later trying to fault find on neutral to earth faults.
This is when the neutral conductor is leaking to earth rather than than the live,as the leakage could be low,this fails to operate any protection device.
Other issues could be a poor connection somewhere in the circuit but the ring is still a ring circuit.
I doubt we will ever know the fault on the bollard,or if any more recent electrical engineers on here could assist further
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Raised neutral voltage happens on PME (Protective Multiple Earth) systems when a neutral to earth fault occurs somewhere else on the system, however, PME systems are not allowed on campsites. Whatever happens in the external supply to the bollard, the caravan I still protected by its own RCD.
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