Reverse Polarity
We are getting ready for our first trip across the channel in our motorhome and so have been reading up about reverse polarity issues.
We have an imported Hymer with european sockets. My understanding is that since with have continental sockets we don't need to worry about reverse polarity. Does anyone know if that is correct.
From what I've read the problem for UK type sockets with reverse polarity is that our switches, when switched off, only switches off the live wire not the neutral. With reverse polarity the live is flowing down the neutral wire and vice versa, with the result
that when you switch off, electricity is still flowing to your neutral pin!!
If I have understood correctly, with continental switches, when you switch off the socket both live and neutral are switched off and therefore there is no real problem if the polarity is reversed.
Can someone clarify!!
Comments
-
Yes, that's about it. If you've got a motorhome with European electrics you don't have to bother about reverse polarity because the plugs are reversible in their sockets anyway.
I've never heard of anyone raising a question about reverse polarity on Continental forums, either.
0 -
When we started to visit France 18 years ago reverse polarity was a common thing and I made short leads to go between the site socket and my lead. A lot of sites then also had the continental domestic type connection. Now the sites have the normal water
tight connector that is on Club sites and in the last five years I have not found any reverse polarity. The mains control unit in your caravan should have an indicator light that indicates RP.0 -
I have read many threads on this topic in recent years and the OP is very clear. What surprises me is that I have not seen a recent UK van with switched sockets so even with normal polarity all my sockets are always live which is why I remove the plug when
not in use. Regards, Roy0 -
Yes, reverse polarity is quite common on French campsites, especially municipals. Have to admit we've always used the EHU regardless, and have never had any problems, never noticed any difference. Probably electrocute myself on the next trip having said
that!0 -
Hymer's are dual pole switched. So both the nominal live and negative are isolated when the switch is switched or the Breaker brreaks. I must say in 12 years of owning Hymer's I have been totally unable to convince my wife of this fact so I do carry a swap over lead to make life easier if not actually safer.
0 -
because they tend to drive French (or at the least, Continental) MHs which are wired as Boff describes above....
0 -
I was wondering how Tim would know he had reverse polarity as I am not sure you can get a Martindale tester to fit continental plugs? Unless of course the control panel has an indicator light. I know you can buy a tester that goes into the site bollard.
David
0 -
I often wondered why reverse polarity is such an issue for us but not, it seems, to the French. Why do we get so hung up and they not?
Maybe it's because the safety issue is treated so much more seriously in the UK. The daughter's father-in-law was an electrician here in Germany and he would joke that a day wasn't a day without a jolt from the mains and I've had my fair share over the years,
too.0 -
I have read many threads on this topic in recent years and the OP is very clear. What surprises me is that I have not seen a recent UK van with switched sockets so even with normal polarity all my sockets are always live which is why I remove the plug when
not in use. Regards, RoyNot sure about other makes but our Unicorn 2 has switched sockets and there are a lot of them in circulation.
0 -
Health warning. I am not an electrician!!!!
But: As I understand it on a continental system if you switch off or the circuit breaker trips it isolates both the positive and negative side of the circuit So if the polarity has been switched and what should be negative is in fact positive it doesn't
really matter. In a British single pole system it is only the positive that is isolated by the fuse or circuit breaker. Therefore if the polarity is reversed then you have the potential in the event of a fault for electricity to flow through you earth with
out going through a fuse or breaker.On a side note it would seem that most domestic switched sockets are dual pole so both lines can be isolated. I am not sure if the regs have changed making this compulsory but it would seem sensible.
0 -
What I always find amazing is that regardless of the protection offered further down the line that something as simple as wiring a site bollard can be done wrong. Surely all plugs and circuit breakers are marked as live/neutral/earth so how can a qualified
person make such a simple mistake?David
0 -
What I always find amazing is that regardless of the protection offered further down the line that something as simple as wiring a site bollard can be done wrong. Surely all plugs and circuit breakers are marked as live/neutral/earth so how can a qualified person make such a simple mistake?
David
None of the sockets in our house have live/neutral terminals marked (no point anyway as the plugs can be inserted either way round), so they are connected as seen fit although all blue CEE plugs and sockets as used for the EHU have dedicated pinning.
0 -
Thank you all for your inputs.
....whether positive or negative.
0 -
Here is one explanation of the colour of French wiring:
- No fuses in plugs or switches on sockets are needed because of protective devices in the consumer unit. - Cable colours: earth is always green/yellow, live is often red or brown but
may be black, and a switched live wire is orange and violet, neutral is always blue.0 -
Another issue for the op to consider. A few years ago a colleague borrowed a piece of equipment from France to do a demonstration. Being French it was fitted with a French plug. So she plugged it into an adaptor plug. The adaptor plug like a lot of
them had a plastic earth pin so earth. The case of this equipment became live it was shinny stainless steel. Someone at customers touched the case and they became the path to earth no one was killed but a lesson learnt. I got into a slanging match with
the French trying to explain what a PAT test was. They finally claimed the equipment wasn't portable. I wanted to know why was it fitted with carrying handles.Anyway lesson learnt. The point is if you are going to use uk plugs in your imported Hymer. I would make sure that either the adaptors you use are earthed. Or even better swap the sockets for UK 3 pin. Chances are they CBE sockets
and they are a few pounds each from places like CAK tanks0 -
The above post suggests that anyone from Europe who comes to this country and uses their own equipment with 'our' electricity is at risk of electrocution. However this is absolutely nothing to do with reverse polarity!
We have a house in France and use our British and French equipment in both countries, using the appropriate adaptor, without any problems whatsoever.
0 -
The above post suggests that anyone from Europe who comes to this country and uses their own equipment with 'our' electricity is at risk of electrocution. However this is absolutely nothing to do with reverse polarity!
We have a house in France and use our British and French equipment in both countries, using the appropriate adaptor, without any problems whatsoever.
Quite right nothing to do with reverse polarity. But is to do with reverse polarity but to do with electrical safety. Do your adaptors allow a path to earth do you know? What is an acceptable risk of electrocution 1 in 2, 1 in 10, 1 in 100 you tell me?
it is a risk and if you don't know about the possibility of it you can't make an informed decision can you? The risk in there whe then you plug a British appliance into a continental socket or a British appliance into a continental socket. No path to earth
for any electrical item that is not double insulated is a risk.0 -
If you use a 13Amp plug top via an adaptor in your continental socketed caravan and the live and neutral are reversed you now have a situation where the plug top fuse is in the neutral , should a fault occur and blow the plug top fuse the appliance would
still be live ,If the earth has come adrift and the live is touching the case you had better hope your RCD works.The same applies in your house in France.
I would recommend you do a polarity check.
To use your martingale make up an adaptor lead and bell it through with a multimeter.
I think he was suggesting the adaptor had a plastic earth pin and to beware of that.
0
