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| Fri Sep 07, 2007 5:06 pm French Electrics |
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Quote: Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 8:57 pm Post subject: reverse polarity
Want to go to france can someone explain what this ia about I' ve got an idea what do I need to test it and how to conect to my pennie camper ?
This was a question on a different forum thought this deserves to be aired here
This is only a problem with English Vans as our electrics are switched on the live wire only
So if the supply is reversed the appliance is still live when it's switched off . 99% of continental plug sockets that are switched are so on both live and neutral
Doesn't seem to cause as much problem in Spain but it's always safer to be sure
Right what you need
Standard 25m electric flex and if you have space a second one (if you've got it you won't need it )
A polarity tester -- around £15 ish from a DIY shop looks like an overgrown plug with three lights on
you also need
1/ a French adapter -- french Plug/ international socket you can get them ready made at caravan shops this is a French Plug
2/ a short piece of hi ampere flex and an international plug and socket set (our normal blue ones)
This you wire up so that plug is wired correctly and the socket is wired the opposite way round (this may need to be swapped around on site so get one you can open after you've put it together) something to make you remember it's reverse polarity (BIG weather proof label)
You cannot buy one of these adapters ready made from a shop
To work out whats what on site
Switch EVERYTHING off in caravan and plug in tester to a convenient socket
plug 25m lead into caravan FIRST
plug into power box use FRENCH adapter if needed
remember it might be a long way away
Check how many lights are showing on the tester (apart from all on to say OK every make is different so I'm not going to read mine to you)
Three = OK switch everything on no problem
IF it tells you Live neutral/reversed (the most common fault)
remove 25m lead from box add the reverse adapter and plug back in you should then get the three lights saying supply OK
IF the tester says anything else first try another outlet -- sounds daft but some are wired differently even in the same power box/pylon (got a story about this on my blog this year(2007))
if you can't find one to work then you find out what is swapped over and rewire the socket to match the switched over supply
three lights on your tester confirm you got it right |
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