Do I need a RCD on an inverter? (1 Viewer)

[chaser]

I might say first, I know nowt about electric, but what about putting one of these things in to plug into, nothing to wire or move about, and if it's not needed it's not going to break the bank
http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=221540930320&globalID=EBAY-GB

 

[Techno]

I might say first, I know nowt about electric, but what about putting one of these things in to plug into, nothing to wire or move about, and if it's not needed it's not going to break the bank
http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=221540930320&globalID=EBAY-GB

Yes fine or better still borrow one

 

[scotjimland]

To simplify
Sterling know that despite their best efforts they cannot force people to comply with using an RCD.
To minimise NOT remove the risk they supply it out of the box as centre tapped.
For those using an RCD you simple fit a fuse link to convert it.

As mine is.. .. Option 1 ..

It's only a 200watt Pure Sine wave Sterling, used for charging camera and Mac book batteries.. I have no trailing leads, used 'out of the box' as supplied..

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Techno]

As mine is.. .. Option 1 ..

It's only a 200watt Pure Sine wave Sterling, used for charging camera and Mac book batteries.. I have no trailing leads, used 'out of the box' as supplied..

Fine Jim
Mine however is 4000watt peak and feeds every socket in the van

 

[Steve]

I have a similar set-up to Andy use lots of electric, microwave, toaster, coffee machine, (not all at once) all van sockets live on mains or inverter. A RCB is a must. Being in the industry all my working live. Please get yourself a RCB and get it fitted by someone who knows what their doing. And test it regularly. I can see that with the large amount of people getting inverters we may soon be hearing of accidents. We don't mind paying big money for our mh then skimp of a few pounds for our safety.

 

[scotjimland]

@Steve

not sure if you were addressing me or the OP, but also been in the 'industry' all my life.. so know what I am doing.. I would never skimp on safety .. nor advise anyone else to do so..

Small Coke can size size inverters have been on the market for donkeys years.. there must be hundreds of thousands sold.. mostly just plugged into ciggy sockets.. people are not being killed by them.. with a bit of common sense, they are perfectly safe used 'out of the box' .. are you suggesting they should only be used with an RCD ?

what Andy and yourself have is a different kettle of fish, a large inverter plumbed in feeding sockets.. and agree that with that sort of instal an RCD should be fitted..

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Robin McHood]

Do you remember the Avo valve tester - those where the days.

Oh yes... Funnily enough I was preaching the virtues of the old AVO 8 analogue meter while trying to find an intermittent fault on one of our propulsion controllers yesterday. My electricians were looking at me with a kind of supressed horror, I think they thought I'd finally lost my marbles...

 

[Louis]

All this info is so interesting. What's the set up with the Eurpean (French) system, are they wired up similar to ours then , live neutral earth, on campsites I mean? I've seen so many botched outlets on good sites?

 

[Robin McHood]

@Steve

not sure if you were addressing me or the OP, but also been in the 'industry' all my life.. so know what I am doing.. I would never skimp on safety .. nor advise anyone else to do so..

Small Coke can size size inverters have been on the market for donkeys years.. there must be hundreds of thousands sold.. mostly just plugged into ciggy sockets.. people are not being killed by them.. with a bit of common sense, they are perfectly safe used 'out of the box' .. are you suggesting they should only be used with an RCD ?

what Andy and yourself have is a different kettle of fish, a large inverter plumbed in feeding sockets.. and agree that with that sort of instal an RCD should be fitted..

Yes you may well get away with it and never be harmed. I regularly watch our catering crew throw buckets of water around our cooking ranges which are powered at 3 phase 440v and haven't had one of them die on me yet... Always thought there is a special god out there protecting them.... MY NAMES IS INSULATOR>>>> Possible Marvel Superhero movie in there somewhere??? If there is I want 10%....

However whether you like it or not even a 200W inverter does produce enough current to do you a serious mischief and as I can protect myself with a small cheap device, me I do it, and I seriously know and can quantify the risks. I have to assess those risks daily and I've never lost one of my crew yet. I also know how to monitor and check and maintain all the devices that might be attached to my inverter and where and when to use particular types of connector.
You personally don't want to fine..
but you advised the OP not to use one while not knowing what size of inverter he had in mind, knowing from his post he is not skilled in these matters nor where his extension leads might end up being used and that was not wise IMHO.
Right that's it from me on the subject, I've got a 6kV Propulsion motor to give a serious dose of looking at and that's what pays for my mohoing so I'd better get on with it...

Bye yáll

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Louis]

Not if it sinks

Soon goes downhill on here does it not?

 

[Louis]

Seriously on the way to buy an rcd just a cheap one thanks for the warnings

 

[Steve]

@Steve

not sure if you were addressing me or the OP, but also been in the 'industry' all my life.. so know what I am doing.. I would never skimp on safety .. nor advise anyone else to do so..

Small Coke can size size inverters have been on the market for donkeys years.. there must be hundreds of thousands sold.. mostly just plugged into ciggy sockets.. people are not being killed by them.. with a bit of common sense, they are perfectly safe used 'out of the box' .. are you suggesting they should only be used with an RCD ?

what Andy and yourself have is a different kettle of fish, a large inverter plumbed in feeding sockets.. and agree that with that sort of instal an RCD should be fitted..

I was adding my comments on the OP jim. The number of large inverters that i see hanging on two wires is alarming. And anything that raises awareness of the dangers is good news. Of course this is only my opinion

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[hilldweller]

Seriously on the way to buy an rcd just a cheap one thanks for the warnings

Do let us know when you power it up and press the test button.

 

[Abacist]

Just to help a thicko here I have a Sterling B2B and a 1500w inverter which will max out at 3000w. I have wired up 2 short extension cables with inline RCD's in place. If I test the RCD's when the van is hooked up to the mains and I use a hab mains socket they shut off and I can reset them - fine and as one would expect.

My inverter is not wired to power the rest of the hab mains sockets.

When I use the inverter mains socket , if I test them, I cannot reset them after they shut off. Is this because there is no real or true earth? In simple terms what do I do about it?

The above is all fine and dandy but its a bit heavy for us non-electricians!

 

[Louis]

Do let us know when you power it up and press the test button.

Will do

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Cavs]

This is a fascinating thread, but I'm now bothered that my van (and the previous one I owned, also a Frankia) has no RCD on the mains hookup input. I'd previously believed that this was because an RCD would not work unless the van itself was grounded (literally) to the ground.

Should I be concerned and, if so, why are these quality vans supplied without an RCD?

 

[Techno]

This is a fascinating thread, but I'm now bothered that my van (and the previous one I owned, also a Frankia) has no RCD on the mains hookup input. I'd previously believed that this was because an RCD would not work unless the van itself was grounded (literally) to the ground.

Should I be concerned and, if so, why are these quality vans supplied without an RCD?

Because the europeans largely rely on the rcd at the hook up post

 

[Techno]

Yours having no RCD it will have a double pole switch instead. Quite a simple job to fit an RCD alongside in most cases.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Cavs]

@Techno - Thanks for the information and link. I'll see how much room I've got on the distribution box, which is jammed with the 'Christmas tree' connections mentioned earlier.

 

[scotjimland]

Mine has an RCD and a double pole CB for the fridge and sockets..

it's original Hymer fit.. 2001 model

Because the europeans largely rely on the rcd at the hook up post

can't say I've seen RCDs on continental hook up posts.. not saying there are none, I've only ever seen CBs.

 

[Techno]

They are not usually accessible same as Caravan club. The RCD is often behind a locked panel.
It would not be cost effective to have individual outlet protection

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Techno]

This example is rare as the only RCD protecting the whole cabinet is accessible

 

[Skeggysue]

I know I’m resurrecting an old thread but can you please tell me If the answer to the original question regarding fitting an RCD is essential or not? We have a 2000w pure Sinewave inverter in our van and I would appreciate a simple YES or NO answer as I cannot decipher all the technical talk so I just want to know for safety purposes if yes we do or no we don’t.

Thank you

 

[Abacist]

If you route the supply from the inverter through your mains installation then all the sockets will work with the protection provided by your mains installation. I have not done this myself but VanBitz did it for me on my latest van when installing the inverter.

If you do not route through your mains installation then I bought and made RCD tails with the RCD plug on one end to go into the inverter and a 13am socket at the other end.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Lenny HB]

Inverters are normally a floating output so an RCD will only work if you ground the neutral.

 

[68c]

Skeggysue specifically asked for a Yes/No answer.

 

[Lenny HB]

Skeggysue specifically asked for a Yes/No answer.

No can do without details of the installation.
It's not straightforward with inverters, the general census is yes but if the output is not grounded it won't work.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Ozric]

Just about to install an victron Phoenix 500 pure sine wave inverter for a designated socket.
haven’t got it yet, but was going to put a socket next to the unit with a very short cable. Alternatively wire it to the other end of the van.
If going for the longer route was looking at bonding neutral to earth within a spured rcd. Would the experts on here find this a safe option.

 

[Geo]

It would seem to me the safest option is for them that dont know,
Follow instructions on the inverter or
Leave it to them that do!

 

[Raul]

Just about to install an victron Phoenix 500 pure sine wave inverter for a designated socket.
haven’t got it yet, but was going to put a socket next to the unit with a very short cable. Alternatively wire it to the other end of the van.
If going for the longer route was looking at bonding neutral to earth within a spured rcd. Would the experts on here find this a safe option.

Just about to install an victron Phoenix 500 pure sine wave inverter for a designated socket.
haven’t got it yet, but was going to put a socket next to the unit with a very short cable. Alternatively wire it to the other end of the van.
If going for the longer route was looking at bonding neutral to earth within a spured rcd. Would the experts on here find this a safe option.

Which model of Phoenix you got? Ve direct or the earlier model?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}