EHU socket problems (1 Viewer)

[Teuchter]

HI Touchwood - having read through your posts and looked at your photos, as Techno says it is definitely wrongly wired! However it is possible (though not very likely) that the previous owner wired it this way to "correct" a polarity reverse fault in the motorhome wiring therefore if you now wire it correctly you may cause a problem. My advice is to buy a polarity tester (£10 in most caravan parts shops) and try it out

 

[Techno]

No it was correctly wired but the socket markings are incorrect. It is not a crossover lead.
Some of the older versions of 110 and 230 volt sockets both had grey internals but yellow and blue casings.
The internals of each were orientated differently in their respective casings to prevent the wrong voltage plug being inserted. I can only imagine that for some reason the 110 outlets have their L&N connection the other way and from studying web images I can see it is possible to bodge a 110 innards into a 230 volt outer. There are a number of theories why the previous owner may have done this but not really relevant. It just wants cutting off and discarding.

Unfortunately I do not use 110 volt equipment myself so I cannot take the back off a socket to check their polarity but if I am right it will be as Touchwoods picture

 

[Teuchter]

Good point Andy - I never thought of that and now that I am retired I also no longer use 110v equipment so I cannot open one up to check.
However it would have to be a real "bodge" to accomplish that "hybrid" fitting!! but having reached the age of 72 nothing in the "bodge" repetoire of man surprizes me any more

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[Techno]

I will investigate and photograph at the earliest opportunity

 

[Touchwood]

Regarding the possibility of a "bodge" - the socket outer is clearly stamped "240v" and it certainly doesn't look like a bodge, the inner fits perfectly and the screw holes line up exactly. Still a little confused as to exactly what is going on, but I've ordered the new sockets and plugs and will replace them when they arrive.

 

[Techno]

Yes the screw holes relative to the pins are in the same place on both but rotated out of sync with each other when in their respective housings.
On some makes the inner of both were grey. If you imagine the same here and remove the yellow one on the right and rotate it to the same as the one on the left it will fit.
I can only image he had a damaged end and bodged from parts he might have at hand especially if he were in the building trade.
The only way to prove it for sure is to see a rear view of a 110 volt socket and see if the poles really are opposite to those of a 230

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[Touchwood]

Thanks Andy, that looks quite likely. I believe he was in the building trade - one of his innovations we inherited was a wonderful pair of levelling ramps made from stainless steel chequer plate, beautifully welded and strong enough to take a tank but so heavy I couldn't lift them both together!

 

[Techno]

At least the fact that he deliberately ignored the L&N markings demonstrates that he understood what he was doing.

Also it is good that all fittings are generally fully colour identified these days

 

[chaser]

Just had a look at a 110 and a hook up live is on the same side on both just different orientation of the pins about a third round from the others
Edit
Oh , bit late , as in your photos, but yeah the wires are same side in both

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[Techno]

Just had a look at a 110 and a hook up live is on the same side on both just different orientation of the pins about a third round from the others
Edit
Oh , bit late , as in your photos, but yeah the wires are same side in both

Can you do a piccy?

 

[chaser]

 

[Techno]

And it actually says L on the terminal too?

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[chaser]

And it actually says L on the terminal too?

Yes

 

[Techno]

I have no other ideas then. It should be impossible to find something like this with the terminals incorrectly identified but from Touchwoods picture it clearly is