Help - Reverse Polarity (1 Viewer)

Tweedie

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Sep 14, 2015
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Bailey Autograph 740
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1 year (getting a bit experienced now)
Am going to buy a 2 pin plug adapter for hook up in case needed in France but was wondering about a reverse polarity tester. Have been told that if you have a new motorhome then reverse polarity is not an issue, is this correct?? I don't really understand electrical workings very well so am not sure if I need a tester:unsure:.
 
Mar 16, 2010
3,050
30,001
Carmarthenshire
Funster No
10,651
MH
In between
Exp
Since 1988
Our Aldi had some testers in the clearance section think they were about £6.99 we already have one else may have been tempted to buy one.
 

Neckender

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Oct 15, 2007
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Neckend or North Wales.
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Since 2004
Our 2014 Auto Sleeper is fitted with the Sargent EC 500 PSU and it has a reverse polarity light fitted, Also our microwave isolation switch lights up if on reverse polarity. I have made a short lead with the positive and negative reversed and I've labled it reverse wired.
Here are the parts needed.

Broken Link Removed





John.

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andy63

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Jan 19, 2014
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Hi your power supply unit or control panel in van may already have a light to indicate reverse polarity...but the plug in testers are handy with other features as well as polarity testing.
20160202_174452.jpg



Ta andy
 
Aug 14, 2013
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Since about year 2000
Am going to buy a 2 pin plug adapter for hook up in case needed in France but was wondering about a reverse polarity tester. Have been told that if you have a new motorhome then reverse polarity is not an issue, is this correct?? I don't really understand electrical workings very well so am not sure if I need a tester:unsure:.


The previous replies have assumed that you have a UK-made motorhome. Continental manufacturers always (I hope) fit a double-pole RCD, in which case you have no need to worry as the protection is there. If UK-made then some may consider that it is important to check polarity.

J
 

Gorse Hill

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Feb 2, 2013
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The previous replies have assumed that you have a UK-made motorhome. Continental manufacturers always (I hope) fit a double-pole RCD, in which case you have no need to worry as the protection is there. If UK-made then some may consider that it is important to check polarity.

J
All RCDs are double pole, it's the MCB that are single pole in the UK (y)

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D

Deleted member 29692

Deleted User
It's no big deal unless you are planning to carry out any maintenance on the electrical system with the hook up lead plugged in. (y)

Be aware of it I suppose but don't worry too much about it. It isn't anything like as important as some people would have you believe.
 

hilldweller

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Dec 5, 2008
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Have been told that if you have a new motorhome then reverse polarity is not an issue, is this correct??.

Sort of, what you get is the windscreen wipers working backwards to warn you.

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2

2657

Deleted User
My tester won't show an earth fault unless the polarity is correct.

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Landy lover

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Jul 11, 2009
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Camping Caravaning now 5'ering 49 years
Surprising how many professionals use the polarity tester to check new wiring - they say they are just as efficient as the old meter and save hours of messing around
 

andy63

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Jan 19, 2014
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Our Bailey 625 has two pole circuit breakers.
Therefore the important thing is to check there isn't an earth fault.
The tester pictured above will check that.. but the vans earth trip device would come out anyway... They are very sensitive... something like 30ma bringing them out..
Andy
 
Jul 1, 2010
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This might be of interest.
Because of the problem of encountering so-called 'reverse-polarity' at some European campsites, it is vital you test for this on arrival, and correct as necessary. The simplest way to do this for motorhome or caravan users, is to connect the hook-up cable, and then plug into any socket inside the van, a tester that will indicate live/neutral reversal—from £6.99. If required, you can then simply insert this reversing-adapter on the source end of your mains cable, and thence into the power-point.
The great advantage of this method for counteracting 'polarity-reversal' is that it works on your main cable rather than in a Euro-adapter, which of course isn't now required on many Continental campsites, as the majority are adopting the standard blue IEC60309 (BS4343) that we use.


Why this situation can occur on the Continent:
In UK, switching is only done on the live line, and because our plugs & sockets are always connected the same, both switches and circuit-breakers (including RCDs) render cables & devices completely off, and safe.
In Europe, generally, switching is done simultaneously on both the live AND neutral lines; and because of this safer practice, it is not unusual to find live or neutral randomly connected to live. This is perfectly fine and safe, but does cause issues for UK visitors.
Firstly, many of our switches and RCDs, including some in motorhomes/caravans are single-pole, (meaning that they ONLY disconnect the live—or at least the expected live), but where the lines are reversed, they only pointlessly disconnect the neutral, leaving live power running past the switch/RCD, through any following cable and into all connected devices…even after any single-pole

RCD has 'tripped'!
Using a 'correcting' adapter like this will channel the reversed-live from the power hook-up into the proper live line of both switches and RCDs.
Another reason why getting your live/neutrals round the right way might be important, is that some devices simply won't work properly, or worse, may be damaged; (notably some computers, microwaves, VCRs, DVDs).
 
Apr 10, 2010
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Another reason why getting your live/neutrals round the right way might be important, is that some devices simply won't work properly, or worse, may be damaged; (notably some computers, microwaves, VCRs, DVDs).
So all the devices sold on the continent are different in some way to those sold in the UK?
 
Mar 23, 2012
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I've never bothered about it we have a French van and there are thousands over there not having any trouble. I think it's often one of those little britain things ........you know doing down johnny foreigner

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Apr 22, 2013
911
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Bailey Approach 625
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The tester pictured above will check that.. but the vans earth trip device would come out anyway... They are very sensitive... something like 30ma bringing them out..
Andy
When I said earth fault I meant a fault with the earth . IE no earth connected to the MH. An earth trip will only occur if there is an earth. So the device above indicating NO EARTH is more serious that reverse polarity, in my view.
 

andy63

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Jan 19, 2014
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So the device above indicating NO EARTH is more serious that reverse polarity, in my view
Agree Reverse polarity isn't a ptoblem as long as it's understood..
But....

An earth trip will only occur if there is an earth
I don't think that is strictly true... agree there should be an earth circuit or wiring,but an earth leakage device can trip a circuit even if there is no earth... ie through you...It doesn't have to leak through a conventional earth... It just needs to detect an out of balance current in live and neutral.. so not having an earth while been important won't stop a trip from working ....
That's my understanding...until I'm told I'm wrong lol.
Andy
 
Apr 22, 2013
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Bailey Approach 625
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Since 2011
Agree Reverse polarity isn't a ptoblem as long as it's understood..
But....
I don't think that is strictly true... agree there should be an earth circuit or wiring,but an earth leakage device can trip a circuit even if there is no earth... ie through you...It doesn't have to leak through a conventional earth... It just needs to detect an out of balance current in live and neutral.. so not having an earth while been important won't stop a trip from working ....
That's my understanding...until I'm told I'm wrong lol.
Andy
All very true, but I would prefer to have the fault detected before I became part of the earth leak circuit, or that the fault became sufficiently serious that the over current protection stepped in.

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Dave and Ginny

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Jan 31, 2013
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Reverse polarity, always a good topic of debate:rolleyes:.

It's so easily checked with a tester and if necessary rectified with a reverse wired adapter.

I've always been cautious around electricity and for the pennies it costs to have it correct it's just not worth the risk!
 
Feb 24, 2013
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My take on this, I have never checked mine on any site and never had a problem or heard or anyone having a problem

On the assumption that the hook up point on most sites will have very recently been used by someone else and they survived, is there a real problem here?

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D

Deleted member 29692

Deleted User
My take on this, I have never checked mine on any site and never had a problem or heard or anyone having a problem

On the assumption that the hook up point on most sites will have very recently been used by someone else and they survived, is there a real problem here?

Same as us. I've got a tester and a RP adapter somewhere in one of the lockers. Neither have ever been out of said locker.

No, there is no real problem. Lots of people think they understand the issue when in fact very few of them have the first clue (y)
 
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Tweedie

Tweedie

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Sep 14, 2015
211
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Bailey Autograph 740
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1 year (getting a bit experienced now)
Thanks all think I am more enlightened:LOL::LOL: Tester and reversed wired adapter to be purchased then.(y)
 

Lenny HB

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Oct 18, 2007
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If you are worried about it, as you have a UK van check your sockets if they are single pole unplug devices rather than switch them off or change the sockets for double pole switched or unswitched sockets.

Personally I never worry about it having a German van the MCB's are double pole all sockets are unswitched.

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D

Deleted member 29692

Deleted User
I've used my reverse adapter regularly in France and Spain.

John.

I'm sure I've connected to reverse polarity posts before. I know I have at least once because the person next to me on an aire warned me. I've just never bothered testing for it or correcting it.
 

Neckender

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Oct 15, 2007
3,221
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Neckend or North Wales.
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635
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VW T6.1Kombi day Van
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Since 2004
I'm sure I've connected to reverse polarity posts before. I know I have at least once because the person next to me on an aire warned me. I've just never bothered testing for it or correcting it.

As my original post if we are on reverse hook up a warning light comes up on our PSU and the microwave isolation switch glows red.
A couple of minutes and revers adapter fitted.

John.

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