16amp on a 10amp campsite

[Shellie]

Hi

I've just got my van and looking to book a campsite. On the electric hookup it say 16amps. However the campsite say it only has a 10amp connection. Is this going to be an issue?

Thanks

Shellie

 

[pappajohn]

Only an issue if you exceed 10amps.
Other than that, no problem.
10amps at 230v is 2300watts so if your unsure look at the label of your appliance for watts and add all items you may have plugged in at the same time

 

[Tombola]

Just dont boil you brew when making your toast in the toaster and youll be fine

 

[Charlie9038]

You will probably trip the RCD when you put the kettle on, if you also have your hot water boiler or heating on, unless you have a low wattage Kettle, which I am selling if your interested.

 

[pappajohn]

Wait until you go touring Europe and you only get 6amps.

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[xsparks]

Are you looking at the rating of the blue socket? That simply refers to its safe rating, and need not have 16a available.

 

[Realist]

Your van is rated at 16 amps max, the site has a supply rated 10amps so exceeding 10amps will cause the sites RCD to trip.

 

[Speve]

Basically if you have your Kettle and iron and boiler going at the same time it will trip the breaker on the hook up post so try not to use to many things at once, you’ll soon get the hang of it and don’t worry to much you can always get it switched back on

 

[Captain Yoghurtpot]

You will probably trip the RCD when you put the kettle on, if you also have your hot water boiler or heating on, unless you have a low wattage Kettle, which I am selling if your interested.

Unless your hot water and/or heating are gas only or are only running on the gas, as per a fridge.
The kettle may, I agree, trip the 10amp RCD , but again, a kettle run boiling on the gas is another option.

 

[Pausim]

You will probably trip the RCD when you put the kettle on, if you also have your hot water boiler or heating on, unless you have a low wattage Kettle, which I am selling if your interested.

Would an RCD trip? I thought the RCD was tripped by leakage not overload. I would expect the sites 10A circuit breaker to be the first thing to operate.

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[Charlie9038]

When something is seriously wrong with electrical wiring or circuit, the RCD and/or circuit breaker trips disconnecting the circuit from power supply. There are various reasons that can trip a safety switch or circuit breaker. Circuit overload: Overloading of a circuit is the most common reason for tripping your circuit breaker. When a circuit is overloaded it consumes more current.

 

[mikebeaches]

As mentioned, the 16 amps on your van is the maximum current it can handle.

If the site only supplies a maximum of 10 amps, then you'll need to be a little careful about using multiple 'high energy' items. These would include: electric kettle; electric toaster; electric fan heater and powerful hairdryer etc.

As others have mentioned, you won't damage your van, but may trip-out the site electrics.

You can get a full-size low energy kettle - which we use all of the time in the van - but the pay off is that they are slow to boil. Of course the other alternative is to simply have an ordinary non-electric kettle on the gas hob.

It is probably worth making the effort to get to grips with the simple physics of electrical supply and consumption in a domestic environment, because it is always useful / essential to know and understand the size of the campsite supply and implications of it.

Good luck.

 

[Captain Yoghurtpot]

Would an RCD trip? I thought the RCD was tripped by leakage not overload. I would expect the sites 10A circuit breaker to be the first thing to operate.

Yes , I think you are correct, but what do I know!

 

[Rapido925M]

I have a 3kW kettle and have "never" had a problem even on continental sites, although I usually take care with my power calculations when the available current is low.

Gordon

(Apart from one cold wet night at Les Anderleys when I decided to make a hot water bottle without switching the 2kW fan heater off first )

 

[pappajohn]

Would an RCD trip? I thought the RCD was tripped by leakage not overload. I would expect the sites 10A circuit breaker to be the first thing to operate.

They will trip on overload as well.
If they didn't trip why so many different current rated RCDs....
32a 30ma for ring mains,
45a 30ma for electric shower and instant water heaters.
63a 30ma for consumer unit main switchs.

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[pappajohn]

I have a 3kW kettle and have "never" had a problem even on continental sites, although I usually take care with my power calculations when the available current is low.

Gordon

That would be interesting to see.
3000w = 13amps
A 6amp hookup is just 1380w
A 10amp hookup is 2300w

Its just not possible to get 13amps (3kw) from a 6amp or 10amp breaker.

 

[Ian Bosman]

Wait until you go touring Europe and you only get 6amps.

Most German sites are 16 amp these days, in my experience.

 

[Boris7]

An electric kettle may be an issue, otherwise you’ll be fine.

 

[Rapido925M]

I'm happy to push my luck and, excluding my idiotic action in France, it has paid off every time.
Worst case scenario: unplug some appliances and reset the circuit breaker!

Gordon

Electrical supplies don't always do what it says on the can: one stellplatz in Germany had €0.23 in credit when I arrived and over €60 in credit when I left, despite never putting a cent in!

 

[Pausim]

They will trip on overload as well.
If they didn't trip why so many different current rated RCDs....
32a 30ma for ring mains,
45a 30ma for electric shower and instant water heaters.
63a 30ma for consumer unit main switchs.

I thought the amps were just a power rating, not a tripping point.

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[donkey]

Electrical supplies don't always do what it says on the can: one stellplatz in Germany had €0.23 in credit when I arrived and over €60 in credit when I left, despite never putting a cent in!

I hope you complained bitterly, that is outrageous. I would have insisted on a full 60Euro refund.

Geoff

 

[Garfields]

The managements hair dryer likely will trip things
Usually in a hire van but I'm sure most of us have tripped the power some place

 

[Podney]

Use your gas as much as possible if you are near the limit.

 

[Rob Turner]

Wait until you go touring Europe and you only get 6amps.

Or 3a on some Italian sites

 

[pappajohn]

I thought the amps were just a power rating, not a tripping point.

So if that's the case make them all 1000amps, it won't make any difference if its not a trip current.

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[Shellie]

Just looking on the Internet and found amps=watts/volts. I know I'm asking a silly question but are the electric hook ups 240v?

 

[tonyidle]

Just looking on the Internet and found amps=watts/volts. I know I'm asking a silly question but are the electric hook ups 240v?

Normally 220 - 240.

 

[Charlie9038]

OPs done a runner...TMI

 

[ambulancekidd]

 

[Pausim]

So if that's the case make them all 1000amps, it won't make any difference if its not a trip current.

I think it is just telling you the maximum current it can safely handle before it melts or burns out. The MCB looks after overload, the RCD detects leakage.