EHU Cable for Europe

[March Hare]

Hi, another numptie question please!

We’ve got a standard EHU cable that is fine for the UK.

In preparation for our trip to France ?? and Spain ?? we’re just wondering if we need to buy another type of cable or an adapter for EHU’s in France and Spain please?

Many thanks! ?

 

[ChrisSue]

Just search for continental electric hook up adapter. Should be able to pick one up for around a fiver

 

[Pete5996]

This will do nicely...

 

[jezport]

Or This Kit

 

[LesW]

Or This Kit

We use something similar, the UK one is handy for when we visit friends or family and can stay on their drive and use their electricity ?

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[DavidG58]

For a few pounds extra try and find one with a screw down glanded cable entry point

when use the cable naturally hangs, with the plastic sheath type caps water entry is almost inevitable ?

I can’t find a link to a made up cable , but this is the fitting I mean but attached to a U.K. plug in this example ?

Link Removed

 

[Lenny HB]

Or This Kit

Now I wonder who that seller is.

 

[Off da Grid]

Do you mean one of these.
Crusader Continental Conversion Lead Amazon product ASIN B006Z66OXA.

Continental 2 pin to the blue 16amp euro plug.

Just bought one myself.

 

[bigalw35]

Generally that is called a “shuko” to “euro” plug, but generally all euro sites should now have the blue euro plugs, it’s a generally accepted euro standard, sorry I meant ALL sites should now have the euro SOCKET, power varying between 5, 10 or 16amp

 

[Scotch mist]

Do you mean one of these.
Crusader Continental Conversion Lead Amazon product ASIN B006Z66OXA.

Continental 2 pin to the blue 16amp euro plug.

Just bought one myself.

I wonder how many people actually read the thread before they post ?

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[pelican]

Judging by what I see Johnny French using I would suggest at least a 50 metre black cable on a fast rewind small drum available from bricomart throughout France.
But if you are Wilding you won't need one!

 

[Lenny HB]

I see Johnny French using I would suggest at least a 50 metre black cable

Go into an accessory shop abroad 50m is the standard hook up cable.

 

[pelican]

Go into an accessory shop abroad 50m is the standard hook up cable.

got one of those as well (orange)

 

[EMS]

The Swiss often have slightly different recessed socket so the sites have adaptor cables for hire and use. It is simple to make adaptor cables for these situations, so make an adaptor with a blank cable end and buy a suitable connector in the country to fit.

 

[klaatu]

The Swiss often have slightly different recessed socket so the sites have adaptor cables for hire and use.

Our one site in Switzerland recently was the first time I didn’t have a suitable adapter. The usual 2 pin one gets lots of use, particularly in Portugal. The Swiss site was clearly used to people not having the right connection and had lots of them available to borrow.

I’d never seen the Swiss connection mentioned before, but then again it was a last minute decision to go through Switzerland, so I hadn’t done any research.

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[autorouter]

The Swiss often have slightly different recessed socket so the sites have adaptor cables for hire and use. It is simple to make adaptor cables for these situations, so make an adaptor with a blank cable end and buy a suitable connector in the country to fit.

Switzerland, Italy and Denmark do not use the standard domestic French/German plug, but have their own versions. Spain and Portugal use the standard plug.

 

[Accordian]

In France you also need a polarity tester as they do not have a neutral

 

[bigalw35]

In France you also need a polarity tester as they do not have a neutral

They need to have a neutral or earth as that completes the circuit, they may not have a neutral or earth ? As such, but they must have one or the other, or the appliances would have to be in excess of 380v

 

[Off da Grid]

In the U.K. depending on the setup of the local transformer the earth and neutral are connected together at the transformer.
The overhead cables on the pylons are 3 or 6 live cables, 1 or 2 lots of 3 phase.
That comes in 2 flavours as-well star or delta.
It’s only when your right at the end of the supply you get one cable.

 

[ctc]

Or you can do like the "travelers" bare the ends of the cable and with two twigs jam them in the supply, then alter until it works. Using this method you don't need adapters and can use several sockets at the same time, for cookers, washing machines etc.

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[bigalw35]

Or you can do like the "travelers" bare the ends of the cable and with two twigs jam them in the supply, then alter until it works. Using this method you don't need adapters and can use several sockets at the same time, for cookers, washing machines etc.

Eeeeeeek, WHAT??

 

[Off da Grid]

Ah the old 2 match stick trick eh.
There’s a boom and sparks in there somewhere!

I new a southern electric sparky who told us a storey about his mate who when drilling bus bars would do it live by connecting the neutral of the drill to the neutral bus bar and the live and earth wires from the drill together. When the drill bit touched the live bus bar it would turn on.
Don’t quite know how that would work unless the drill had an earth, most are double i insulated.

 

[Accordian]

They need to have a neutral or earth as that completes the circuit, they may not have a neutral or earth ? As such, but they must have one or the other, or the appliances would have to be in excess of 380v

They have two lives which are both switched and an earth. On our system that results on an appliance which is switched off still being live.

 

[Off da Grid]

Yes that’s alternate current. If the appliance has a double pole switch it will be off, most only switch the live cable.
Some low voltage DC systems switch on the neutral side as there can be a large spark when opening and closing the switch.
The reason being the switch would be after the load to minimise the spark and therefore protecting the switch from damage due to arcing.

 

[autorouter]

In France you also need a polarity tester as they do not have a neutral

You do not actually need a neutral. A neutral is one of the working wires which is connected to ground, either at the supply transformer or the local earth spike. The other (live) wire alternates between +240V and -240V.

The yellow 110V AC transformers used by builders do not have a live and neutral. The 110V side of the transformer is centre-tapped, and the centre is connected to ground. The two working wires alternate - when one is +55V the other is -55V, so there is 110V difference between the two.

The idea is that no wire is more than 55V from ground. 55v is kinda safe - a lot safer than 240V.

I've only come across one site in France with a centre-tapped 240V supply. Everything worked fine, but the socket tester thingy was indicating all kinds of problems.

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[Lenny HB]

I've only come across one site in France with a centre-tapped 240V supply. Everything worked fine, but the socket tester thingy was indicating all kinds of problems.

A very old installation from when they changed from 110v to 220v they used a 2 phase 110v supply. I came across it once about 30 years ago, probably none left now.

 

[George Mc]

Went back to France last September for the first time in years. Had a 2 pin connector from back in the day and bought another to change for reverse polarity. Sorted. Three weeks in Normany Brittany and everywhere I went they had UK electrics. I also found a UK reversed polarity socket in the Municipal at Bayeaux. Just my luck.

 

[autorouter]

Three weeks in Normany Brittany and everywhere I went they had UK electrics

When you say UK electrics, I take it you mean the the round blue 3-pin connectors, not the square-pin 13Amp fused plugs. The round blue plugs are standard throughout Europe, including the UK. They are designed for outdoor use, and are weatherproof if properly assembled.

 

[malheg]

A lot of sites still have the 2pin, which actually has a earth on the outside, so you need the adaptor.
If you are going into France/Spain a lot of sites are not grass. But rock hard soil. So best to take 8" nails with washers and a lump hammer. Or similar bought pegs.
Malc

 

[bigalw35]

Went back to France last September for the first time in years. Had a 2 pin connector from back in the day and bought another to change for reverse polarity. Sorted. Three weeks in Normany Brittany and everywhere I went they had UK electrics. I also found a UK reversed polarity socket in the Municipal at Bayeaux. Just my luck.

Back in 2015 we camped at the municipal camp site in Charville-Mezieres (France), we were on route to Oberbron for a rally, we also stopped at Charville-Mezieres on the way back. On the way to Oberbron the polarity was INCORECT, on the way back (different pitch) it was correct, on both of these occasion's the sockets were blue Euro sockets.

Sorry I forgot to say it's RIGHT on the edge of the Meuse River, they have all the facilities and an on site restaurant, the town is a short walk away over the bridge, and a really nice town to visit. Its also a "marionette" town so once a year they have a marionette week in the town square

Charleville-Mézières - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org