Electric Hookup Supply at Campsites

[DumfriesDik]

In the UK, I just plug in to the electric hookup supply and all is good.
On my Googling journey I have come across a hookup lead to reverse the electric polarity for France. Is this needed in addition to the French hook up lead?? Is this the norm in France, and Europe?

 

[prb]

Many will say that reversed polarity isn't something to worry about. It means that your internal switched supply may still be live even though the socket/breaker is in the off position.
For peace of mind, invest in a socket tester plug and use a polarity change lead, but many don't bother.

 

[Tigger-Tim]

The problem occurs because of different ways of cutting the power in emergency - the circuit breakers.

In the UK, we tend to just switch the live feed off. This means that we're very careful to make sure we know that the live feed is wired correctly.

In France, they tend to switch off both the live and neutral feeds. This means they don't have to worry so much about whether the live and neutral are the right way around.

Both systems are fine. But problems can occur when a MH which only switches the live, is connected to an incorrectly wired bollard in France.

The easy way to tell if live and neutral are reversed is to plug in a little tester. https://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-ms6860d-16a-socket-tester-230v-ac/91596

I use a reverse polarity lead when needed. It is simply a very short lead, with the live and neutral connections reversed.

 

[DumfriesDik]

Funnily enough, I have just ordered a tester!

I use medical equipment at night (CPAP) and was wondering how that might be affected by the French supply.

 

[Tigger-Tim]

I use a tester as a routine when setting up, after finding no earth on a bollard in the UK.

Your CPAP machine will be fine.

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

 

[carolyn]

I was going to get a tester to search for reverse polarity but the next step put me off. If you find that you’ve got reverse polarity you’ve got to then put some sort of extra lead in, I researched where you get one and most people seem to make one from a spare lead which involved far more electrical skills than I have. I decided to go back to the tried and tested method of not looking for trouble in the first place. The ready made leads seemed to be on ebay and of doubtful provenance. My method has worked successfully throughout England, Wales and large parts of the EU. I cannot comment on Scotland as I haven’t been up there.

 

[Solwaybuggier]

You may also need an adapter for French 2 pin connections - most places now use the Euro type plug with 3 pins, but you do occasionally still find the old type.
Or easy enough to find in France - but MH shops are never open when you need them.

 

[Odd-no-more]

I would advise checking the consumer unit in your MOHO, if it has double pole breakers don't worry at all, if it has single pole breakers, worry a little bit. It is only a problem if it trips and you then start messing about with the electrics without first checking

 

[Richard n Ann]

Ours is reversed now in Benidorm

 

[Tigger-Tim]

I was going to get a tester to search for reverse polarity but the next step put me off. If you find that you’ve got reverse polarity you’ve got to then put some sort of extra lead in, I researched where you get one and most people seem to make one from a spare lead which involved far more electrical skills than I have. I decided to go back to the tried and tested method of not looking for trouble in the first place. The ready made leads seemed to be on ebay and of doubtful provenance. My method has worked successfully throughout England, Wales and large parts of the EU. I cannot comment on Scotland as I haven’t been up there.

You could always use a tester, and if the outlet you're plugged into has reversed polarity look for a different outlet.

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

 

[Tigger-Tim]

>> The ready made leads seemed to be on ebay and of doubtful provenance.

That would be because they're not needed for use in the UK.

I wish the NCC would insist that all MHs and caravans sold in the UK had breakers which switched off both the live and neutral. That way there would be nothing to be concerned about.

 

[Hettie's Crew]

Our previous Swift motorhome wouldn’t work if the live/neutral where the wrong way around and I needed to check each camp site if France. I got used to swapping the wires over.
Our current Hymer doesn’t appear fussed and works either way.

 

[glenn2926]

In the UK, I just plug in to the electric hookup supply and all is good.
On my Googling journey I have come across a hookup lead to reverse the electric polarity for France. Is this needed in addition to the French hook up lead?? Is this the norm in France, and Europe?

Unless you’re going to be working on your electrics then no, it makes no difference at all. Some just like to have something to worry about. If reversed polarity makes so much difference, is so dangerous how come France hasn’t blown up? Isn’t on fire?

 

[The general]

France has blown up?

If only

 

[glenn2926]

If only

Whoops.

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

 

[deleted79651]

The problem occurs because of different ways of cutting the power in emergency - the circuit breakers.

In the UK, we tend to just switch the live feed off. This means that we're very careful to make sure we know that the live feed is wired correctly.

In France, they tend to switch off both the live and neutral feeds. This means they don't have to worry so much about whether the live and neutral are the right way around.

Both systems are fine. But problems can occur when a MH which only switches the live, is connected to an incorrectly wired bollard in France.

The easy way to tell if live and neutral are reversed is to plug in a little tester. https://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-ms6860d-16a-socket-tester-230v-ac/91596

I use a reverse polarity lead when needed. It is simply a very short lead, with the live and neutral connections reversed.

+1 for the reverse polarity ehu extension

Steve

 

[carolyn]

You could always use a tester, and if the outlet you're plugged into has reversed polarity look for a different outlet.

Why on earth would a campsite have a mixture of posts , some with and some without reverse polarity. That sounds really daft. I will stick with my tried and true method of not looking for it. Having found a nice spot I’m not then going hunting for a different one, I’m on holiday, not looking for things to worry about.

 

[Puddleduck]

Funnily enough, I have just ordered a tester!

I use medical equipment at night (CPAP) and was wondering how that might be affected by the French supply.

What The Ex-Gasman said ..... if you have a continental van you probably don't have to worry.

Your CPAP will be fine We have a 12v lead for ours and with a 135KWh leisure battery know that it will run for a minimum of 3 nights even without additional charging before getting down to the 50% danger discharge of the battery. However we also carry a second battery which isn't connected to anything else "just in case". The CPAP was funded by the NHS but the 12v lead we had to buy ourselves ...... however you should be exempt from VAT on the purchase. We also had additional sockets put at the back of the van for the CPAP and the dealer got us to sign the declaration they were for disability reasons (CPAP use) and the supply and fit of those was also VAT exempt.

 

[royandsharont]

Tigger-Tim Would you just have a look at the item you posted from Screwfix. On the spec it says it doesn’t test for polarity, does that mean it won’t indicate reverse polarity?

 

[Richard n Ann]

Tigger-Tim Would you just have a look at the item you posted from Screwfix. On the spec it says it doesn’t test for polarity, does that mean it won’t indicate reverse polarity?

You can only test for polarity by referencing earth, by doing so a device would fail an insulation test.

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

 

[Tigger-Tim]

Tigger-Tim Would you just have a look at the item you posted from Screwfix. On the spec it says it doesn’t test for polarity, does that mean it won’t indicate reverse polarity?

How strange. The instructions for it don't quite make sense. Maybe one to avoid.

I actually have this one in my camper: Amazon product ASIN B087TYXHKW which give the voltage and definitely checks for live-neutral reverse.

 

[acropolis22]

So some vans might not be fussed about reversed polarity. What about common appliances that one might use? Any problem there?

 

[Tigger-Tim]

Why on earth would a campsite have a mixture of posts , some with and some without reverse polarity. That sounds really daft....

It's simply that if they don't care which way live and neutral are wired, it'll be a 50:50 chance as to whether you get one the 'right' way around or the 'wrong' way around. Because the French use double pole breakers (ie. they switch BOTH live and neutral off) it really doesn't matter to them. Indeed it only matters to british caravans and MHs who might only switch off the live.

 

[DBK]

So some vans might not be fussed about reversed polarity. What about common appliances that one might use? Any problem there?

No. Its AC so the polarity is constantly changing. What the phrase is used for is to describe live and neutral being reversed but the appliance won't notice the difference.

 

[royandsharont]

Tigger-Tim Thanks for the reply. So am I correct in thinking that my new to be Adria will have breakers that switch off both live & neutral so I won’t need to use my reverse polarity lead in the future or even check for reverse polarity

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

 

[Tigger-Tim]

Tigger-Tim Thanks for the reply. So am I correct in thinking that my new to be Adria will have breakers that switch off both live & neutral so I won’t need to use my reverse polarity lead in the future or even check for reverse polarity

I can't help on that one - I've no idea what Adria fit.

 

[acropolis22]

I would advise checking the consumer unit in your MOHO, if it has double pole breakers don't worry at all, if it has single pole breakers, worry a little bit. It is only a problem if it trips and you then start messing about with the electrics without first checking

Is the difference obviously visible to the unqualified, such as myself?

 

[Old Gibber]

It's simply that if they don't care which way live and neutral are wired, it'll be a 50:50 chance as to whether you get one the 'right' way around or the 'wrong' way around. Because the French use double pole breakers (ie. they switch BOTH live and neutral off) it really doesn't matter to them. Indeed it only matters to british caravans and MHs who might only switch off the live.

All the new British caravans I have had in the last 15 or so years have had double pole isolators.

In any case why does it matter in the slightest whether it switches off just the live or the neutral, unless you are going to do something daft like take an appliance apart with it still plugged in, or shove a knife in a toaster while that is plugged in. It should be pointed out the the best electrical safety in the home or a motorhome is the RCD. That device doesn't care which way round the live and neutral are connected, or even if there is an earth present.

On the subject of RCDs, I wonder how many of you who regularly check for reverse polarity test the RCD in the motorhome or indeed in the home on a regular basis?

 

[Odd-no-more]

So some vans might not be fussed about reversed polarity. What about common appliances that one might use? Any problem there?

No, I once had a call to a boiler fault when I checked I found the house had been wired, the day before, live and neutral transposed, the only thing not working was the boiler that was unable to detect the flame, on a MOHO the boiler is from the 12 volt so no problems at all

 

[Odd-no-more]

Is the difference obviously visible to the unqualified, such as myself?

A single pole will be thin with a single switch a double pole will be twice as thick as a single with a switch joined together

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