Electrickery query

captainscarlett

captainscarlett

Joined
Apr 20, 2017
Posts
122
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94
Location
Norfolk/Europe
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48,250
MH
Hobby 725
Exp
10 years
Hopefully someone can enlighten me, I ran a 3 core 2.5mm cable from my 240v inlet socket (Motorhome) to a switched socket in my Motorhome garage, when connecting my 240v supply (house garage) the fuse box in (house garage) trips out.
It has been wired up correctly but being a bit of an electrical numpty I’m obviously missing something.
When I disconnect the cable from M/H inlet it’s all good again.
 
You've completely confused me - which is easy to do of course! :)

Can you break it down into steps as I don't understand what you are trying to do connecting to a socket in the MH garage - or are you referring to the garage where the MH is kept? :)
 
Think you need to read your post.
It appears you connected between the hookup socket and a socket in the motorhome garage.
 
I too am confused, but assume it’s a typo and you are plugging into your house garage. Before plugging it in make sure everything is turned off in the motorhome. What size fuse is in the garage ? Is it a fuse that’s popping or the ELCB. Fault on the cable ?

Its lump hammer time. :rofl:
 
I assume you have nothing plugged into the motorhome garage socket. Is it the fuse that’s tripping or the RCD.

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If you're connecting between a building and the vans hookup socket it can only be wired incorrectly, the breaker is weak/faulty or the breaker is overloaded.
Look at the label on the tripping breaker for the amp rating.
Try something else in the building socket.

Try the hookup cable in the house sockets.
 
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pappajohn said:
hink you need to read your post.
It appears you connected between the hookup socket and a socket in the motorhome garage.
Click to expand...
I thought exactly the same for the first 6 reads. I am now assuming this is from the back of the inlet socket to the motorhome garage. I.e. adding a new mains socket to the motorhome.
 
sinbad said:
I thought exactly the same for the first 6 reads. I am now assuming this is from the back of the inlet socket to the motorhome garage. I.e. adding a new mains socket to the motorhome.
Click to expand...
I think you've got it - the OP is wiring in a new socket in the MH garage.

Two points: If it's tripping then it isn't wired correctly and the new socket should in any case be wired downstream of the ELCB or whatever protection system is fitted.
 
sinbad said:
I thought exactly the same for the first 6 reads. I am now assuming this is from the back of the inlet socket to the motorhome garage. I.e. adding a new mains socket to the motorhome.
Click to expand...
That makes sense (y)

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captainscarlett said:
Hopefully someone can enlighten me, I ran a 3 core 2.5mm cable from my 240v inlet socket (Motorhome) to a switched socket in my Motorhome garage, when connecting my 240v supply (house garage) the fuse box in (house garage) trips out.
It has been wired up correctly but being a bit of an electrical numpty I’m obviously missing something.
When I disconnect the cable from M/H inlet it’s all good again.
Click to expand...
If it is just easier to wire directly from the EHU inlet then fit an RCD socket - they are available, Google will find them.
 
Yes I have wired from rear of inlet socket, directly to switched socket in MH garage, have bypassed MH fusebox which appears to be the problem. It’s my house garage RCD that’s tripping.
My intention was / is to be able to plug generator into (Please don’t tell me off) into garage socket to power up MH.
 
I'm struggling to understand what you are trying to do here,if you have connected a plug? for the generator to the back of the EHU socket the power will still have to go through the van RCD and fuses before it goes anywhere else!
 
I also do cheap house re-wires .. if anyone’s interested.

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captainscarlett said:
Yes I have wired from rear of inlet socket, directly to switched socket in MH garage, have bypassed MH fusebox which appears to be the problem. It’s my house garage RCD that’s tripping.
My intention was / is to be able to plug generator into (Please don’t tell me off) into garage socket to power up MH.
Click to expand...

Please God NO!!!

So, if I understand this correctly, you will then need a cable to link your generator to the socket in the MH garage?

Said cable will have a plug on each end and thus has the potential (no pun intended) to have live 240ac on the 13amp plug pins!!!

Please tell me I have this wrong!

Ian
 
It is easy when wiring a socket to cause strands of wire from one terminal to be in contact with another. It has nothing to do with incorrect wiring because as long as nothing is plugged into the new mh garage socket the house garage can't tell one way or the other. Disconnect your new mh garage socket completely (check for strands shorting whilst doing so). Tape the three wires so they can't contact each other (or you) then reconnect your EHU. If nothing happens in the house garage the fault was on your connection to the new mh garage socket. If it still trips in the house garage your fault is on the connection you made to the rear of the mh inlet socket.
 
No Ian you are perfectly correct... go on I’ll do you a real good deal on your house re-wire.
Ok, I’m gonna have a complete re-think , thanks everyone for prompt replies and as always excellent advice.
 
So you are missing out the RCD and using a 2.5mm cable with a 13 amp plug on each end. You must be mad. The whole idea of the RCD is to protect the inhabitants of the MH when using 240v electricity. What you should do is connect the house electrics to the proper 240v inlet on the MH. You should also remember that if you use a generator you will be powering the whole MH including fridge and battery charger. I would have thought that the RCD in the house is not happy finding another RCD connected the wrong way round which is what you are doing. You are supplying 240v to the output of the RCD. Just do it correctly before you KILL SOMEONE :( and it you don't know what you are doing LEAVE IT ALONE ...
 
So do I take that as you don’t want my cheap house re-wire service then ? Not even if I chuck in free rubber gloves ,wellies and hair straighteners ?

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It may not be as bad as it sounds. If the motorhome garage socket is male i.e. the same as the EHU hookup on the m/h then this is just a way of using the generator to power the motorhome via the motorhome RCD. That is there is two EHU points, one internal and one external.
 
sinbad said:
It may not be as bad as it sounds. If the motorhome garage socket is male i.e. the same as the EHU hookup on the m/h then this is just a way of using the generator to power the motorhome via the motorhome RCD. That is there is two EHU points, one internal and one external.
Click to expand...
So one male socket will be live when the other one is plugged in. OK, it's not as bad as a live 3-pin plug but it's still bad. Mains is supposed to be at least touch-proof (that's the '2' in IP20). Someone could inadvertently touch the live pins.

It needs a two-pole changeover switch, or a relay to change over automatically.
 
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If wired correctly it should not 'trip the fuse box' in the house garage. So what exactly trips? The MCB (overcurrent probably due to short circuit) or the RCD (unwanted connection from live to ground).
 
I smell smoke. :)

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I’m struggling to understand why you would put a socket in the MoHo garage for a genie. When all you have to do is have a link cable from the genie to the MoHo input.

Totally confused of Cheltenham :rolleyes:
 
Gennie is to be fixed in garage, exhaust through floor and garage vented, maybe auto start/stop too.
 
autorouter said:
So one male socket will be live when the other one is plugged in. OK, it's not as bad as a live 3-pin plug but it's still bad. Mains is supposed to be at least touch-proof (that's the '2' in IP20). Someone could inadvertently touch the live pins.
Click to expand...
Yes, you are correct. Hadn’t thought of that. If have already access to back of external EHU then could disconnect main input and Extend it back to garage and then put a two way isolating switch to take power from either external or internal
 
If we see a van glowing & humming we now know to stay well clear.:D

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