Reverse Polarity (1 Viewer)

[Diabalo]

£15......quality kit then.

Nuffin but the best

 

[oldun]

The trouble I find with all technical discussions is that I (usually) have no idea as to the competence of the poster.

Is he/she basing the reply on real knowledge and experience or is it just plucked out of the air and therefore of little value.

It's surprising that a topic as simple as this can generate so much emotion and so many diverse opinions.

The comment that many people cross the motorway without getting hurt is a valid statement BUT if there is a foot bridge handy why take the risk.

In my analogy the motorway is the reversed polarity and the footbridge is the cheap and simple adapter lead.

 

[des32]

Hi
Please keep this simple no technical stuff.
My motorhome which is a rollerteam connects immediately when I go on hook up no switches to press or anything else.
I have a polarity tester and reverse polarity adaptor ( 2 pin )
I have 2 questions

(1) I will have to connect to hookup to use my polarity tester in the sockets in the van will this cause any problems in my motorhome if polarity is reversed.

(2) I noticed that you can buy reverse polarity adaptors on Ebay some of these are 2 pin and some are 3 pin would I need one of each or is France all 2 pin. :thumb:

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[pappajohn]

(1) I will have to connect to hookup to use my polarity tester in the sockets in the van will this cause any problems in my motorhome if polarity is reversed.

(2) I noticed that you can buy reverse polarity adaptors on Ebay some of these are 2 pin and some are 3 pin would I need one of each or is France all 2 pin. :thumb:

this might have been better as a new thread but no matter....

i assume by 3 pin plug you mean the round blue (euro) hookup plug and not a domestic 3 pin plug ?
if you mean a domestic 3 pin then you wont find those outside the uk.



1) No....it wont make any difference to the vans electrics other than the neutral wire becomes live and the live becomes neutral.

if anything is plugged in thats polarity sensitive (not much these days) then it may be damaged in reverse polarity.

2) both are still used in france but the (euro) 3 pin plug is becoming more popular.

if you have reversed polarity on a french site with a 2 pin plug, simply turn the plug 180deg and plug back in.
a 3 pin plug will need an adaptor.

 

[neilmac]

if you have reversed polarity on a french site with a 2 pin plug, simply turn the plug 180deg and plug back in.
a 3 pin plug will need an adaptor.

Good advice except that with many French sockets there is an earth pin in the socket, offset from centre so plug can only fit one way oh:

 

[hilldweller]

(2) I noticed that you can buy reverse polarity adaptors on Ebay some of these are 2 pin and some are 3 pin would I need one of each or is France all 2 pin. :thumb:

You only ever need a UK 3 pin round one - use it at the MH end not the hook up post end.

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[pappajohn]

Good advice except that with many French sockets there is an earth pin in the socket, offset from centre so plug can only fit one way oh:

the ones i'v come across have wiper blades on the sides of the socket which contacts with a similar blade on the side of the plug enabling it to fit either way.

all three are used in france.

(schuko type)
or

(french type)

this is the one you mean i think....

never come across one yet though.

WORLDWIDE PLUG TYPES AND VOLTAGES

 

[pappajohn]

You only ever need a UK 3 pin round one - use it at the MH end not the hook up post end.

then how do you plug into the hookup post if it has a 2 pin socket and you have a 3 pin plug Brian ?

you will need two adaptors anyway....reversed and normal 2 pin to 3 pin adaptors depending on polarity.

 

[neilmac]

this is the one you mean i think....

never come across one yet though.

WORLDWIDE PLUG TYPES AND VOLTAGES

Yep, that's the chap seem quite common. The 2 pin adaptors that are available seem to have the plug with a hole for the earth pin, well mine does anyway.

then how do you plug into the hookup post if it has a 2 pin socket and you have a 3 pin plug Brian ?

you will need two adaptors anyway....reversed and normal 2 pin to 3 pin adaptors depending on polarity.

Yep again :thumb:

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[hilldweller]

then how do you plug into the hookup post if it has a 2 pin socket and you have a 3 pin plug Brian ?

you will need two adaptors anyway....reversed and normal 2 pin to 3 pin adaptors depending on polarity.

That's nothing to do with the polarity reversal adaptor.

You need just one reversed adaptor. You place it between the van and the connection lead.

 

[pappajohn]

That's nothing to do with the polarity reversal adaptor.

You need just one reversed adaptor. You place it between the van and the connection lead.

good point Brian......a misunderstanding on my part. oh:

thats exactly what i have, plus a 2 pin to euro socket adaptor for the h/u post if needed.

 

[pappajohn]

Yep, that's the chap seem quite common. The 2 pin adaptors that are available seem to have the plug with a hole for the earth pin, well mine does anyway.

possibly regional.....when standards are changed (thanks Brussels) some areas are lagging behind others and they aint going to change good working sockets just because theres been an update in the regs.

cant remember the country but they were in the process of switching from 120v to 230v......some regions still used 120v (from their regional power station) while others had converted to 230v already.

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[lebesset]

the socket with the pole is absolutely standard in france , and is actually a modified schuko plug ; virtually everything now comes fitted with a hybrid plug which has both the hole for the pole earth AND a side earth clip for the german type ; so if you buy plugs make sure they are the hybrid type
when I wire up a socket here in france I don't bother with which is the live and which is the neutral because it doesn't matter ....both are protected by the trip as both wires must be fed through it ...so I don't understand what this discussion is about as both ways are equally safe

of course , if the uk is still on a system where only one side is through the trip that is a different matter , but it doesn't matter here

 

[pappajohn]

the socket with the pole is absolutely standard in france , and is actually a modified schuko plug ; virtually everything now comes fitted with a hybrid plug which has both the hole for the pole earth AND a side earth clip for the german type ; so if you buy plugs make sure they are the hybrid type
when I wire up a socket here in france I don't bother with which is the live and which is the neutral because it doesn't matter ....both are protected by the trip as both wires must be fed through it ...so I don't understand what this discussion is about as both ways are equally safe

of course , if the uk is still on a system where only one side is through the trip that is a different matter , but it doesn't matter here

always said it makes no difference:thumb:

our standards go back beyond time.

our old system of rewirable fuses would not be safe on reversed polarity as only the live (red) wire would be protected and if a fuse was removed to work on that circuit then the neutral (black) would be live in a reverse polarity situation...result, electrocution/electric shock.

modern RCD's, whether individual circuit protection or main switch protection, are double pole, as are yours, so reverse polarity is no longer an issue.

the only problem would be appliances which are polarity sensitive with no internal reverse protection.

our MCB overload protection is single pole on the live wire only so again no personal protection in a reversed situation.

 

[Heyupluv]

Yep, that's the chap seem quite common. The 2 pin adaptors that are available seem to have the plug with a hole for the earth pin, well mine does anyway.



Yep again :thumb:

Neil.... all mine are like that also.....................plug has two pins with a hole....and socket two holes and a earth pin.......seems to common here ........the only way to reverse is the two pin plug without the earth... flat type.

Mel

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[scotjimland]

the only problem would be appliances which are polarity sensitive with no internal reverse protection.

To the best of my knowledge John, there is no AC appliance that is 'polarity' sensitive.. simply because AC doesn't have polarity .. it has Live and Neutral.. not positive and negative.. so from a purely functional point, reverse 'polarity' makes no odds

However, the debate about the dangers of reverse 'polarity' has been debated endlessly on every MH forum ...

In one corner, those who tell you it's an accident waiting to happen and in the opposite corner, those who say it's not important.. and don't give a toss either way..

Lets just say I'm neutral ... definitely not AC/DC

 

[pappajohn]

To the best of my knowledge John, there is no AC appliance that is 'polarity' sensitive.. simply because AC doesn't have polarity .. it has Live and Neutral.. not positive and negative.. so from a purely functional point, reverse 'polarity' makes no odds

However, the debate about the dangers of reverse 'polarity' has been debated endlessly on every MH forum ...

In one corner, those who tell you it's an accident waiting to happen and in the opposite corner, those who say it's not important.. and don't give a toss either way..

Lets just say I'm neutral ... definitely not AC/DC

many years ago i had a C/T TV which was wired backwards in the plug (neutral to fuse)......goodbye TV as soon as it was plugged in.