Site Electricity - What Does Amps Mean?

[HKF]

Hi I've just been looking at a site in France and there's a choice of pitches depending on the electricity available; 10 or 15 amps. What does this mean in simple terms, please? Does it mean you can use more electrical items without it tripping? I don't understand electrics at all, so I need an Idiots Answer, please Thank you

 

[Swifter]

You need to ensure the total rated wattage (rated power) of equipment switched on at any one time is less than the power supplied to you. Power (in W) = voltage (in V) x current (in A), so for a 10A hook-up, 230V x 10A = 2300W, hence 2,300W (2.3kW) of power can be supplied to your unit.

 

[62272]

Yes, thats exactly what it means. Depends what sort of set up you have and how much electrical draw it needs. If its just topping up your 12v hab battery then 6 amp is fine, although some Italian go down as low as 3 amps!

Lots of ‘experts’ on here will give you the maths equations as to how many watts equal an amp.

 

[62272]

Yes, thats exactly what it means. Depends what sort of set up you have and how much electrical draw it needs. If its just topping up your 12v hab battery then 6 amp is fine, although some Italian go down as low as 3 amps!

Lots of ‘experts’ on here will give you the maths equations as to how many watts equal an amp.

I spoke too soon lol

 

[Vipar]

Swifter he asked for a simple answer. . He has now changed to Gas after reading your reply.

It means you can’t plug in lots of electric appliances at the same time. For example a home kettle is 3kw so you can’t use it on a site with less that a 16 amp supply. That is the limit of my leccy knowledge

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[Swifter]

lol . I just googled it . Makes perfect sense to me lol

 

[HKF]

You need to ensure the total rated wattage (rated power) of equipment switched on at any one time is less than the power supplied to you. Power (in W) = voltage (in V) x current (in A), so for a 10A hook-up, 230V x 10A = 2300W, hence 2,300W (2.3kW) of power can be supplied to your unit.

Great! And so simple I actually understood it Thanks

 

[DBK]

Hi I've just been looking at a site in France and there's a choice of pitches depending on the electricity available; 10 or 15 amps. What does this mean in simple terms, please? Does it mean you can use more electrical items without it tripping? I don't understand electrics at all, so I need an Idiots Answer, please Thank you

It might be easier to look at the issue from what electrical items you want to use. If you want to use a full sized domestic kettle then you will best off with the 15A supply. If it's just say an electric frying pan 10A would be adequate.

If you can list the main gadgets you want to use we can advise what might be best.

 

[Lenny HB]

Swifter he asked for a simple answer. . He has now changed to Gas after reading your reply.

 

[Swifter]

I thought I did quite well ! I didn’t want to disturb you in case you were inebriated

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[Kannon Fodda]

Ultimately yes the higher the Amp on mains supply, the greater the combined load so the more things you can run at once.

If all you are really doing is having you battery charged then 10Amp is fine. You should be able to run a low power microwave, or hairdryer, and even perhaps electric water heater if you have it on a low power setting (some heater systems like the Truma allow you to select one or two electric elements).

If you have a powerful kettle - one of the faster boil types, you probably need the 15Amp. Turn your heating up full and again you want the 15 Amp. Run your battery charger, microwave hairdryer, simultaneously, again 15Amp. (and actually if you try and do that with the heater working too it will be much more than 15Amp and would still trip out).

Most of your electrical things will have a wattage. Formula given above lets you add the wattage up and see if the Amperage will be enough.

Oh and if you are using every bit of power you can get, make sure your EHU lead is fully unwound, as current flows wires heat up and it's not unheard of for the heat on a lead still on a reel to start things melting.

 

[Bailey58]

Yes, thats exactly what it means. Depends what sort of set up you have and how much electrical draw it needs. If its just topping up your 12v hab battery then 6 amp is fine, although some Italian go down as low as 3 amps!

Lots of ‘experts’ on here will give you the maths equations as to how many watts equal an amp.

I think putting experts in quotes borders on Rule 1.

 

[Coolcats]

Hi I've just been looking at a site in France and there's a choice of pitches depending on the electricity available; 10 or 15 amps. What does this mean in simple terms, please? Does it mean you can use more electrical items without it tripping? I don't understand electrics at all, so I need an Idiots Answer, please Thank you

Think about the three pin socket at home this is refers to as a 13 amp socket and a 3 pin plug is refers to as a 13 amp plug however a 13 amp plug will have a fuse many devices such as a side light will be fitted with a 3 amp fuse. A 750 w kettle for example will use around 3.25 Amps ( this will be fitted with a 5amp fuse) A toaster may use the same so those two devices are using 6.5 amps of the 10 or 15 available. Then if you switch on the water heater your total amperage power draw may be more than 10 amps and a circuit breaker will trip.

Hopefully this helps

 

[Johnen]

Another thing is that a lot of caravan and motorhome breakers only support 10 amps before tripping

 

[Spriddler]

Then if you switch on the water heater your total amperage power draw may be more than 10 amps and a circuit breaker will trip.

Unlikely. The OP has Webasto diesel heating and hot water.

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[tonka]

Great! And so simple I actually understood it Thanks

if you look on almost any electrical item, somewhere is a label and it will tell you the wattage it uses.
Using the same equation ( ohms law) take the wattage example 1,000 watts on a travel kettle and divide by the voltage 230v ( this may vary but use as an average). 1000 / 230 = 4.3amps ish..

 

[Rapido925M]

Ohm’s law refers to the relationship between voltage, current and resistance. PLEASE don’t try to confuse the OP.

Gordon

 

[Jim]

We only supply a 6 anp hookup, people get by on it and it keeps the caravanners away. My electric has gone up to 29p a unit, and even though its only 6amp, last week with cold nights and mornings campers still managed to use at least £5 a day.

 

[funflair]

Deleted, should have read all post first

 

[Coolcats]

Unlikely. The OP has Webasto diesel heating and hot water.

My guess is the webasto has and electric fan and the taps use an electric pump which may all add up to 0.5-1 amp

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[AndyPK]

We only supply a 6 anp hookup, people get by on it and it keeps the caravanners away. My electric has gone up to 29p a unit, and even though its only 6amp, last week with cold nights and mornings campers still managed to use at least £5 a day.

I can’t believe that it gets cold in Sutton-on-Sea, Jim - it was always like a summer’s day in Louth where I was born, especially with an easterly wind blowing across the marshes…….!!

 

[Pausim]

I was on a CCC site with 10A hookups until yesterday. They supplied this guide to Power and Amps, I am not sure I agree with all the examples so please don’t shoot me if you feel compelled to correct them, I am just trying to be helpful by passing this on. I would have added Truma Combi to the list which is 900W/4A or 1800W/8A depending on the setting.

 

[MisterB]

I re-read your OP, you asked for an idiots answer, not for an idiot to answer, so I'm not sure some people should actually have answered ...

 

[Pausim]

We only supply a 6 anp hookup, people get by on it and it keeps the caravanners away. My electric has gone up to 29p a unit, and even though its only 6amp, last week with cold nights and mornings campers still managed to use at least £5 a day.

I was on a CL with a metered supply last Christmas, before the latest price increases. I very quickly learned to use gas for heating not electricity.

I think site operators will be faced with charging a lot more for site fees with hookups or changing the breakers to 10A or 6A ones. I would much rather they lowered the power rating than upped the charges, I am fed up with paying for others who try to heat their awnings with fan heaters. There are also environmental consideration but that is a different debate.

 

[HKF]

Ohm’s law refers to the relationship between voltage, current and resistance. PLEASE don’t try to confuse the OP.

Gordon

Oh yes, please spare me confusion. I have enough to deal with right now!!

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[Clarky]

Very, very simply…….anything that heats will require lots of amps.
Things with motors or electronics ie tv, radio, charging phone’s etc use very little.

 

[tonyidle]

Yes, thats exactly what it means. Depends what sort of set up you have and how much electrical draw it needs. If its just topping up your 12v hab battery then 6 amp is fine, although some Italian go down as low as 3 amps!

Lots of ‘experts’ on here will give you the maths equations as to how many watts equal an amp.

They won't .

 

[Pausim]

They won't .

Will they be using WhatsApp instead?

 

[Coolcats]

I re-read your OP, you asked for an idiots answer, not for an idiot to answer, so I'm not sure some people should actually have answered ...

oooooh Harsh....but maybe true but that's social media for you

 

[Trevor Wbm]

... meanwhile, also keep in mind that you need to add up the total power consumption of all the kit you're using.

In the list above, on a 6 amp supply you could use the 1300w Truma water heater or the 1500w hairdryer, but not both at the same time, and to add another level of excitement, some devices take a bit more power to start up than they do to run.

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