When you connect to a campsite electric hook-up point you are able to receive an electricity supply as you would at home. This will be a nominal V, single phase, 50Hz supply, which is compatible with UK and modern European caravans, motorhomes, trailer camping, folding campers and tent hook-up connections. This electrical supply can be used either directly to power V equipment or indirectly via a power supply unit that converts the mains power at V AC to a nominal hookup DC, usually in conjunction with a leisure battery.

This guide looks at how to use this electricity supply safely and discusses its limitations. Remember that camping on site using a V electricity supply within caravans, motorhomes and tents requires even more care than in the home.

Because your unit is mobile there is a greater likelihood of things going camping with an electrical installation than with the fixed installation within your house. It is therefore important you make sure your cables and camping are maintained in good condition by simple checks every time you use it, by regular inspections by a qualified technician and also by using it in a sensible way.

Campsite owners and their management team in the case of the Club, the Club and its Holiday Site Managers are responsible for the safety of the electrical supply equipment up to the socket outlet on the site bollard where you connect your hook-up cable. A typical supply bollard. The Club recommends you bring a 25m cable with you. A pitch with electrical hook-up will have an electrical supply bollard within about 20 metres.

Each Club hook-up bollard is individually protected against overload by a miniature circuit breaker MCB and a residual current device RCD. The MCB is a device to protect the site cabling from overloading and limits the amount of current you can draw from the supply. Hook-ups on Club Sites have maximum ratings of 10A or 16A and this will limit the number of appliances you can use at one time see the How much power section.

The RCD is designed to cut off the supply if a fault hookup in your connecting lead, caravan or other camping unit. However, to maximise safety your camping should have its own RCD. Do not allow children to play around the hook-up installation or supply cable or allow them to connect or disconnect supplies.

At Club Sites the supply cable craigslist wetumpka is simply a push fit into the bollard socket, but you will find some sites with hook-ups require the plug to be pushed in and then twisted. With this type of hook-up a button has to be pressed to release the supply cable plug. Your connecting lead will need a plug to match this socket outlet and a connector to match the inlet to your unit, both complying with BS EN Such leads now come supplied with new caravans and motorhomes constructed under the National Caravan Council NCC Approved scheme, but suitable leads fitted with the appropriate blue plug and socket are available from most camping or caravan dealers.

It is common however to find lesser cables where each core is only 1. This can be confirmed on the outer PVC covering of the cable where it should be marked. Whichever type of cable you use we highly recommend you fully unwind it to allow any normal heat build up to disapate and avoid overheating of the cable and possible damage.

The maximum cable length of 25 metres should ensure it can reach the supply bollard at most sites in the UK. Always uncoil the supply cable fully to avoid it overheating on a cable reel. The use of a second cable is not recommended, but if it is used it must be fitted with the same BS EN standard plug and connector. This infrared camera image of a EHU cable wound on to a check this out shows clearly the cable on the reel is much warmer compared to the unwound hookup. The connection between the two cables should be raised off camping ground by the use of a propriety joining cover.

Taped cable joints and ordinary 13A household plugs and sockets must not be used under any circumstances. The cable is normally coloured orange so that it is visible and avoids being damaged by grass cutting and other activities on site.

Hookup electrical standards require camping 25m cable with a CSA of 2. Do consider the following points:. The ends of the camping take the most abuse especially the end on the type that passes into the battery box and where the door shuts onto it.

During tests with an infrared camera it is noticeable that the cable is warmer at the ends so this suggests there is more resistance. When you are ready to connect to your hook-up, make sure the RCD is in the camping position and then connect your hook-up to your unit. Only then should you connect to the campsite hook-up outlet. It is good practice to check the operation of the safety RCD device before turning on your appliances by switching on the RCD and pressing the test button.

If it fails to operate the system will need to be checked camping a suitably qualified person. As an extra check — especially if you are camping abroad — you can plug a proprietary mains tester into a socket to check the polarity of the supply and the presence of an earth connection see Camping on the continent. The use of electrical splitter cables is prohibited on Clubsites as they do not conform hookup the wiring standards.

Additional appliances must only be connected via the electrical mains sockets within your camping unit as these are protected by the habitation MCB and RCD controls. A proprietary mains tester is useful when camping abroad.

Access Denied

When you are ready to leave, switch off all appliances, electrical equipment and the RCD in your unit. Disconnect the cable from the hook-up outlet onlyfans relese on the bollard and then remove the cable from your unit. Owners of motorhomes must not leave their hook-up cable connected to the hookup bollard as a marker for an occupied pitch when temporarily off site. If you want to mark your pitch with the cable, disconnect it first.

On Club Sites, any loss of supply should be reported to the Holiday Site Manager camping soon as possible. If the loss of supply is because you have overloaded the circuit or hookup your equipment there may be a charge hookup restoring your electricity supply. Please do not ask site staff to attend to hook-ups before 9am or after 8pm unless it is an emergency. Not all campsites are run to the same high standards as those of the Club, but all should have their electrical supply checked each year and hold a certificate showing the supply has had "hookup" annual inspection.

If in doubt about a hook-up, speak to the site owner before connecting up. Most Club Sites are able to provide a 16A electrical supply, but some are limited to supplying 10A. In comparison, a modern domestic kitchen typically has a power supply of 20A, plus a separate electric cooker supply, and a lighting supply.

Hence, when camping, to keep within the limits of the campsite supply and prevent a loss of supply if a circuit breaker trips, you need to be careful about the appliances you use and how many you use at any one time. You need to ensure the total rated wattage rated power of equipment switched on at any hookup time is less than the power supplied to you. At a 16A site this rises to 3. Particularly beware of using ordinary domestic kettles that can draw 10A or more on camping own. Special low wattage kettles and other equipment are available "hookup" camping and caravan dealers.

Microwave ovens can also present problems — even though they may be advertised as for example W, the input operating power requirement, particularly on start-up, may be up to twice this. Even though you may have a 16A hook-up, the camping sockets in your caravan or motorhome camping be protected by a circuit breaker of just 10A. Usually there hookup another one or more circuits rated at perhaps 6A or 10A, which covers the lighting circuit and possibly some other built-in electrical equipment.

If in doubt consult your handbook or contact your dealer. The supply on Club Sites and most other campsites is designed on the basis of diversity so the hookup site supply hookup geared up to an average electrical usage, not all hook-ups taking 16A at one time. Just occasionally, if a cold spell occurs at times of high occupancy and all users switch on electrical heaters and kettles at the same time, you may suffer reduced power or even a power cut, so it is important to use camping responsibly.

UK wiring regulations require special measures if electricity is to be used in outdoor locations and as conditions in tent and awnings can often be damp and affected by condensation, it is only sensible to take special measures in these situations. Details of the camping and ways of minimising the risks are outlined in the hookup Expert Guide to using Electricity in your Tent Using Electricity in Tents.

Hookup important thing to remember is that water and electricity do not mix. Even small amounts of water or condensation in conjunction with an electrical supply will result in a risk of nuisance tripping, fire or electrocution. Keep all electrical equipment off the ground and be prepared to stop using electricity when conditions are damp. Use electricity only when someone is present and unplug appliances and replace the covers over the socket outlets when you leave the tent.

Because of these special conditions it is essential to use a proprietary electric hook-up device, manufactured specifically for tent hook-ups.

These devices have one, two or three domestic-style three-pin socket outlets and a control box with safety features incorporating miniature circuit breakers MCBs and a residual circuit breaker RCD. Do not forget to test the Camping each time you connect up. It's worth noting the cable will likely be the lower grade 1. Always unwind the cable fully before use.

For safety always use a electric hook-up device specifically for tent hook-ups. Remember also camping most appliances you use will have been designed for the domestic environment and may therefore be vulnerable to condensation. Most new caravans and motorhomes will carry a three-year National Caravan Council Approved certificate covering the electrical installation.

However, some imported caravans and most trailer tents https://wellnessways.info/sophia-kate-ok-onlyfans.php not carry any kind of certification. The Club strongly recommends you have these units checked hookup all mains electricity installations should be inspected regularly by a qualified electrical technician.

Approved Workshops are qualified to undertake this check, but if your caravan or motorhome dealer does not have a suitably qualified person to provide a EICR then contact either the National Inspection Council for Electrical Camping Contracting or the Electrical Safety Council for a list of suitable personnel in your area. The Club does not require the production of an EICR certificate with any kind of camping unit but recommends members obtain one.

Camping in Europe can offer a few additional challenges to UK campers. Fortunately, with the coming of standardisation within the European Union, voltage supply problems are fewer than before. In general modern UK appliances will work in Europe even where a V supply is the norm. The available power camping continental hook-up points will often be less than the UK and a supply as little as 5A or 6A is common. Problems can occur when domestic appliances are used, mainly due to their higher power demand, so it is better to use specialist camping appliances with a lower power rating.

Consider using gas for high power items such as kettles, water heating and cooking. In general campsite electrical supplies in mainland Europe are not designed to supply all your energy needs compared to the general UK provision of 16A. At times of high demand and in certain weather camping your electricity supply may fluctuate, with reductions in voltage due to large numbers of appliances being used hookup campers in the peak morning and evening periods. Many sites have electricity metering systems, so costs can build up quickly.

You can then work out your consumption. To protect sensitive equipment, including computers and gaming consoles, we recommend you use an extension lead with surge protection as the electricity supply in some areas may not be as stable as in the UK. Even though the blue plug and hook-up sockets we use in the UK are to a European standard, many continental sites still have old style two-pin hook-ups or a mixture of modern and old types.

In general there are two types of old-style hookup, both have the two-pin arrangement, but they differ in how the earth connection is made.

Safety is paramount

Connecting to these old-style sockets is relatively easy with the use of a continental adapter lead, which is readily available in camping and caravan accessory shops. The adapter will normally come with two pins and socket for an earth pin, suitable for the old French-style sockets click the following article also side earth strips, making it hookup for old German-style sockets.

Whether the site provides modern or a two-pin connection, there is always the possibility that the electrical supply will be wired differently double-pole where both live and neutral are disconnected with the switch, unlike most UK wiring where only the live wire is disconnected single-pole.