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Subject Topic: wiring caravan Post Reply Post New Topic
Personvauxhall3
15/1/2015 at 4:04pm
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how many spurs can be taken from a socket in my caravan.


Personmadasaman
15/1/2015 at 4:34pm
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Mains or 12 Volt?

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73 going on 25
Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder


Personnavver
15/1/2015 at 9:09pm
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Don't think there is a particular limit. The mains sockets are wired on 6A or 10A radial circuits. The MCBs will trip if you overload them.

Thing to watch though is how much you actually use at a time as its easy to exceed the 10A or 16A site supply.


PersonLobeyDosser
15/1/2015 at 11:13pm
 Location: Argyll Scotland
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I haven't wired a caravan, but I did add extra sockets to a Folding Camper. Much the same thing.

I added 2 doubles and 1 single and I took each socket off as a single spur.
I had no intention of using any of these sockets in addition to the sockets they were coming from as these new sockets were just to save me having extension leads all over the floor.
The only spur that would be running at the same time as the original socket was the one from the fridge and that would only be used for an electric blanket just before bedtime.

It all worked very well and I never had any problems with any of it.

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Lobey.


Personnavver
15/1/2015 at 11:49pm
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There is a limit for houses of 100m2 floor area for a 32A ring circuit and 50m2 for a 20A radial circuit. It's changed a little bit since and they like kitchens on a separate ring as more equipment is used now. The designer now has a responsibility to assess it.

The regs allowed for a 32A fuse which should blow at 1.5 times the 32A within 4 hours and that is for a cartridge fuse giving what they call close protection. The old rewireable fuses would allow even more.

Modern MCBs especially the type B they use in caravans are much more sensitive and will trip quickly at about 1.1 times the current. Add to that the radial circuit feeding the sockets in a caravan is protected by a 10A MCB which is smaller than the 13A cartridge fuse in your hairdryer or kettle plug.

So as Lobey says, a few extra to avoid trailing flexes will be a great help.


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PersonLobeyDosser
16/1/2015 at 1:09am
 Location: Argyll Scotland
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By the by, if you go HERE
You will probably find sockets that will match the ones already in your van.

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Lobey.


Personnavver
16/1/2015 at 9:12pm
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Most of the sockets etc in caravans were made by an Australian company called Clipsall. They were made in polycarbonate, an almost unbreakable plastic and also in many different colours.

They are now marketed in UK by a company called Legrand.


Personsaxo1
16/1/2015 at 10:55pm
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A type B MCB is rated to carry 1.13 times it's rated current continuously without tripping.
It must trip within 1 hour if it is carrying 1.45 times it's current rating.
n simple terms a 10A MCB will carry 11.3A continuously and is permitted to carry up to 14.5A for 1 hour.
saxo1

Post last edited on 16/01/2015 23:04:25


PersonAndy Higham
16/1/2015 at 11:49pm
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B rated MCBs are for resistive loads, if you have mixed loads such as tvs fan heaters etc C rated mcb's are more suitable, for heavy inductive loads like microwaves, C rated MCBs may be ok but if the load is close to the rating of the MCB then a D rated would be more suitable


Personmagpie09
17/1/2015 at 8:17am
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Please make sure you use a suitable cable with a current carrying capacity that is greater than the circuit breakers rating that is protecting it. Also make sure that the earth connection is made and effective and that you get the polarity right. If in doubt about any of the above employ qualified electrician.


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Personsaxo1
17/1/2015 at 10:57am
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Type B MCB's are for general domestic use and offer the best protection,they trip at lower levels of overcurrent.
Type B trip at 5x their rating in 100ms,type C wll take 10x their rating to trip n 100ms and type D will take 50x their rated current to trip in 100 ms.
Type C and D will also carry larger overloads for longer.

Type C are recommended for commercial and industrial use with fluorescent fittings
Type D are recommended for situations where large inrush currents are encountered ie transformers and welding equipment.

They are designed to minimise the problem of nuisance tripping specific types of loads not normally encountered in the domestic/caravanning environment.
saxo1


Personmagpie09
17/1/2015 at 1:58pm
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My advice would be to find the last socket on your existing radial circuit. Power your van up and plug a lamp into a socket and turn off the circuit breakers until it goes out. Then leave that breaker off. Check each of the other sockets to see if any others are on that circuit. If there are more on it, un-plug your van from the mains supply and remove the socket fronts until you find the one that only has one cable in it.

That is then your starting point. Using a cable the same as the existing cable run from that socket to your first new one then from the first new one to your second new one etc.

Don't go changing any circuit breakers as the ones fitted by the manufacturer will be suitable for your needs. I'm guessing the posts regarding MCB types above will only serve to confuse you.

When you've finished I'd suggest getting someone who is qualified to test it for you to make sure it is all safe and working correctly.

Good luck



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