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Hi

My husband and I purchased a brand new Sterling Europa 540 last year from our local dealer. There limited edition version of the van came with a 12v and a mains socket in the outside locker, however we chose to have the standard sterling and not the dealers own and this didn't come with the mains socket, only the 12v. However the dealer said that they would put the mains socket in for us but couldn't wire it up as they wern't qualified to do so!. I was amazed!. How do they check the electrics when the van goes in for a service if there not qualified. So to this end we have a plug socket that we cannot use and are still having to have leads through windows.

Any suggestions? Could I just ask a local electrician to help? or are they not qualfiied for this kind of thing either. I don't want to invalidate our warranty in any way.

Suggestions appreciated

Thanks

Mandy

Hi Mandy B, Yes getting a qualifled electrician to do the work is OK and should not invalidate the warrant.

Your question also highlights some thoughts I had in the past on servicing on the mains electrical side, so is it done or not?? as I also had to get a electrician to wire my outside socket up.

Micky

OH fitted several extra sockets in our van, no problem with the warranty.  Why not do it yourselves, it is very simple.  Electrics on caravans are not covered by rules like houses are, but even in your house you are allowed to add a socket yourself if it is a spur.  Or if you do not feel able to do it (never mess with electrics if you are unsure) you could ask an electrician.

I'm surprised your dealer refused to do it, most will fit extra sockets etc.

We had the same with ours. It is to do with the installation being tested and certified not qualification per say.

To have it installed, tested and certified by an electrician would have cost a couple of hundred pounds. You can add a socket etc no problem, but if you make a connection into the consumer board like on a domestic property you have to have the installation tested and certified by a qualified NICEIC electrician.

Wiring in a new socket in a van is very simple, you just connect to the nearest existing one, like a spur in a house.    There is no official need for testing and certification in a caravan as far as I am aware.  It is suggested it is a good idea to have things checked every few years by someone who knows what they are doing, but no requirement for an official piece of paper.

We had a house built, OH had to go round all the sockets, junction boxes etc and check them after he found some bad connections in the loft.  He found quite a few that were not properly tightened up.  So even electricians are not infallible!

Testing a system, and installing a system are two different things. an MOT tester may not actually be qualified or have the liability cover to fit brake pads on your family car, but he can still test them.

It is possible your dealer merely tests for a service and if there is a fault either calls in a 3rd party or simply leaves it for the owner to rectify.

Hi MandyB

Installation, inspection and testing go hand in hand. You must inspect AND test to ensure the installation is safe.

IMO all distributors offering a periodic service should be competitant to install and test the installation. Not only is it an added value service, but it is fundamental to the safety of the customer. It's incredible that the 230Vac system is of one of the two most likely services in a caravan that could kill you and a service centre isn't qualified to work on it. Unlike a domestic installation a caravan is subject to a great deal of vibration in transit. A periodic inspection and test of the electricals is essential to ensure they remain safe.

You can fit a socket yourself, if you know what you are doing, and yes, its not difficult, but mistakes in a caravan will kill you as easily as in a house. A service provider has far more responsibility than a DIYer.

My advice, find a caravan service centre that can do the work (AND TEST IT) or get an electrician. Make sure they are NICEIC, ECA or ELECSA registered. These electricians are audited periodically to ensure their work is an acceptable standard. Its not essential, as caravans fall outside the Part P building regulations controls, but good practice.

It's not in the gas locker is it?

PS

By the way, there are limitations to what and where you can change in a house, covered by Part P of the building regulations. Kitchens, bathrooms and outdoor installations are notifiable changes and cannot be done without notification, see below: http://www.elecsa.org.uk/downloads/ELECSA_Notifiable_Locations.pdf I linked to ELECSA as NICEIC get all the publicity.

By the way, there are limitations to what and where you can change in a house, covered by Part P of the building regulations. Kitchens, bathrooms and outdoor installations are notifiable changes and cannot be done without notification, see below:

This is well said Mark 100 but I'm sorry to tell you with caravans they do come under part p of the building regulation under special locations, and in the exam I sat a question came up on caravans, I have been an electrician for 25 years part p came out in 2006 to stop the cowboys

Hi dave59, (at the risk of hijacking WendyB's thread)

Caravans certainly are covered under special locations within BS7671 but I am sure they fall outside of building control and hence "part P". See IEE publication, among othershttp://www.iee.org/Publish/WireRegs/WiringMatters/Documents/Issue15/2005_15_summer_wiring_matters_part_p_notifications_to_building_control.pdf 

I work closely with the IET (IEE) and the consultants on the 17th Edition and previously involved with Part P and I will check tomorrow and come back to you, as the possible ramifications of working on a notifiable installation are very serious. We may need to move this to the technical section but clarification here is important.

regards Mark

As I mentioned yesterday, I can confirm that the 230Vac electrical installations in a caravan fall outside the scope of Part P building control. This means that changes can be done by the DIYer without the need to use a registered electrician (ie Part P competent person scheme).

HOWEVER, this does not change the advice I gave that any 230Vac electrical work should only be attempted by a person with the necessary skills and knowledge (ie competent), otherwise I would recommend a qualified electrician does the work.

If you need assistance on finding an electrician, I would recommend you go to the Electrical Safety Council, who have an links to registered electricians database :

http://www.electricalsafetycouncil.org.uk/

They also have some useful information on electricity, RCD's etc.

MandyB (my apology for calling you WendB in may last post)

I'm sorry for wandering off the subject, but I agree with your initial point that Dealers should be qualified to do the work, and to test the installation properly. Hopefully public awareness of electrical installations will improve and more dealers will look at providing the service the general public expect to receive.

regards Mark