Spain campsite hook up reverse polarity

Moped

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Every Spanish campsite hook up visit this trip have had the 2 pin European domestic plug type socket.

So we use the appropriate adaptor for our hook up lead.

Without exception the Sargent box reverse polarity light has come on every time.

So on each occasion I have plugged the 2 pin plug upside down and the reverse polarity light has gone out.

We do have an independent 3 pin polarity checker device and it does indicate live and neutral are reversed so the Sargent box is offering up the correct warning light.

As we have 2 adaptors decided to reverse live and neutral on one, plugged it in the right way round, and low and behold no warning light and polarity is fine.

The question is how common is it for Spanish sites to have reverse polarity hook ups?

For us all 5 aires and campsites with have visited so far have had reverse polarity hook up posts.

I was wondering whether the Sargent box had been wired up wrong but when in the U.K. or France ot seems OK.

It’s just in Spain where we have the issues.
 
Just to add the Dutch, French, Spanish, German, etc are not bothered about polarity as all their European electrical equipment has dual pole switching so no risk of electrical shocks for them regardless of the polarity as when equipment is turned off it is not live regardless.

It’s just British electrical equipment that has single polarity wiring and so if polarity is reversed the metal components can still be live even though equipment is turned off. Clearly the safe thing to do is unplug it in this situation but people forget, leave equipment plugged in, and get zapped as a result if they happen to fiddle with electrical components, like using a knife to get your toast out of a toaster.
 
I love how with Motorhomers, it is invariably British Motorhomes seem to be the problem when the european supplies are wired badly :)

"It’s just British electrical equipment that has single polarity wiring". This is quite a sweeping statement.
If you take Motorhomes as an example, AC Sockets in the main don't have switches on them whether they are British, French, German or Italian. If you take the consumer units, British Motorhomes usually have an RCD and MCBS which are both dual-pole. Look at an old Hymer and they didn't even used to fit an RCD at all.
The British 13A plug is actually just about the safest domestic plug in the world. American plugs are total rubbish. European plugs are better but not as good. Biggest problem with the British plug is when you step on it!


Now sticking a knife in a plugged in toaster? Clearly a candidate for a Darwin award there!
 
wildebus said:
I love how with Motorhomers, it is invariably British Motorhomes seem to be the problem when the european supplies are wired badly :)

"It’s just British electrical equipment that has single polarity wiring". This is quite a sweeping statement.
If you take Motorhomes as an example, AC Sockets in the main don't have switches on them whether they are British, French, German or Italian. If you take the consumer units, British Motorhomes usually have an RCD and MCBS which are both dual-pole. Look at an old Hymer and they didn't even used to fit an RCD at all.
The British 13A plug is actually just about the safest domestic plug in the world. American plugs are total rubbish. European plugs are better but not as good. Biggest problem with the British plug is when you step on it!


Now sticking a knife in a plugged in toaster? Clearly a candidate for a Darwin award there!
Click to expand...

The article below offered up this issue with U.K. equipment. Interesting read:-


As for the toaster it would have been turned off but still plugged in and therefore still live if polarity reversed. How many have used something metal to get toast out assuming that because the toaster had popped it was turned off and not still live?

Normal polarity fine. Reverse not so.

And how many bother to check polarity in the first place?
 
Moped said:
The article below offered up this issue with U.K. equipment. Interesting read:-

Click to expand...

Moped said:
As for the toaster it would have been turned off but still plugged in and therefore still live if polarity reversed. How many have used something metal to get toast out assuming that because the toaster had popped it was turned off and not still live?
Click to expand...
Not me! I prefer to live.
Moped said:
Normal polarity fine. Reverse not so.

And how many bother to check polarity in the first place?
Click to expand...
Yup. Although I don't tend any longer to carry a reverse polarity lead as never got round to putting it in the locker (I think!?).


The operation of a Victron Multiplus is interesting in this situation .... When in inverter mode, it supplies the power with the correct polarity. If the EHU connection has the wrong polarity, it will pass that through unadjusted, and if it goes into Power Assist mode - where the Inverter makes up the extra power demanded due to a low power supply - the power from the inverter flips into reverse polarity to match the supply.
The Multiplus also by default acts as a UPS - so the Inverter instantly kicks in if EHU is lost. In that situation with a reversed polarity supply, the output to the sockets and devices instantly switch polarity back to being correct, and when EHU back on, swaps back.
Quite clever really.
 
Moped said:
And how many bother to check polarity in the first place?
Click to expand...
Well me for one.

A polarity tester lives in my van and using it is part of my set up.

Never had a warning in the UK and very few in EU.
I have a 50cm polarity reverse cable with 16 amp fitments so I can use in UK or EU

In my passport where they ask for religion I answer - "Coward - Orthodox".
 
Simple, fit this before fuse box, green light if ok , red you flick the switch to reverse, all vans should have them fitted.
switch.jpg
electrics .jpg
 
wildebus said:
I love how with Motorhomers, it is invariably British Motorhomes seem to be the problem when the european supplies are wired badly :)

"It’s just British electrical equipment that has single polarity wiring". This is quite a sweeping statement.
If you take Motorhomes as an example, AC Sockets in the main don't have switches on them whether they are British, French, German or Italian. If you take the consumer units, British Motorhomes usually have an RCD and MCBS which are both dual-pole. Look at an old Hymer and they didn't even used to fit an RCD at all.
The British 13A plug is actually just about the safest domestic plug in the world. American plugs are total rubbish. European plugs are better but not as good. Biggest problem with the British plug is when you step on it!


Now sticking a knife in a plugged in toaster? Clearly a candidate for a Darwin award there!
Click to expand...
Fork actually works better
 
Why are you on a campsite?
we only go when the grandchildren are with us....so we can send them off to annoy people :LOL:
 
r4dent said:
Well me for one.

A polarity tester lives in my van and using it is part of my set up.

Never had a warning in the UK and very few in EU.
I have a 50cm polarity reverse cable with 16 amp fitments so I can use in UK or EU

In my passport where they ask for religion I answer - "Coward - Orthodox".
Click to expand...
Yep when asked if I am religious...
"Yes I am a devout coward !"
 
We carry a second adaptor too, which I swapped the witing around in and is clearly marked in red for being used for reverse polarity. We have come across it in France as well as Spain...

...for when I remember to check, that is!
 
shortcircuit said:
The usual paranoia. In A HEALTHY electrical circuit reverse polarity presents no danger UNLESS YOU STICK YOUR FINGERS IN WHERE THEY SHOULD NOT BE
Click to expand...
Reverse polarity kills people even electrical engineers, every year.
I was replacing a security light years ago that was wired wrongly. I was thrown off a ladder when I went to remove the wiring.
When you switch of an appliance with a single pole switch you have every right to expect you have switched the positive. There was a famous case years ago when a Celtic football player Johnny Doyle was killed due to reverse polarity whilst working on electrics in a metal trussed roof.

Johnny Doyle (Scottish footballer) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
 
Fisherman said:
Reverse polarity kills people even electrical engineers, every year.
I was replacing a security light years ago that was wired wrongly. I was thrown off a ladder when I went to remove the wiring.
When you switch of an appliance with a single pole switch you have every right to expect you have switched the positive. There was a famous case years ago when a Celtic football player Johnny Doyle was killed due to reverse polarity whilst working on electrics in a metal trussed roof.

Johnny Doyle (Scottish footballer) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
Click to expand...
Suggest sets you did not test before commencing replacement??
 
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