Just after some advice..... Can you replace beige caravan plug sockets with household plug sockets from Screwfix etc? The wiring will remain the same, it's just the plastic sockets we're after updating!
The 240 volt electric supply to the caravan is exactly the same as your home domestic supply as it comes via a 240 volt mains hook up lead anyway and there are also trip switches with an MCB which is also the same at home. I'm not sure but the wiring in your domestic supply has to have an earth cable as well as the live and negative cables whereas in the caravan there may only be just a live and negative only and no earth. However, other than that the positive (Brown) and negative (Blue)wiring connections are exactly the same as your domestic supply but just check to see if the two wall fixing screws are the same centres as this would be the only difference.
Quote: Originally posted by tango55 on 11/11/2012
I'm not sure but the wiring in your domestic supply has to have an earth cable as well as the live and negative cables whereas in the caravan there may only be just a live and negative only and no earth.
Post last edited on 11/11/2012 18:44:35
I hope you are wrong in this Tango.
For OP, if you have the CBE electrical fittings they are fairly readily available either online or from most caravan accessory shops. They are easy to fit and as they are modular you can fit various modules into a standard backplate or change a single to a double without having to bin the single socket module, see CBE for all sorts of sockets and other outlets.
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Caravan wiring must be 3 core Live ,neutral and earth.
The only problem you may have is that caravan sockets are often fitted in a circular cutout whereas normal domestic sockets have a square cutout and unless you fit a box on the rear the terminals may be exposed.
Far better to change them if you need to with proper caravan sockets.
Although I have been involved with domestic electrics I have never stripped any out in the caravan that's why I was unsure but yes you are quite right 'birder99', there would have to be an earth cable to the rear of the sockets by law. I'm getting confused with some 240 volt appliances such as a plastic table lamp or electric drill with a plastic handle as they only have positive and negative wires and only require an earth wire if the components are metallic to avoid an electric shock.
Not 100% on new regs but in practical terms you need to check the mcb rating for the existing spur as they are normally 10A and you could easily trip the mcb if you are not careful what you are plugging in with 3 sockets. It is easy to spur off from CBE sockets but if you want to stay within the regs it is probably best to get someone who is up to date to confirm what is permitted.
------------- 'A sure cure for sea-sickness is to sit under a tree'
You can spur off another socket.The cable must be 2.5mm minimum and multi stranded,so an old hook up lead is fine.The limitation you have will be voltage drop and the current rating of your mcb
I have a total of x5 mains sockets installed through the van, positioned purely for convenience, which is the main reason folk probably add further sockets (had x3 originally and just added extra two).
To echo comments above, just be aware of what you're running so as not to trip the site EHU or upset the on-board mcb.
The same could be said of vans with just two sockets to be fair; there's nothing stopping me from physically connecting a 2kw heater to one and a 2kw kettle to the 2nd, but I'd likely run into difficulty with the EHU/mcb tripping under that load.
There is no specifid max no of sockets you can connect to a radial circuit, but if your van has a ring main, then any spur off it should be fused at the take off point.
The regs for a domestic situation differ from the recommended cable size in that the minimum size cable for a caravan can be 1.5mm 3 core multistrand flex with a minimum of 7 strands.Provided you don't uprate the MCB to more than 10A then you will be OK.
The cable should be kept seperate from any 12V wiring.
There is no problem with taking a spur off any of the sockets on any of the circuits but it is best to spur off the 230V socket circuit to avoid any possible confusion.
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Topic: Caravan sockets - replacing
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