i believe a 10amp electric supply can take 2300w without tripping ..therefore a normal houshold 2000w electric kettle is fine as long as you are not running anything else (fridge and tv are ok as they don't 'draw' too much)..
you could always get one of the travel kettles that run at about 700w then a toaster and anything else within reason should be ok...(they take ages to boil though)
Most sites offer electric hook-up at 16Amps max. The easiest way to work out the power taken in amps is to divide the wattage of the equipment by 250. A household kettle at 2000watts takes 8 , a toaster at 1Kw takes 4 amps. As stated before, the fridge, battery charger and TV take very little power but remember to account for your water heater if its electric.
I'm 5 ft 14 ins, so I guess that makes me a High Watt?
But seriously, (as has been stated) the kettle and toaster used on their own, should be fine. But both together may trip the overload breaker.
The nominal voltage supplied in the UK is 230.
Therefore a rough guide to work out how many Amps will be drawn by a Kettle, or Toaster etc is to divide the Watts by 230.
e.g. 2kW (2000 Watts) will draw about 8.7 Amps.
However if you're using a 25 metre cable from the EHU and the connectors are not good quality/condition, the voltage at the Toaster/Kettle etc when ON, will be lower than 230 Volts. How low? Pick a number, or use a voltmeter.
There is a dedicated EHU thread on this site that also may assist you?
BTW The cheapest 'Proper' EHU Distribution Cable I've seen cost about 40 GBP.
Kind regards James
------------- In the beginning there was darkness.
Then I bought a tent.
I'm not destitute, I'm just poor.
I have my EHU cable - yes I did get a proper camping one and not one of the super cheap ones off eBay
So if I buy a normal (budget) toaster and kettle but only run one at a time then I'll be ok? The only other things we will run off the EHU is an electric cooler box thingy, a light in the tent (25w bulb) and a lap top.
check the wattage of the kettle...some 'fast boil' types can be too high ...stick to 2000w to be safe, you can then run lights, fridge, tv and phone charger as well as making a cuppa...
actually just been looking at kettles and the lowest watt seems to be 2.2kw.....unless you get a special travel one..
------------- Think this year is to follow old meet friends for 2014.
If you cant do someone a good turn,don`t do them a bad one,its nice to be nice you know,and little things mean much more later in life.
Pete.
I find it easier to work the other way. The supply at the site is rated in amps and will be 16, 10 or (esp. in France) 6 amps. However, most EHU units for tenting are limited to 10 amps.
Where the site has a 16 amp EHU you have 16 x 230 to play with = 3,680 watts - add up the wattages on the items and you'll see what you can use in theory, but as your EHU will probably only be 10 amp and/or the site only has 10 amp then you are really limited to 2300 watts. So don't put the kettle and toaster on at the same time.
6 amp is 1380 watts.
Much easier than working out the amps of all the items.
NB Domestic kettles used to be mostly around 2000 watts (= 2 Kw) but now many in the shops are as much as 3000 watts (3 Kw) and these would be too powerful for EHU.
Post last edited on 20/07/2010 21:57:05
------------- Caz
If you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, just keep going till you go round the bend.
Quote: Originally posted by bordercaz on 20/7/2010
NB Domestic kettles used to be mostly around 2000 watts (= 2 Kw) but now many in the shops are as much as 3000 watts (3 Kw) and these would be too powerful for EHU.
Post last edited on 20/07/2010 21:57:05
If you stick to the budget or 'value' Tescos or Argos ones (~£5) you should be fine.
And don't get too bogged down in the detailed maths, because there are many variations and unknowns with the electricity values. Round numbers and allowing a margin for error is much easier on the brain.
Rule of thumb when you are deciding what appliances to take camping: each 1kW draws about 4A.
Rule of thumb when on site: Only one heating item at a time, and you should be able to leave everything else running.
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: How many watts is low watt
