Mains unit - what use is it?

No reply from the campers, so can anyone here help? This question to do with electric points/connections at camping sites.

A friend has just bought a "Utility Mobile Mains Unit", offering "protection against current overloads" - it has twin 13A sockets,

10A DP MCB, and a blue weatherproof plug [like a 110v transformer connector] to connect to a camping-site electric point.

What is the point of this? Presumably, it will only protect the

*camping site* supply from excessive load. It doesn't have an RCD incorporated, so appears useless for personal shock protection.

FWIW, it's supplied by Tony Wild Camping, manufactured in the UK by Semloh Electrics of Long Eaton, part: SEAMMU. It cost £69.99!!

Should it be returned/sold on, or be used with a plug-in RCD?

Reply to
Chris Bacon
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Apart from any other purpose it will (should) make a profit for manufacturer, wholesaler, retailer and at every level the government!

Reply to
John

Camp site owners can get *very* upset when you trip the supply so it protects you from their wrath when you forget and try to use your normal domestic kettle.

MBQ

Reply to
manatbandq

This one?

It appears to be a combined RCD/10 trip and adapter from the IEC connector used on camp sites to 13A sockets.

If it is the same model it looks as if it already has one - if not I'd be surprised to find any outlet on a camp site which didn't already include RCD protection.

It is basically a protected weatherproof extension lead and IEC/UK adapter. The price is a bit high but isn't exorbitant for what it is if the standard of construction is high.

Reply to
Peter Parry

It does look the same unit - however, see below....

It does not specifically say in the instructions for the "double" that it contains an RCD. MRP is £100. The bumff for the "single" (MRP £95) (and triple) does mention an RCD:

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switch on the double unit liiks like a simple DP MCB. If you look at pictures of both products:

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can see (sort of). The double mentions "protection against electric shocks" which is either a mis-print, or I have it wrong.

That sounds reasonable (was going to 'phone site to ask this a.m., may still do so).

Reply to
Chris Bacon

You may find you won't be allowed to connect to the electrics on foreign campsites with out one of these. At least thats what we found in France last year. They were renting them at ?30/week if you didn't have one.

Reply to
Ian_m

I've just had a look at the information leaflet in the box. This thing "contains no RCD" and is for "protection against current overloads". So it's to protect the fixed installation of the camping-site! Why does the page at the URL you posted say "Gives protection against electric shocks where portable equipment is used"? Surely this is very misleading, and worthy of correction? I wonder how many of these things have been sold to people who think that by using them they're safe from electrocution?

Reply to
Chris Bacon

The fixed supply *to* the caravan socket outlet, if wired to modern standards, will be RCD protected (30 mA) and individually overcurrent protected (usually at 16 A). See Division 2 of Section 608 of BS 7671.

The RCD protection may be shared between up to three outlets, so if you trip it you might take out someone else's supply. That said an additional individual RCD wouldn't help (except as a back-up in case the site RCD is broken or absent) since discriminative operation would not be assured.

Also it is not permitted to take the earth (CPC) connection to caravan pitch sockets from the mains supply earth if the supply is PME. Therefore on most recently wired sites you should find that the earthing is to local earth electrodes, with RCD protection for indirect contact protection.

Reply to
Andy Wade

I think you will find that the product partly shares its description with a similar unit on the same website which *does* include an RCD. This type of descriptive error is sadly not unusual when the person who enters the item onto the database has a distinct lack of clue.

Reply to
Smudger

Hm, I e-mailed the proprieter of a camping site I stayed at, and was told that "RCD are 60mA, MCB are 16amp". A 60mA RCD seems odd to me...

Reply to
Chris Bacon

On Mon, 12 Sep 2005 12:04:52 +0100, Chris Bacon scrawled:

Seems made up to me. More likely 60A and something else mA.

Reply to
Lurch

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