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Supply for a camper van.

AncientMariner
A neighbour has just bought a camper van and I noticed that it is plugged into a garage socket whilst it is on the drive. I guess this so that they can do any fitting out it needs and keeping it's battery charged.


Having been reading the posts on EV charging, I am wondering whether similar requirements would apply to a regular 13A socket whether inside the garage, or outside the garage?  The supply is 1-phase TN-S 

Clive
  • 0
    AFAIK, the requirements for the charging of electric vehicles are not applicable to other uses of electricity outdoors. Supplying power to motorhomes or caravans, or preheating an engine driven vehicle, or use of electric tools outdoors.


    There are of course regulations to be followed, but these are less strict than for EV charging.
  • 0
    I think a motor home is legally regarded as a "caravan" - so it's simpler in a way as then the ESQCR prohibits the use of PME Earth (which for ordinary domestic customers practically means not using an DNO supplied earth as we can't trust them not to convert to PME unbeknown to anyone else).


    Section 708 may or may not apply, depending on whether you consider the setup sufficiently similar to that of a caravan park...


    It does beg the interesting question for section 722 when we get to having electrically propelled motor homes (i.e. it'sboth an EV and caravan at the same time) - all the worries about proximity of PME metalwork and using charge points that attempt to detect broken CNE conductors switch the c.p.c. are going to clash head-on with the ESQCR.


      - Andy.
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    Andy is correct ... BS 7671 cannot permit something that's prohibited in legislation (i.e. connection of a caravan or boat to a PME earthing terminal).


    However, it's the supplier who has the duty to comply with that particular requirement, not the consumer.
  • 0
    It does beg the interesting question for section 722 when we get to having electrically propelled motor homes (i.e. it'sboth an EV and caravan at the same time)

    Seems it might be more than just a theoretical possibility already: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7As3818lTg (even if I don't expect to see too many down my way at that price)

      - Andy.

  • 0
    AJJewsbury:
    It does beg the interesting question for section 722 when we get to having electrically propelled motor homes (i.e. it'sboth an EV and caravan at the same time)

    Seems it might be more than just a theoretical possibility already: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7As3818lTg (even if I don't expect to see too many down my way at that price)


    At that price, you could stay many nights in a comfortable hotel.


  • 0
    Any infringement of the ESQCR regs will be dealt with firmly and swiftly by the DNOs. As was witnessed when the picture guide book came up with the hairbrained scheme to "improve" the DNOs network. This was the horror whereby many rods were to be installed in peoples front gardens and patios to "reduce" an already low impedance. Ill conceived, needless to say didnt get past the sham "public" consultation period. 


    Clash head on? I think our poster is flattering himself, there will be no clash, if incidents are reported to the DNO regarding  a PME breach the consumer will be at risk of losing the facility on safety grounds. (By law)


    "its the supplier who has the duty to comply" Not true, It is the designer/specifier/installer who must be clear of their of their reasons and acknowledge their accountability in making such a decision.


    Regards UKPN. 


  • 0
    "its the supplier who has the duty to comply" Not true, It is the designer/specifier/installer who must be clear of their of their reasons and acknowledge their accountability in making such a decision.

    Odd then that the actual law under regulation 9(4) of the ESQCR say "The distributor shall not connect his combined neutral and protective conductor to anymetalwork in a caravan or boat." with no mention of a similar duty for the consumer.


    It would also be interesting to know what precautions the DNOs take to ensure that consumers do not have existing earth connections to caravans or boats before converting existing parts of the network to PME.


       - Andy.
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    No one is connecting the  distributors PEN (i.e. before the split to separated PE and N) to a caravan are they?

    They are simply connecting a CPC that is derived from a TNC-s supply at some point further back, to a caravan.

    No law is broken.

    Whether the CPC can be considered safe is another matter.
  • 0
    UKPN:

    Any infringement of the ESQCR regs will be dealt with firmly and swiftly by the DNOs. As was witnessed when the picture guide book came up with the hairbrained scheme to "improve" the DNOs network. This was the horror whereby many rods were to be installed in peoples front gardens and patios to "reduce" an already low impedance. Ill conceived, needless to say didnt get past the sham "public" consultation period. 


    Clash head on? I think our poster is flattering himself, there will be no clash, if incidents are reported to the DNO regarding  a PME breach the consumer will be at risk of losing the facility on safety grounds. (By law)


    "its the supplier who has the duty to comply" Not true, It is the designer/specifier/installer who must be clear of their of their reasons and acknowledge their accountability in making such a decision.


    Regards UKPN. 


     


    Which bits of the ESQCR are you referring to?  The majority of it refers to what generators and distributors must do.  It says precious little about what anybody else can do.


    If a consumer chooses to plug their motorhome into a socket on a PME network, the ESQCR has nothing to say on the matter.


  • 0
    Surely a motor home is a motorised caravan, so is subject to section 717, and the parking space section 707. The dangers are exactly the same as electric vehicle charging, and a shock between the vehicle and the ground around it, or PME earthed extraneous parts close by, is equally possible. I have not noticed many owners taking any notice of these regulations in my locality, either with motor homes or caravans.

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