ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade Non-US Electrical Systems & Trades Commercial/Industrial Sockets

Paul,
Yes, the 16A version here is a universal connector here as far as caravans and holiday parks that serve them are concerned.
It is a requirement here that you have a standard 10m lead with your caravan here, withe preferably IEC 309 connectors at both ends (Caravan end would have a female connector), feeding into an appliance inlet.
Here is the sort of thing that is usual for connecting into at the caravan site:



30mA leakage current trip level.

{Message edited to change 10mA to 30mA}

[This message has been edited by Trumpy (edited 10-21-2005).]

Similar units can be found here, although quite often a pedestal will share the RCD between two or three outlets to reduce costs.

The trip level is usually the normal 30mA here though.


I don;t know about anywhere else, but certainly in France they don't seem to use IEC309 for all outdoor stuff. Even campsite hookups can be just a box with a normal domestic-type outlet inside.


I prepared myself for that sort of thing when heading west. I then spent a couple of days in Co. Galway and it was bright sunshine and about 80 degrees!

Gold-plated shell and platinum contacts?

I wonder if this is because they've not been around so long in the States? Any idea when IEC309 was first introduced over there?

Sorry Paul,
That should have been 30mA, not the 10mA that I stated above.
10mA is reserved for Electro-Medical Installations here.

I don't know when they were introduced in the states exactly. But, I do remeber seeing them for at least the last 10 to 12 years. So they arent really that new. ????
I think that, unlike in Europe, it is probably because the goverment has not required thier exclusve use oudoors.




[This message has been edited by IanR (edited 10-25-2005).]

They're only required for caravans here, Residential outdoor installations use Schuko with spring loaded lids (rated IP 44). Red CEE are available everywhere since they're the only 3ph plug (apart from very old flat plugs that have been absolutely banned for some time).
At school some machinery has purple 24V 2 pin CEE plugs.

[qoute] Red CEE are available everywhere since they're the only 3ph plug [/qoute]

Perhaps I was mistaken on the outdoors req. I think that they are required in Ireland. I know that min the UK they are required at construction sites.
Here in the states we have many diferent configurations to use for three phase power (locking ie.Twist Lock being the most common, see my link above)

[This message has been edited by IanR (edited 10-26-2005).]