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#106282 04/16/05 04:15 PM
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pauluk Offline OP
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Here are some hookups below mobile homes at a nearby site. These are not on a residential trailer park, but are small single-unit "caravans" as can be found on caravan sites all over Britain for short holiday stays.

Critique away!

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

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There may be few Electrical 'Codes' as such in France, but one of them is that that British flat grey twin-and-earth (all photos) wire is banned, because the earth wire is bare inside the outer sheath with no color coded sleeve. If EDF (National PoCo) see any of that stuff, even when just reading your meter, they cut you off immediately!!
Is that chewing gum or Electroplasm sealant?
Alan


Wood work but can't!
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Thanks for the pictures Paul!. [Linked Image]
I'm with Alan on the question as to the the make up of that sealing medium in the top picture, could it be Self-Amalgamating tape?.
What sort of a Earth Stake is that?, I've never seen a connection like that before.
Is grey TPS cable UV-protected when exposed to the elements like that?.
How come only one of these supplies has an RCD unit on it, when all the others seem to have only a MCB (?) protecting them?.
Are them feed cables (the black ones) armoured, rubber sheathed type?.
Interesting insulation tape/Bubble wrap mounting technique in the 3rd pic.
Also, I don't like the chances of loosening the screws on that connection box, without lots of CRC. [Linked Image]

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Inappropriate cable for waterproof (?) cable gland in the top of IP enclosure?

Those rusty enclosures, IP rated (?) and earth continuity from SWA to SWA?

Curling the ground wire will make it near useless in a lightning strike. At least it's got an earth, or maybe it shouldn't?

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pauluk Offline OP
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You've hit on a lot of the problems.

The junction boxes (or at least some of them) appear to be the regular 3x3 galvanized type, not suitably sealed for outdoor use.

I'm not certain what that "sealing compound" is around the cable glands. I looked at it fairly closely and couldn't decide!

The bubble wrap and tape appears to have been some sort of attempt to provide extra weatherproofing during the winter, as it's on many of the units on the site.

Yes, there is an RCD (GFI) on some posts and just a 16A MCB on others. Each caravan has its own independent TT earth rod, so each most likely has its own main RCD internally. (There are some small distribution cabinets around the site which may house feeder RCD's as well, but as the doors were locked I couldn't tell.)

The hookup pictured above with twin-&-earth cable into a CEE plug is not the only one:

[Linked Image]


This one caught my eye as well, with two cables apparently going from breaker to trailer:

[Linked Image]

On closer inspection, I realized that one of the cables is fixed to the frame of the caravan for a few feet but then drops down to the junction box which is behind the pipe (and almost buried in the ground too!):

[Linked Image]


The feeder cables are steel-wire armored, but XLPE jacketed, not rubber.

Unfortunately, the sea air does rather a lot to promote corrosion, especially when the covering boot is not in place properly:

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

The SWA gland on the bottom of that box is also just the 2-part type, intended for internal use.



[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 04-17-2005).]

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Am I blind or is that a NEMA 5-15 receptacle below that breaker in the bottom pic???

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quote:
"...some sort of attempt to provide extra weatherproofing during the winter...."
LOL!!! The WINTER!?!?! J.H.C.!! I must inform you, dear readers from sunnier climes, of the weather conditions pertaining in a normal English Summer, ie driving horizonal rain, gale force winds with full ash-cans flying gaily up the seafront at 80mph. Umbrellas torn inside out, saturated old men clinging desperately at 45 degree angles to large and stolid wives, sheets of ice-cold green sea-water full of small creatures being flung hundreds of yards inland. And the stoic, undeafeatable English holidaymakers, determined to enjoy themselves and cowering soaked-but-happy in the little shelters on the Front, saying "Mustn't grumble, it was nice last Wednesday!" I used to love those holidays at Margate or Clacton or Burnham-on-Sea, Dad with a knotted-handkerchief perched on his head, trousers rolled up, smoking a "Woodbine" & day-dreaming of personally castrating Hitler with two bricks. Gran fast-asleep in a deckchair, toothless old mouth gaping and with my sister secretly weaving seaweed into her hair or putting live crabs in her hand-bag, and dear, dear old Ma paddling happy in the surf. All of us anticipating "High Tea" (with "Spam")at the Guest-House. You know the saddest thing about those pictures?, it's the little meter. The site owners will double or treble the price of the electricity for those little 'vans.
Alan


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pauluk Offline OP
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LOL! Alan is so right! It usually manages to be like that every bank (public) holiday weekend. Those of you who have never been here just don't know what you're missing in the great British weather! [Linked Image] [Linked Image]

Quote
Am I blind or is that a NEMA 5-15 receptacle below that breaker in the bottom pic???
Funny you should say that, because when I looked at the pictures that's exactly what came into my mind too! It's actually just part of the latch mechanism which is supposed to keep the weatherproof cover shut, only the latch part from the cover itself is missing.

The size and spacing of those holes is much smaller than an NEMA receptacle, but it does look remarkably like one when you can't see the scale, doesn't it? [Linked Image]

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Crikey Ragnar,
You've obviously got good eyesight.
I wouldn't have picked that up in a million years. [Linked Image]
Paul,
What would the usual loading be on one of these branch circuits? (ie, per caravan).
I'm sort of guessing a light or two and a socket for a kettle?.

[This message has been edited by Trumpy (edited 04-18-2005).]

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pauluk Offline OP
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Yes, the typical holiday caravan uses LPG for cooking, hot water, and heating.

There will be the ubiquitous electric kettle, plus maybe a small microwave oven in many these days. Some people might also use a portable heater as a booster. Other than that, just the lights, radio, TV, and other negligible laods.

Each caravan on this site seems to be on a 16A circuit.

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