mike 202 Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 From the A/S owners club, an owner had a fault on the 240 volt box which stopped charging the leisure battery. They rang the suppliers and it appears reverse polarity can cause a spike large enough to cause a fault to develop on the charging board circuit. The suggested solution is to check the polarity before the mains is hooked up to the van. So an adaptor made up with an ISO (Blue) plug, a short length of cable and a UK 3 pin socket with a polarity tester will permit testing prior to hooking up to the van. Never had a problem myself but I always have the onboard charger switched off when connecting the mains and check polarity before switchind anything on. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aultymer Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 Not sure how so called 'reverse polarity' would cause a spike but everytime you make and break a live connection the spark created can cause a spike. (according to our electrical contractor) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupert123 Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 I do not believe this, perhaps they could explain their thinking, just cannot see how it is possible for reverse polarity to cause a spike and even if it could do not see how it could cause this sort of damage. Sounds like an excuse to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 I am also finding difficulties to understand how this could happen. Can you identify the charger unit and was this a manufacturers explanation or a service shop? Do you no if the unit was replaced under warranty as it should have been designed for this situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike 202 Posted April 26, 2011 Author Share Posted April 26, 2011 sshort circuit, I have posted to try to help in case the spike question was relavent. The writer in question said that he found out the expensive way that a missed 1st habitation check voided the 2nd year warranty. Hence I believe the call to the supplier. So I guess it is a lesson to us all to be very mindfull to keep to the warranty requirements. I do not have any details on the exact model of charger and model of motorhome. It was a general letter about treatment received by the writer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 The missed habitation check is just clouding the issue. The unit should be designed to accept reverse polarity and IF this caused the problem then it is not fit for purpose. Are there instructions supplied with the MH which states reversed polarity must be checked before connecting? I listened to a wireless program this morning discussing extended warranties. I took from the programme that goods have a 5 year warranty(6 years in Scotland) thus questioning the need for these warranties other than to increase sales for the shop. You would expect the charger in the MH to last at least 6 years and as such it should be replaced under this legislation. I am of the opinion that a dealer has fobbed off the customer with a concocted story and refused them their statutory rights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 On-line examples of recent Auto-Sleepers handbooks do contain advice on reverse polarity (RP). For example, page 7-10 of this link: http://www.auto-sleepers.co.uk/uploads/handbooks/2010/Trident%20Trooper%202010%20handbook.pdf Nothing, however, is said about the possibility of RP damaging on-board charging equipment via 'spiking' or anything else. I would have thought that any manufacturer of charging equipment for leisure vehicles would always ensure that the equipment is well protected against potential damage that might be caused by RP of the mains electrical supply. I can fully accept that mains 'spiking' can cause damage to electrical equipment (a violent electrical storm damaged all sorts of household electrical kit in my area a few years ago), but I don't see why RP in itself should do this. Certainly, in the case of the charging equipment fitted to Continental European leisure-vehicles, if this were a real risk one might expect reports of it happening regularly as the polarity of electrical hook-ups outside the UK is completely unpredictable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesFrance Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 Our Spanish yacht marina recently suffered a power surge which caused damage to the washing machines, restaurant freezers and electric equipment in boats. Most boats only suffered damage to their chargers, many of which had to be replaced. The marina management are trying to persuade the power supplier to accept responsibility, but we are still waiting for a report. I think most of the boat owners affected are claiming on their insurance, but that depends on their excess. Even though Autosleepers may only sell to the UK market, I would think that they would still use installed equipment suitable for continental use. Reverse polarity should only matter if someone uses an appliance with a single pole switch and I doubt if even British suppliers do that now, when most products have to comply with EU regs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syd Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 Simple remedy, fit a reverse polarity warning switch then no more problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 I smell cow poo. C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupert123 Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 Syd - 2011-04-27 9:14 PM Simple remedy, fit a reverse polarity warning switch then no more problems. Why bother when their are no problems. This reminds me of the fit a gas alarm in case somebody tries to gas you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 The charger failed in use. What evidence was there that the polarity was reversed at the time of failure?Regarding RP causing a "spike", this is no more, nor less, true than for correct polarity. So, I agree with Clive: bovine ordures.The owner of the van could disregard the warranty, which in any case seems to have more get-out clauses and conditions than inclusions (do people actually read these before buying - and still go ahead?), and ask the supplying dealer to replace the faulty unit under existing consumer rights legislation.Otherwise, he should simply buy a replacement charger unit and make a note to read the warranty conditions (kindly linked by Derek) when next he buys a van. It is an explicit condition of the warranty that the hab check be carried out, in the absence of which the warranty is void. There is no conditionality in this, although one might hope a manufacturer seeking to maintain good customer relations to recognise that a charger unit is extremely unlikely to have failed because it had not been electrically tested during the check, and to have accepted liability in the almost certain knowledge he could counter-claim successfully - if necessarily aided by a bit of commercial arm wrestling - against the charger manufacturer.While recognising the good intention behind this post I am convinced that either the poster has not gained the whole story, or that the AS owner has been (intentionally or inadvertently) hoodwinked by the dealer. The facts, as stated, are wholly unconvincing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 Hi, I recently bought a second hand Autocruise from the 'largest dealer in Europe' (their quote,not mine). The delivery was seriously delayed, almost to the point of me cancelling and having a scrap for my deposit back. In the end they 'came clean' and told me that a Faulty Charger had been discovered during the pre-delivery check, and the delay was them trying to get spares to repair it. After another phone call they Replaced the charger. (and said they would send me the old one, for spares and proof of their genuine difficulty). Evidently the fault was the MCB supplying the charger kept tripping when the charger started drawing power, it also blew the associated fuse. With the Autocruise now at home (with New charger !) several weeks later a large package arrived, the 'faulty charger', (it was a 'Plug in systems' unit). I took it up to my 'workshop' (shed) and dismantled it, connected the charger direct (via a 13amp plug) and the output to a 'Reasonable' 12v battery and 'Voila' She works ! tested the MCB in the 'Mains supply' part of the unit, and under any type of load it trips...... Duff mcb. BUT a 'spare' working 18amp Charger. Result ! Moral of story, just because a breaker trips and a fuse blows does NOT necessarily mean a defective Charger. AND I agree with Clive too ! an all pervading whiff of Bull shxx ! Ray ;-) PS The 'said' Dealer has been brilliant, another fault, this time requiring a new 'Calorfier' was fitted without any quibble a couple of weeks later. NOW i know why the last owner 'got rid' !! A good reason to buy from a Dealer ! (even 'the biggest one in Europe') :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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