timabob Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 We are getting ready for our first trip across the channel in our motorhome and so have been reading up about reverse polarity issues. We have an imported Hymer with european sockets. My understanding is that since with have continental sockets we don't need to worry about reverse polarity. Does anyone know if that is correct. From what I've read the problem for UK type sockets with reverse polarity is that our switches, when switched off, only switches off the live wire not the neutral. With reverse polarity the live is flowing down the neutral wire and vice versa, with the result that when you switch off, electricity is still flowing to your neutral pin!! If I have understood correctly, with continental switches, when you switch off the socket both live and neutral are switched off and therefore there is no real problem if the polarity is reversed. Can someone clarify!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billggski Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Sounds about right, continental plugs can be put in either way round. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevejelf Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 Hi I have lived in France for the last 20 years our switches only disconnect one pole, It is only in recent years we have regulated which left or right pin is live on an earthed socket Our supply is not protected by fuses but Disjuntor Interrupters which pick up shorts in either both poles instantaneously On two pin sockets anything goes Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyg3nwl Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 Hi, are the european sockets in the van looking like the square pin uk sockets, or are they physically different.. in other words can you plug in a uk equipment device with standard uk 3 pin square pin connections. if the answer is yes, then get yourself a reverse polarity checker at local caravan dealer, and buy or make a short reversing crossover lead so that if when you connect to site supply and check the socket in the motorhome , it shows reversed polarity, then simply disconnect from site supply and insert your short reversing lead and reconnect . Then recheck the sockets in van. it is possible that your van electrics may already have reverse polarity detection, and this would show on your control panel.. it does on our Stargazer panel, . tonyg3nwl ps you will find that a lot of sites in france have polarity crossed, often on different outlets on same pillar, particularly where pillar outlets are on opposite sides of the pillar.and if the outlets are the standard blue plug type. if the site still uses the white circular outlets, then a simple war of reversing, is to buy a french circular white 2 outlet adaptor, ie you plug it in to pillar, and the chose which of the outlets to use.. this will of course mean that you also need to carry a short adaptor to go from french white plug to uk blue plug.. we carry this as well just in case. tonyg3nwl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timabob Posted March 7, 2016 Author Share Posted March 7, 2016 No, the van has two pin round european sockets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 tonyg3nwl - 2016-03-07 9:14 AM if the answer is yes, then get yourself a reverse polarity checker at local caravan dealer, and buy or make a short reversing crossover lead so that if when you connect to site supply and check the socket in the motorhome , it shows reversed polarity, then simply disconnect from site supply and insert your short reversing lead and reconnect . tonyg3nwl I would get yourself one of these circuit testers as it not only checks polarity but also checks that there is an earth connection. We have come across a number of power supplies in France with no earth. ( So we reconnect to a different socket ! ) ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 timabob - 2016-03-07 9:38 AM No, the van has two pin round european sockets. Do your Hymer’s sockets actually have switches on them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timabob Posted March 7, 2016 Author Share Posted March 7, 2016 No they do not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 I thought they would not... The likelihood is that your Hymer has Schuko-type sockets (with or without a hinged protective cover) as shown in the attached photo. With this type of socket the 2-pin plug can be inserted either way round without impacting on the earth connection. If the feed from the 220V power-supply to the motorhome has its polarity ‘reversed’, then the polarity at the socket will also be reversed. If the polarity at the socket is reversed, the polarity can be ‘corrected' via the plug (assuming that access and the plug-design makes this practicable). Suggest you refer to this earlier discussion http://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Hints-and-Tips/A-couple-of-Reversed-Polarity-points/39946/ in particular aandncaravan’s posting of 2 March 2016 12:12 AM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupert123 Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 No, reverse polarity does not matter a damn whatever system your van has. People do carry reverse leads around but some people just like a lot of stuff, probably what makes the van overweight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 Purchase a reverse polarity tester. If it indicates a good earth then forget the rest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 rupert123 - 2016-03-07 3:12 PM No, reverse polarity does not matter a damn whatever system your van has... How about if the motorhome is an Auto-Sleepers model with an Eberspacher “Airltronic” blown-air heater and the mains-powered “Airlectric” option? That system is known to be polarity-sensitive and, if the mains supply’s polarity is ‘reversed’, the Airlectric part of the system won’t function. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 timabob - 2016-03-07 9:38 AM No, the van has two pin round european sockets. But, do be aware that there is not, strictly, any such thing as a "European" socket. Derek is correct that the Schuko type plug with two side mounted wiping earth contacts, as used in Germany, is reversible. However, plugs used in France have a single, "male", type earth pin and are not reversible. Be aware that if a French plug is inserted into a standard German socket, there will be no earth connection at the socket at all (it may not be possible to do this for all types of German socket, it depends on the flexibility of the earth contacts). A German plug simply cannot be inserted into a French socket, so the case won't arise. The universal hook-up adapter leads sold in the UK have both the side contacts for Schuko, and a female earth connection for France, so when using these the earth connection will be maintained right up to the van's sockets. But, this is unlikely to be true for most two round pin and earth plugs bought at supermarkets etc in France. You should find them in the larger outlets, but you will need to hunt them out! As others have said, your imported Hymer will be "polarity blind", and you have no need to be concerned about it. But, the advice to get a tester and check that it indicates a healthy earth connection at one of your sockets is far more important that reversed polarity ever was. A good earth is fundamental to safety. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallii Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 My Hymers fridge won't work if the polarity is reversed. Everything else does but not the fridge. H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 Do you mean it won't work at all, Geoff, or just won't work on 240V? I'm assuming it is a Dometic or Thetford absorption fridge, and not a compressor fridge? Also, how can you tell isn't working? Does this show on the control panel, or is it only when the fridge starts to warm up? In a German made van, with a mains electrical system that is not polarity sensitive, this seems very odd indeed. I'm wondering if there is a wiring fault somewhere, though I can't begin to imagine what/where. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 malc d - 2016-03-07 9:40 AM tonyg3nwl - 2016-03-07 9:14 AM if the answer is yes, then get yourself a reverse polarity checker at local caravan dealer, and buy or make a short reversing crossover lead so that if when you connect to site supply and check the socket in the motorhome , it shows reversed polarity, then simply disconnect from site supply and insert your short reversing lead and reconnect . tonyg3nwl I would get yourself one of these circuit testers as it not only checks polarity but also checks that there is an earth connection. We have come across a number of power supplies in France with no earth. ( So we reconnect to a different socket ! ) ;-) No earth connection wouldn't bother me, especially inside a Motorhome I've unwittingly worked on live wires at work and only realised after they were live and had no shock. It's only when you touch an earthed thing as well you get a belt. Earth causes more shocks than it prevents, maybe this is why laboratories have earth isolated supplies (they use a 1:1 isolating transformer). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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