Lighting Switches in Caravans

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CAWORK

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Good Evening All,

Hope everyone is doing OK in the present crisis situation.

Something regarding Electrical Installations in caravans I have often wondered about is the type of lighting switches employed.

Although I am fully aware all socket outlet switching is required to be DP, what is the situation of light switches?

Considering the scenario of Reverse Polarity, if the socket outlets employed SP switching, then yes, all appliances will continue to receive a Live feed, even if the socket switches were to be in the off position. This is not good I know, although danger I would imagine is actually most likely to occur should someone starts to tamper with an appliance (e.g. stick fork in Toaster).

However, if a bulb blows and requires changing, once you have 'untwisted' the old bulb out of the lamp socket (in order to fit a new one) you are properly and easily exposing a Live Part, i.e. the lamp holder prong/plunger, which under RP conditions, would be 'Live' if SP light switches were employed.

I would have thought, since lamps/bulbs will actually require changing over periods of time, the risk(s) I suggested above would probably be greater than an appliance left plugged in to a socket outlet but receiving a Live supply whilst switched off.

I have seen plenty of comments regarding the DP switching of socket outlets, but not much (if anything) regarding the switching of lighting.

If lighting switches were (are?) required to be DP, then this would surely complicate things greatly in the event of certain situations e.g. Two Way Switching?

Regards
 
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CAWORK said:
Although I am fully aware all socket outlet switching is required to be DP, what is the situation of light switches?
Click to expand...
Is that a Regulation, section
of the regs, I thought that only applied to the Overload Protection Device.
Sorry 721
 
Last edited:
333rocky333 said:
Is that a Regulation, section 712 of the regs, I thought that only applied to the Overload Protection Device.
Click to expand...
I've always been under the impression it is regs, it certainly seems to be the standard used.
And for OP again it always seems to be done with DP switches, I assumed regs.
 
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Cheers for the replies.

I am a bit 'rusty' on the Regulations, although I have read/heard plenty of times the use regarding DP switched sockets, although thinking about it, not sure if as 333rocky333 mentions, if DP switched sockets are actually a Regulation.

Regards
 
Getting line and neutral swapped is mainly only a problem when travelling abroad, so would guess it is a EU regulation rather than British? I note near every caravan uses Clipsal sockets and switches, never really tested to see if double pole, but the GU10 lamps in my caravan don't really present a problem, and all ceiling lights are 12 volt.

I would think one would need to read all EU regulations to be sure if double pole switching is required, and I can only read English. I know technically my caravan did not comply with regulations as sold in Wales and the instructions are only in English, out of interest I have looked for Welsh version of BS7671 and it does not seem to exist. Not that it affects me, all I read is the signs saying slow (ARAF) in the road, Welsh readers are given prior notice to bends to English readers, I know Men on toilets starts with a D (Dynion) and Woman starts with M (Merched) but I don't really read the signs, just got to know if it starts with a M not to go in.

And I think the rules with caravans are similar, not a clue why but they do tend to have double pole switching on the 230 volt. But only Hobby caravans seem to have no 12 volt, and they are German anyway.
 
708 is the section regarding caravans.

What type of caravan do you mean?

Mobile homes are no different than houses as far as sockets and switches are concerned.
All sockets are triple pole when you remove the plug.
 
Is that not where caravans are?

712 is solar PV.

As I said, mobile homes (park homes) are no different than houses as far as sockets and light switches are concerned.
 
The concern is if you go to eg Germany or Italy and hook up using the local connector, you could have reversed polarity. Their plugs go in either way
 
Ah, section 721 applies to caravans.

I am still confused as to exactly what the OP is referring.

The internal sockets and switches of the caravan (which are mentioned), whether British or European don't have any requirement for double pole switching.


If concerned about the hook-up plugs and sockets then these are surely not reversible European plugs and sockets.
 
EFLImpudence said:
If concerned about the hook-up plugs and sockets then these are surely not reversible European plugs and sockets.
Click to expand...
My understanding is that a weatherpoof variant of SCHUKO exists and is used by some caravan sites on the continent for hookups.

Even if CEEFORM connectors are used there is no guarantee that the installer at the caravan site paid attention to polarity, nor is there any gaurantee that the supply actually has a neutral at all. It may be two phases from a 230V three-phase system (yes they exist).
 
I'm sorry if I have just been getting in the way here, but I was interested and not quite sure what the OP was getting at.

Maybe 'Caravans' is what is confusing the matter.

My flat has single pole light switches, so the solution is don't rely on the light switch when changing a lamp but isolate the supply - and anyway don't poke your fingers in the lamp holder.

The plugs are, of course, reversible but this makes no difference as the OPD is always in the line conductor whichever way the plug is inserted.
Also the sockets do not have switches so the problem does not arise.

The OP's question about caravans also applies to any appliance with a UK plug which might be taken to Europe and plugged in using an adaptor.
Again isolate before doing anything.

People might not understand but surely it is up to them not to do any electrical work in Europe or the UK without isolating the supply, either by switching off the lighting OPD or pulling out the plug.
 
I think the real issue would be if a caravan has ES (screw 240v) bulb holders, where it is easy to touch.

I don't know what is fitted to modern caravans. Was 12v in my day!
 
There is no requirement for socket outlets in caravans to have double pole switches, or even any switches. Isolation is achieved by removing the plug from the socket.
No requirement for DP light switches either.

Double pole devices are required for RCDs, overcurrent protection and the main isolator, as the polarity of the supply to the caravan may be different depending on where the caravan is located.
 
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