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
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