Power without the kick
Irefer to an article by Neels van Heerden in the November 2019 issue called “Don’t mess about with electricity”, and again would like to emphasise safety of electricity in the campsite.
I’ve been an electrician for 40 years, and as Neels points out, you can buy a cheap device with which you can test the power point in the campsite. There are different brands available, but it won’t cost you much more than R450. This tester has three lights, and all three needs to light up when you plug it into your stand’s power point. When you arrive at the campsite, immediately test the power point before you plug in your extension cord. If two or less lights up, there’s something wrong. Notify the resort management immediately.
The tester also indicates what the problem is: it shows a ground, neutral or live wire fault, or should the live and neutral wire or the live and ground wire have been swapped.
It can be life-threatening if the live and neutral wire is swapped, for example. Remember, a switch breaks the live wire, and when the wires are swapped, the live contact stays live. The tester can also determine if the earth leakage circuit breaker is working as it should. The tester has a knob that rotates to determine at how many milliamps the earth leakage circuit breaker kicks out. Up to 30 mA is safe for humans and should therefore trip before or at 30 mA. The earth leakage circuit breaker will either be located at the power point itself or on the distribution board from where the power comes. It’s not the amount of volts that can be lethal, but the current – measured in ampère.
Extension cords can also cause problems. Rather, use a thicker one. One with 2,5 mm2 wires is better than a thinner version, as it can easily handle a current of 20 A, while you will typically get a 16 A power point in the campsite. When a cord is too thin for the amount of current, it can melt and cause a fire. Furthermore, it is a good rule of thumb to extend only once – don’t use more than one extension cord at once, and leave your red lawn mower one at home. It only has a live and a neutral wire and therefore nothing will be grounded in your caravan.
Finally, about multi-plugs: if you have to use one, choose the type with a built-in circuit breaker.