External socket for caravan.

[treehouse]

I need to fit a 16A external socket to provide a feed for a caravan for appliance testing etc prior to going on the road. The main house has a TNCS earthing arrangement. I have checked out 708 and 721 of BS 7671 and it isn't giving me what I need to know. What is the best circuit arrangement for installing a commando socket 10m from the house with the possible addition of an appropriate double socket. The CU has RCD protection.

 

[treehouse]

Sorry I forgot my manners and left out the following

Thank you,

Malcolm

 

[malcolmsanford]

I need to fit a 16A external socket to provide a feed for a caravan for appliance testing etc prior to going on the road. The main house has a TNCS earthing arrangement. I have checked out 708 and 721 of BS 7671 and it isn't giving me what I need to know. What is the best circuit arrangement for installing a commando socket 10m from the house with the possible addition of an appropriate double socket. The CU has RCD protection.

By this part of your post I'm assuming this is going to be a temporary hook up for you to do this testing.

Personally I would buy a reasonably long and sturdy 16amp extension lead, and even though you have an RCD on the house I would make up a little arrangement to cover the lead with an RCD as well. Something like this

14m 230v 16 amp electrical hook-up heavy duty extension lead

and this

240v UK 13amp Plug to 240v 16amp 3 Pin 240v Socket (Blue)

 

[treehouse]

Thank for your suggestion Malcolm but because cars may pass over the cable the customer wants a permanent arrangement. My thoughts are a radial circuit to an external compartment but I am not sure about earthing arrangements and although I think I can fit both a 16A and a 13A socket on the same circuit, I thought I checke it out with the forum

Thank you

 

[malcolmsanford]

Then if it is for a customer, sorry I thought this was for personal use. Is this on a site or some sort of garage/parking area?

As it is TNC-S you should not extend this out to a caravan and there are other regulations that govern sockets etc on a caravan site, but would you deem your installation a site ?

I would honestly assess what is going to be happening here, for instance is there going to be occupancy in this van, from what you say it is just for testing before going out. If this was the case then your looking at what an hour, 2 at the maximum this van is going to be hooked up for testing .............if again this is the case. who will be doing the testing of these appliances, is it going to be a competent person?

I may decide after a risk assessment with all these factors answered that extending the TNC-S might not constitute a risk and just extend it out to the socket

 

[treehouse]

Malcolm, it would be for minimal use and testing is probably pushing it a bit, more like seeing if it comes on. My thoughts were to fit a 2.5mm SWA on a seperate radial circuit from the RCD CU to an appropriate externally mounted box with the 16A and 13a sockets contained within in it.

Thank you

 

[ruston]

A battery powered appliance tester will satisfy the requirements of the COP .It seems a lot of work if it is only one caravan.

 

[treehouse]

I agree that what the customer wants is a bit OTT, but he is extremely particular about leads and irrespective of my view he wants me to install it as I have described earlier.

Thank you

 

[HandySparks]

I have a customer who keeps his caravan on hard standing at the side of his house. He keeps it plugged into the mains supply to keep the battery on trickle charge and, I suspect like the OP's customer, just to check that all's well before he uses the van. It runs off an ordinary 13A weatherproof socket (MK), on an RCD protected circuit. I don't have any problems with this arrangement.