Any Electricians out there

[roscoc180]

Hi all,

 

Just starting out on a selfbuild, I am a builder but not sure on the electrics side of things for a temp connection to a static caravan. I have the main power going in tomorrow with the meter fitting on Tuesday, the distribution company do not supply an earth. Am I correct in thinking that if I run the tails into the meter box and connect the earth from the consumer unit to a ground spike I should be ok? The static is bonded.

 

Thanks

[northeastshooter]

i'm not sure on house/ caravan regs but you it is aloud you will need a earth loop impedance tester to see if your earth rod is working I believe <0.8 ohms is what you need its what we need on portable gennys

[roscoc180]

Thanks for your reply, is this the correct way to earth the static. I will get a sparky to check the earthing afterwards.

[Sean Richo]

I am an electrician. I don't understand how the supplier is unable to provide an Earth. This normally is the case only when power is supplied from an overhead cable usually only in rural areas. Anyway the only way to provide an earth for the caravan is as you have said provide an earth rod. Just make sure you sink your earth rod deep into the ground don't try and make a rod you need to buy one from a wholesaler as it needs to be copper. All you do is as you have said connect eart cable from eart rod to earthing terminal in distribution box and then this will provide an earth for your caravan. Make sure the earth goes into caravan fuse board and not main one in house etc.

[misser]

my mate is an electrician he says what you are getting off the supply authority is a TT supply, you need to provide your own earth which will be an earth rod; the cable from the earth rod (usually 16mm for domestic premises) should be conected to the main earthing terminal in the house consumer unit, the main switch for this consumer unit needs to be a 30mA RCD main switch if this is the case the max earth loop impedence allowed is 1666 ohms the caravan should then be supplied on a dedicated circuit.

- hope this helps -

[tikka.223]

i'm not sure on house/ caravan regs but you it is aloud you will need a earth loop impedance tester to see if your earth rod is working I believe <0.8 ohms is what you need its what we need on portable gennys

 

200 ohms is the max, you should be looking for a reading lower than this.

If your unsure get a electrician out.

[roscoc180]

Thanks for all your replies, much help.

[superspark]

Im an electrician and I haven't heard anyone mention that the fuse board in the caravan needs to be RCD protected for all out going ways as well as an earth stake in the ground for that installation. Make sure if a supply is taken from the house that you disconnect the earth at the caravan end then connect the earth from the earth stake. This type of earthing is called a TT system.

[bullet1747]

I am also a sparks and not being funny but no one has told the op the most important bit of advice ,if you don't have the knowledge leave it alone you could kill your family and any one who turns up at the temp property, the op doesn't know how to wire up into the mains so wots the point of telling him all the values sorry to be blunt

Edited August 19, 2013 by bullet1747

[roscoc180]

Thanks for your input

Edited August 20, 2013 by roscoc180

[superspark]

I didnt mention the risk factor because I thought it would be common sence. Im not a plumber so I dont touch plumbing. Plastic pipe does not need to be bonded as its plastic and can not carry an earth current down it. Only matalic pipe work needs bonding ie incomming water, gas, oil and building metal structure.

[bullet1747]

Thanks for your input, TT supply, earth bonding already on static, earth rod in and connected. Test the trip and if it works earth ok if not earth not ok. All plastic piping for plumbing and gas pipe/chassis bonded. Sorry to be blunt but my risk only.

Don't work like that mate sorry to say,plastic pipe bonded ????

[roscoc180]

.....

Edited August 20, 2013 by roscoc180

[goodo123]

My meaning was all plastic pipe so did not need bonding??.

So your saying the media transfered cannot carry a current :s ?

[ayano3]

Supply companies only give tt supplies for temporary supplies. You should have a dedicated supply with its own earth stake wiusing copper bond rods driven in the ground value of less than 200 ohms. A breaker with 32ma protection is the norm. My advice if you are not sure get someone who is to do the work, whoever does the job should issue you with a temp supply certificate to be right. The rod should be tested using an earth megger. I work as a planner for an electricity supplier. Stay safe.

[roscoc180]

Sparky coming Thursday, thought it best.

[goodo123]

Supply companies only give tt supplies for temporary supplies. You should have a dedicated supply with its own earth stake wiusing copper bond rods driven in the ground value of less than 200 ohms. A breaker with 32ma protection is the norm. My advice if you are not sure get someone who is to do the work, whoever does the job should issue you with a temp supply certificate to be right. The rod should be tested using an earth megger. I work as a planner for an electricity supplier. Stay safe.

A breaker with 32ma protection? If you mean a mcb that won't feed much... Do you mean rccd? Or a 32a rcbo?. The rod should be tested with a earth megger? do you mean insulation resistance tester? Megger is a manufacturer of electrical testing equipment. Although an earth megger does sound like some sort of lightning bolt device.

 

Best advice is get a sparks in, let them put the name on the certs. Be very careful of the information you take off the web forums.

[houlsby]

A breaker with 32ma protection? If you mean a mcb that won't feed much... Do you mean rccd? Or a 32a rcbo?. The rod should be tested with a earth megger? do you mean insulation resistance tester? Megger is a manufacturer of electrical testing equipment. Although an earth megger does sound like some sort of lightning bolt device.

 

Best advice is get a sparks in, let them put the name on the certs. Be very careful of the information you take off the web forums.

 

Don't be petty. We both know a 'megger' is the industry wide nickname of an insulation resistance tester.

 

And if you read his post, he's just missed out RCD in the post.

 

To the op.

 

With no detriment to yourself. This isn't just swapping a socket front. Get a spark to do it. And not just any old idiot either. It won't cost a lot, but it will be safe.

 

I'm not a basher of le house, so I'm not getting involved in this, however, in my installation days we used to fit some temp buildings out. We used earth rods, but it took forever to get it to test right. Multiple rods sometimes. Pain in the **** if you ask me. Are you sure the s/c are insisting its a tt and not another type of supply?

[djgeoff]

this may help you, but u will need loop impedance tester, insulation resistance tester and rcd tester so like others have said get sparky in.

as to supplier not providing earth we get a lot of this now in coventry area where i work, when we have had bad results on loop test due to bad main earth, they tell us they are not responsible for the earth , just the supply.

so we end up having to rectify, norm with earth spikes

Edited August 21, 2013 by djgeoff

[goodo123]

Tis the norm to only supply l+n in the sticks, if you think about it it's only costing supplier 2 core rather than 3, which over a distance costs add up. Make sure you licker the shiny bits to make sure it's juicy.

 

 

Houlsby, I wasn't meaning to belittle anyone just pointing out to be careful what information people extract from forum's on potential killers, I knew what you mean but the op might not.