Electrical Safety
Electrical Safety Guide
We are a rural camp site and as such our transformer can only offer limited supply, this limits our supply that we can offer you. Please do not expect to be able to plug all your appliances in at once and ensure that only camping equipment is used. We are in negotiations with the electrical supply company for an upgrade.
This guide is intended for both new and experienced caravaners & campers using our Electrical Hook Ups (EHU) at Longthorns . Our hookups are via standard blue 240v IP44 electrical connectors protected by a Residual Current Device (RCD) for safety designed to cut off the supply in the event of a fault occurring in your connecting lead, caravan or appliance. Your caravan / camping supply board must also have its own protective RCD and we recommend that you have your electrics checked by a qualified electrician each year. Please use only approved cables and run cables around the edge of the field away from vehicle or walkways. If you connect two cables together the joint should be via approved connectors, covered against rain and supported off the ground. We have had people turning up with a house hold 3 pin plug expecting to plug into our supply.
Please note that caravan & camping hookups are designed for light loads and for safety reasons are now restricted to a maximum load of 6 amps only. Many new & inexperienced campers are unaware that some domestic electrical units are unsuitable for camping hookups. Even some experienced campers try to cut corners and use old domestic appliances in their caravans & tents but this is false economy and potentially dangerous. To avoid overloading of the circuit breaker and consequential loss of supply please ensure that the total wattage of the equipment that you have switched on at any one time does not exceed this. (see chart below) Each item of electrical equipment normally has its wattage marked on it. Beware of using ordinary domestic kettles or fan heaters, some of them can draw over 10 amps on their own. Special low wattage appliances are available from camping & caravan dealers. To calculate the current (amperage) divide the wattage by the voltage (240v)
After pitching your unit, make sure that the isolating switch in your unit is off. Connect your cables first to the unit, then the hookup outlet and switch on. It is a good idea to check your electrical circuits are safe to use with a circuit tester available from most camping dealers. When you are ready to go first switch off your isolating switch, disconnect the cable and remove. Motor caravanner should not leave cables lying around when off pitch. Any loss of supply should be reported to the farmhouse. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO RESET THE SUPPLY YOURSELF If the loss of supply is because you have overloaded the circuit or misused equipment the supply may be withdrawn
How much power?
This chart shows how many watts or amps normal appliances may use. It is only a guide and power ratings may vary. Add up the wattage or amps for each appliances in use cause it to trip. The total should not exceed 1800 watts or 6 amps
Appliance Watts Amps
Domestic Kettle 2kw 8.3
Camping Kettle 750 3.1
Electric Heater 2kw 8.3