Distribution at a Caravan Park

[MDJ]

well then providing the zs readings at the caravan sockets comply with the regs and section 7 details, not sure of what actual reg it is without looking there is no issue, seems fine to me, if you have the cable sizes worked out and rcd protection at the sockets and tt arrangments with zs readings within parameters then all fine IMO, I would prefer local earth rods myself, but hey if theres a rod and the readings are right I can't see a problem unless I'm missing something.

 

[SYKRAPS]

It appears that the SWA is used for the cpc to the external dist box and to he van hook ups, they are glanded but not earth link from banjo to an earth bar so it only takes 1 of these to come loose and if its the 1st 1 then the entire system has no earth.

 

[MDJ]

Oh dear thats not good

 

[Engineer54]

Are there any permanent buildings on this caravan park, like a social club, shop, shower/toilet block etc?? If there is then these should be connected to the PME system, not connected to that single rod.

I can't make out head or tail of that external Distribution Panel, i hope you can make a better job of it than than that!! ...lol!! Couldn't see any flying earth leads off the SWA cables, unless they are located external, in fact couldn't see Any CPC within this panel at all!!

I wouldn't rely on that single earth rod system for all of the caravan parks hook-up pitches. As suggested earlier, at least one earth rod position for each leg supplying 4 pitches, that can be linked up back to the external distribution centre's and the main intake position via the SWA armouring and/or by a third core.


Are you sure the owners are going to stump up the money for all the changes?? I agree that as it stands now, the existing installation looks to be a pig's ear, designed and installed by Muppet's!! lol!!

 

[richy3333]

Are you sure the owners are going to stump up the money for all the changes?? I agree that as it stands now, the existing installation looks to be a pig's ear, designed and installed by Muppet's!! lol!!

AKA Kermit & Miss Piggy

 

[loz]

It appears that the SWA is used for the cpc to the external dist box and to he van hook ups, they are glanded but not earth link from banjo to an earth bar so it only takes 1 of these to come loose and if its the 1st 1 then the entire system has no earth.

having worked in alot of these panels and also knowing the company that built that panel, the earth fly leads arent required as all the glands will be glanded into a solid brass plate, so there's no need for banjos or fly leads, this is common practice in the caravan park industry, usually there is a 16mm cpc bolted to the plate inside the black shroud, but this may be missing, but worth checking. loz

 

[SYKRAPS]

having worked in alot of these panels and also knowing the company that built that panel, the earth fly leads arent required as all the glands will be glanded into a solid brass plate, so there's no need for banjos or fly leads, this is common practice in the caravan park industry, usually there is a 16mm cpc bolted to the plate inside the black shroud, but this may be missing, but worth checking. loz

Very interesting loz you are quite right with your comments, but the plate is very badly corroded and in an extremely poor state of repair due to external influences.

Where would you expect this 16mm cpc to terminate at the other end from the panel?

Can you suggest where these panels can be purchased and at what approximate cost?

Also what would you consider a fair price to supply and fit a like for like exchange of a caravan hook up complete with DP 16a rcbo, 16a socket outlet, internal metering and a mounting plate/bracket?

Thanks.................

 

[loz]

the 16mm cpc if its present would usually terminate at a local earth rod, probably not in a pit, that fdu looks to have been flooded or the door left open at some point to allow water in as them legrand boxes are usually very good.

 

[SYKRAPS]

Once again you are quite right the locks on the panel door are broken.

Hence years of external influence abuse from the weather.

I have had some cracking weekends away in Skeggy btw at those Butlins themed weekends lol.

 

[loz]

im a bit too young for them weekends pal, hopefully google turned up what you were looking for i do a fair bit of work up in yorkshire, mainly around bridlington its nice up there, almost like a 2nd home

 

[SYKRAPS]

loz I am not sure if you have read this thread from the start but would you consider my original suggested setup as an appropriate stanadard for UK sites if they were to designed from new?

 

[loz]

loz I am not sure if you have read this thread from the start but would you consider my original suggested setup as an appropriate stanadard for UK sites if they were to designed from new?

doesnt sound too bad, tbh best way is singularly fed but the cost of this can be a issue, id personally have a mccb/rcd time delay at the mains rodded down to TT, swa to fdu distribution panel, rod this point too, swa to hooks ups, no more than 6 sockets on a 63a breaker

 

[Engineer54]

having worked in alot of these panels and also knowing the company that built that panel, the earth fly leads arent required as all the glands will be glanded into a solid brass plate, so there's no need for banjos or fly leads, this is common practice in the caravan park industry, usually there is a 16mm cpc bolted to the plate inside the black shroud, but this may be missing, but worth checking. loz

This is a TT system were talking about here, even if the SWA cables are glanded to a brass plate, one would at least expect an earthing point/bar within this makeshift external panel. I would have the earth rod conductor coming into the enclosure and connecting to an EMT along with any other CPC's such as fly leads, brass base plate or not. As far as i can see, there are also metal elements within this panel too, are they to be left isolated waiting, for say a conductor to chaff against them and become live?? If this panel is specifically made for caravan parks etc, i would not have expected to see single fuse carriers and a connector block, but DP breakers and some form of RCD protection.

 

[loz]

e54, bear in mind this panel will be 15-20 years old and in a poor condition currently. the main switch for the park looks to be a 60947-2 time delayed mccb/rcd, i would be pretty certain to say there would be a 16mm cpc going down to a rod bolted to one of the M8 brass bolts securing the gland plate when i install panels like this they now have a main earth terminal inside with the 16mm to rod connected then a link to the gland plate and also the chassis. when this panel was built there would have been a 35mm stranded cpc from the gland plate to the chassis on the rear left hand side behind the 4 core cable (i have come accross literally hundreds of these panels over the years testing caravan club sites all over the uk) and this is a perfectly normal of a typical FDU. Each circuit will go out as a radial to feed several hook up boxes containing mcb and rcd arrangements plus a 16amp socket. The "connector blocks" are in fact 100A din rail mounted 35mm terminals, with link strip fitted to create a neutral bar. Fdu pilllars are still made pretty much the same as this now by 3 major nic registered companies throughout the uk. sorry to go in depth on this but after 5 years in industry with 2 different companies (1st went bankrupt) then i feel reasonably confident on my knowledge of this kind of installation

 

[richy3333]

Also what would you consider a fair price to supply and fit a like for like exchange of a caravan hook up complete with DP 16a rcbo, 16a socket outlet, internal metering and a mounting plate/bracket?

Avoid emailing CPES else they will hound you forever more. Try their website or ring them?