EIC for 230V installation into a mobile caravan

vwes59 · Oct 15, 2022

Hi,
I've got to a point where I need to complete the EIC for the caravan I've been working on. This isn't a static caravan, so will be going from place to place where they may or may not been mains hook up.

Dead testing has been easy, that's been no different from normal and the RCD tests have been easy, but now I'm onto the Ze and Pfc tests which, as you can imagine, are not quite as straight forward, in fact I'm not even sure it's possible to do given it has three sources of power - battery, solar and mains and a combination of all 3. Even just on battery power the values will be different due to the different ground conditions at the location where the caravan might be, and mains the same issue.

The EIC is required for insurance and inspection purposes, my CPS also requires it. I just wondered has anyone had to produce an EIC or something similar after installing 230V electrics into a mobile caravan ?

UNG · Oct 15, 2022

Is the solar connected to the mains side with an inverter or is it just running the 12v electrics

The Ze and PFC will vary everytime it is connected to a different mains supply, when testing caravans and similar because socket circuits have an RCD or RCBO I use a mains isolating transformer that way I can test the caravan RCD(s) and do a Ze and PFC as far as the end of the hookup lead plugged into the transformer

vwes59 · Oct 16, 2022

UNG said:
Is the solar connected to the mains side with an inverter or is it just running the 12v electrics

The Ze and PFC will vary everytime it is connected to a different mains supply, when testing caravans and similar because socket circuits have an RCD or RCBO I use a mains isolating transformer that way I can test the caravan RCD(s) and do a Ze and PFC as far as the end of the hookup lead plugged into the transformer

The solar panels are connected directly into the Hybrid Solar Charger/Inverter which can then be programmed to which input power is used to do what (ie Charge Batteries Only, give 230V AC output, both and so on).

Great idea about using a mains isolating transformer. Thanks.