# reverse polarity. help



## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

Just making up a lead for reverse polarity. Simple question.

Do i need to change live and neutral at each end of the lead.

Daft question but i am not an electrician.


The answer is always easy when you know it

Thanks

Dave P


----------



## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

DTPCHEMICALS said:


> Just making up a lead for reverse polarity. Simple question.
> 
> Do i need to change live and neutral at each end of the lead.
> 
> ...


No Dave. Only at one end. 

If you change them at both ends you will be back in square one, but the colours will be wrong.

Have fun.

P.S. This may be quite unnecessary, but be sure you don't touch the earth wires at either end. These must remain as they are.

_(Better safe than sorry.)_


----------



## RichardnGill (Aug 31, 2006)

Wile on this subject do sites in France have the same EHU plug as us or have I wasted my £3 on a 2 pin plug lead? 

I was just going to put the plug in the other way around if I was on a reverse polarity site.

Do I now have to go and get another lead the same as a UK one and reverse wire one end?

Richard...


----------



## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

RichardnGill said:


> Wile on this subject do sites in France have the same EHU plug as us or have I wasted my £3 on a 2 pin plug lead?
> 
> I was just going to put the plug in the other way around if I was on a reverse polarity site.
> 
> ...


Hi Richard

There have been a lot of posts on this subject, so a browse might be worthwhile.

*Only you can decide*, but I asked my consultant electrical engineer neighbour and he doesn't bother about reverse polarity in his caravan, since the only realistic danger comes only if you are (I mean "_one is_" of course) daft enough to firtle around in the innards of an appliance without physically pulling its plug out first.

If you plug into a reverse polarity socket all it really means is that the leccy is switched as it leaves the appliance rather than as it enters (when you are using the appliance's own switch that is).

There is a bit more to it than this, but my electrician friend is a real expert and if he doesn't bother that's good enough for me.

I do use a polarity tester however, and if it indicates an earth fault I DO NOT use the hookup. That's an entirely different can of worms, and potentially much more dangerous.

Polarity tester  ::here::  but I have seen them a bit cheaper.

Some sites have the same blue plug as us, some have two pin plugs but you will not be able to put one in "upside down" because of the Earth pin, and some EHU bollards have a combination of at least these two variations. (There are others!!)

Short hook up lead adapters can usually be borrowed from the site office - though they will want a deposit as they are inclined to "walk".

Confusing or what.

Hope this helps


----------



## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

RichardnGill said:


> Wile on this subject do sites in France have the same EHU plug as us or have I wasted my £3 on a 2 pin plug lead?
> 
> I was just going to put the plug in the other way around if I was on a reverse polarity site.
> 
> ...


Hi Richard

There have been a lot of posts on this subject, so a browse might be worthwhile.

*Only you can decide*, but I asked my consultant electrical engineer neighbour and he doesn't bother about reverse polarity in his caravan, since the only realistic danger comes only if you are (I mean "_one is_" of course) daft enough to firtle around in the innards of an appliance without physically pulling its plug out first.

If you plug into a reverse polarity socket all it really means is that the leccy is switched as it leaves the appliance rather than as it enters (when you are using the appliance's own switch that is).

There is a bit more to it than this, but my electrician friend is a real expert and if he doesn't bother that's good enough for me.

I do use a polarity tester however, and if it indicates an earth fault I DO NOT use the hookup. That's an entirely different can of worms, and potentially much more dangerous.

Polarity tester  ::here::  but I have seen them a bit cheaper.

Some sites have the same blue plug as us, some have two pin plugs but you will not be able to put one in "upside down" because of the Earth pin, and some EHU bollards have a combination of at least these two variations. (There are others!!)

Short hook up lead adapters can usually be borrowed from the site office - though they will want a deposit as they are inclined to "walk".

Confusing or what.

Hope this helps


----------



## 107088 (Sep 18, 2007)

I firtle.
You firtle.
We firtle
I firtled.
We went firtling.
they firtled.





Firtling heck.....I love that word.


----------



## baldybazza (Feb 21, 2007)

Hi Richard.
We have a "reverse polarity" add-on lead and a black French 2 pin plug add-on lead. This means if you find reverse polarity on a site with 2 pin plug type connectors you just use both add ons.
Hope this makes sense.


Barrie


----------



## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

Thats just what i had done. Just needed reassurance.
Thank you.

Bandaids contribution was really helpfull

Dave P


----------



## RichardnGill (Aug 31, 2006)

Thanks.

It is becoming clear now, I think  

I will get another lead and one of them tester things before we set of for our first French trip next month.


Richard...


----------



## krull (Jul 22, 2006)

Slightly off topic, but does anyone take a splitter for when there aren't enough EHU outlets? Have seen them a fair bit on the continent.


----------

