# Electrical failure



## 94268 (May 1, 2005)

Help, someone! No sign of any life in our system from the hook up either on site or at home. However, the Honda generator we bought at York Show when attached produces a flickering light on the Reverse Polarity indicator. The generator has worked perfectly well at York and subsequent hook-ups in Scotland were fine. This latest situation emerged only on our recent night of wild camping this week. What to do? All help and advice gladly received.
Mike Gee


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Is the mains switched on in the van/ the RCD reset?

Dave


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## 94268 (May 1, 2005)

*electrical failure*

There's a red 'Charger' switch and a green 'Heater' switch'. Neither lights up at the I position, as they would normally, at hook up or when attached to the generator. They remain unilluminated. However If the generator is running the red Reverse Polarity light flickers. It does not do so at hook up.This might seem to ssssuggest some essential difference in the electrical supply from the generator and mains. However, the generator lights a household lamp when plugged directly in. Is there something I can reset or have overlooked?
Please lighten my darkness.

Mike


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## 96414 (Oct 1, 2005)

Hi

Reverse polarity flickering is quite normal even happens with the superdooper Honda gennies.

Check you mains breakers and Main RCD, this seems the most likely if everything as conked at once?

A side question, do you start the genny, allow it to settle, then connect to van?


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## 88966 (May 11, 2005)

Hi,

If after doing the above checks you still are not getting anywhere and as you say you get nothing on hook-up either at home or site it may be worth checking your hook-up lead for continuity - it is possible that a connection has come off or even that the lead may have been cut through.


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## 96414 (Oct 1, 2005)

Hi Bill

I am guessing that the lead would be OK, the power is getting to the Reverse polarity light, so it appears to be getting to the zig (plug in systems or whatever control panel is being used) but not going any further.


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## 89213 (May 16, 2005)

Have you switched the rocker switch on top of the charger unit which in my Hymer resides in its own little box to the right of the passsenger seat. I also have an RCD under the wardrobe floor beside the Truma boiler, that can trip.
Good Luck
John ☺


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## 88966 (May 11, 2005)

I thought the flickering, etc at the reverse polarity indicator was only when using generator ?
More info. needed I think ?


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## 94268 (May 1, 2005)

Dear Friends

It is true that the flickering of the reverse p[olarity indicator occurs only with the generator in use-and using the hook up lead to connect it to the van.So power is getting through to the zig. I am going in search of rocker switches in addition to the red one on top of the unit and the green one marked Heater .
Meanwhile, any thing else that occurs to you....

Many thanks Mike


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## 88966 (May 11, 2005)

Hi Mike,

Give us as much info. as you can.

Unless I have missed something we do not even know what type of MH you have?


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## 94268 (May 1, 2005)

*electrical failure*

It's a 2004 Swift Kon Tiki 645. The RCD unit is in the wardrobe. Are there going to be other accessible trip switches of any kind. As I said I am going to look but it's dark now!!

Mike


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

So, going back to my earlier post, is the RCD set or has it tripped?

Dave


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## 94268 (May 1, 2005)

*electrical failure*

The RCD is set and has not tripped. Nor does the test button cause it to trip as I think it should.

Mike


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## 89309 (May 19, 2005)

Personally I would use a multimeter and start at the electric cable into the m/h.

Check that you have 240volts.

Then work you way through the system bit by bit checking you have current.

cheers

Trevor


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## Scotjimland (May 23, 2005)

Hi Mike 
please check your lead as Bill suggested, there could be a loose wire in the plug or socket, the fact that the RCD doesn't trip indicates to me that there is no power reaching it. A flickering reverse polarity light could be the loss of the neutral in the supply lead.


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## stewartwebr (May 27, 2005)

I agree with ScotJim, it looks like you have no power to your RCD. Pressing the "test" button on your RCD will only operate the trip if it has mains voltage. The fact that it is not tripping tells me you have no voltage present.

As suggested you need a multi meter and start at the supply cable checking for voltage right up to the RCD.

Together, I'm sure we will all be able to get you sorted.

Stewart


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## 96414 (Oct 1, 2005)

Hi Jim, all

The reverse polarity light needs Live and neutral to operate, it is definately not operating due to a dropped neutral. I dont mean to be rude here, but should you really be making suggestions if you are not even clear how it actually works?

It is correct that if an RCD as not got power, the test trip will not work, but have you considered that it could be a faulty RCD that as got full power, because Mains power is definately reaching the rev pol light.

No Offence but Mikegee as made it clear from his posts that he is not really that clued up about mains electricity, in which case I dont think its a good idea to have him checking mains voltage with a meter and definately not checking for current.

Please be careful what you suggest, rememeber in Cyberspace no-one can hear you scream.....


No insults intended here, but this is a deadly serious subject.


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## 88966 (May 11, 2005)

Hi Mike,

As temporary has suggested this is a potentially dangerous business - my advice is that if you are not competent and confident to deal with mains electricity call in an electrician.

Things you can do are:
1. Check that you have a supply at the outlet socket by plugging something else in.
2. As I suggested before, check the continuity of your hookup lead - do this carefully, waggling the ends as you go, using the resistance scale of a mulimeter. Obviously it must be disconnected at both ends when you do this. If you can I would actually open up the plugs at each end and give all the connections a good tug.
3. If the above checks are satisfactory, then plug in the cable again and try again.
4. If it still does not work, I suggest an electrician.
Best of luck.


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## Scotjimland (May 23, 2005)

temporary said:


> Hi Jim, all
> 
> The reverse polarity light needs Live and neutral to operate, it is definitely not operating due to a dropped neutral. I don't mean to be rude here, but should you really be making suggestions if you are not even clear how it actually works?
> 
> .


Hi George

I suggested checking the mains lead and postulated that it 'might' be a loose wire or lost neutral.. Faults fall into two major groups, either open circuits or short circuits. The 'evidence here points to an open circuit.

Nothing I suggested was dangerous, without actually seeing and checking no one can sit at home and diagnose a fault accurately. We can suggest and help to pinpoint but not to give definitive answers. 
In 40 years experience I have seen many many faults that defied logic until they were found. Broken or loose connections can result in weird results, flickering lights often tell us a connection is loose or there is an earth fault, earth faults can have the strangest effects. 
You said "definitely" in your statement, how can you be so sure sitting at home? 
I am perfectly clear about how it should work but I am not clairvoyant any more than you are... 
It will be interesting if and when we find out what the fault was but until then anything else is pure speculation.

Jim


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## 96414 (Oct 1, 2005)

Hi Jim

Because the reverse polarity light flickers on genny and is off on mains, both perfectly normal results. So power is getting to Zig Rev pol light and then....


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## johnsandywhite (May 9, 2005)

8O But you see there are unexplainable things such as dodgy connections that provide intermittent faults. Which have already been mentioned:-


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## 96414 (Oct 1, 2005)

Hi John

Did that burnt 12v dc pin cause the mains reverse polarity light to flicker, but only on Generator and not on mains?

I thought not.

There may be a dodgy connection, but it is not in the hook up lead and it is beyond Rev polarity light and up to the mains RCD


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## Scotjimland (May 23, 2005)

I just had a PM from Mike re his problem.. 

Quote 

Dear Jim and other Friends 

It was the hook-up lead!! Why I discounted this originally was because the generator caused (still does) a glowing of the Reverse Polarity indicator light. I assumed this meant that power was getting through to the van and the problem had to be internal to the van. Hooray! Our hook-up lead, it must be said, has given several years of sterling service and had several nasty kinks in it. Leaving Oban in driving rain and hastily grabbing it all together was obviously the final straw/. A new lead is now in place. Many thanks to all respondents. It only goes to prove the old maxim, always start with the elementary beforwe considering the complex solution. 

Mike
Un Quote 

Glad it's all sorted Mike 

Jim


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