Darwin Contestant Shore Power Lead

nigelmercier

nigelmercier

RIP
Joined
20 Jun 2007
Messages
16,234
Location
Live in Kent, boat in Canary Islands
www.bavariayacht.info
... On eBay.

$(KGrHqN,!k0FJ,2s9Yi6BSdPK+ML9w~~60_58.JPG


http://r.ebay.com/HTRUbr
 
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I do actually possess a double-plug lead, to run a single ring main when we get a power cut. It is kept hidden, and has a HUGE notice on it saying that if you don't do exactly what the instructions say, it could kill you. I certainly wouldn't sell such a thing on eBay. I wonder if the seller could be liable?
 
So if you were sat in your house in a power cut, with a generator and wanted to power the freezer, lights etc, are you saying you wouldn't?

I wouldn't sell it on eBay though.
 
Years ago I worked in an office where my job entailed keeping records of equipment. I visited one department where a ledger posting machine was mounted on a wheeled carriage. On the side of it was a power socket. Odd I thought until I realised that the socket powered the machine by means of a cord with a 13 amp plug on each end. The manager of the department could see nothing wrong with it so I took the lead away and sent an electrician to wire it up properly.
 
I see where you are coming from but I don't think that the vendor would qualify for a Darwin Award because it doesnt achieve the end result, namely:-

The Awards recognise individuals who have contributed to human evolution by self-selecting themselves out of the gene pool via death or sterilization via their own (unnecessarily foolish) actions.
 
I use the same plug for my motorhome EHU, using the mains from the house to keep the batteries charged. Would never dream of using that set up on a portable generator though, especially when it is raining.
 
stevebrassett said:
That confused me, as well. It would mean that the normal hookup cable had male plugs on both ends.
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I think one way or another you've got confused.

Nigel's point is nothing to do with the type of connector, it's the fact that some idiot has fitted a plug where it should have been an inline socket, thereby inadvertently creating a 240v cattle-prod.

Pete
 
prv said:
So you have a socket on the van, and live pins on the cable just ready to shock somebody?

Pete
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No Pete, I see where you are getting that idea though. Only a Darwin candidate would plug the blue plug into the EHU then hold the 13 amp plug :D I do it the opposite way. As per Nigel's photo, I plug the 13amp plug into the mains electricity in the house, then connect the EHU cable to the blue plug then plug in the motorhome. Both plugs are inside the house as we speak and the cable is connected to the blue plug which is in a covered recess in the motorhome. Some cheaper portable generators have an outlet socket that takes a normal 13amp plug which I think would be dangerous in the rain. I have one that takes the blue 110volt plugs, as I call them.
 
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nigelmercier said:
I do actually possess a double-plug lead, to run a single ring main when we get a power cut. It is kept hidden, and has a HUGE notice on it saying that if you don't do exactly what the instructions say, it could kill you. I certainly wouldn't sell such a thing on eBay. I wonder if the seller could be liable?
Click to expand...

Hello Nigel. Apart from the obvious shock risk of having a plug with exposed pins carrying power before it is inserted into a socket you can have a huge problem if you are running your house mains system off a generator. Firstly if the mains are still connected to the house you could be trying to power up the whole neighbourhood.(possibly electrocuting any one working on the supply system who thopught he turned it off. Secondly if the mains come on again you can get the 2, 50 hertz supplies out of phase. In worst case this can give you 2 250v AC supplies in series short circuited. It is essential that the mains be disconnected before you connect a generator to an installation.
The best way to do this is to have a separate ring main for the generator. ie you unplug your freezer TV etc. from the house main system and plug it into the generator. Not plug generator into house system. If you connect it into the house system you must operate isolation switches and circuit breakers to ensure isolation.
It is for this reason that solar PV systems are required to stop generating if mains fails. It might seem simple to use solar PV as a mains back up in case of failure. But risks are just too great. Apart from the fact that the inverters are made to only operate if mains power is available to provide the phase reference for what it generates. If you really want solar PV as a supply in case of power failure your best bet is to have a separate inverter supplying essential items which are plugged only into the inverter not the household ring main. Then change over the DC supply of the panels. diverging a little but hopefully of interest olewill
 
William_H said:
Hello Nigel. Apart from the obvious shock risk of having a plug with exposed pins carrying power before it is inserted into a socket you can have a huge problem if you are running your house mains system off a generator. Firstly if the mains are still connected to the house you could be trying to power up the whole neighbourhood.(possibly electrocuting any one working on the supply system who thopught he turned it off. Secondly if the mains come on again you can get the 2, 50 hertz supplies out of phase. In worst case this can give you 2 250v AC supplies in series short circuited. It is essential that the mains be disconnected before you connect a generator to an installation.
The best way to do this is to have a separate ring main for the generator. ie you unplug your freezer TV etc. from the house main system and plug it into the generator. Not plug generator into house system. If you connect it into the house system you must operate isolation switches and circuit breakers to ensure isolation.
It is for this reason that solar PV systems are required to stop generating if mains fails. It might seem simple to use solar PV as a mains back up in case of failure. But risks are just too great. Apart from the fact that the inverters are made to only operate if mains power is available to provide the phase reference for what it generates. If you really want solar PV as a supply in case of power failure your best bet is to have a separate inverter supplying essential items which are plugged only into the inverter not the household ring main. Then change over the DC supply of the panels. diverging a little but hopefully of interest olewill
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I think most people just switch off the mains breaker at the consumer unit.
If you were expecting lots of power cuts you'd have a proper system, but it's rare here, and mostly short enough that we can just jump in a RIB and go to the Island for dinner.
Main problem is the bar shuts 'cos the till won't work.
Solar PV is not much good for running lights when you need them.
 
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