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12 volt question

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Sat May 02, 2015 11:34 am
by Frantone (deleted)

Probably a numpty question.........
If we encounter a reversed polarity situation and we hook up as per usual, is the polarity of the onboard 12v supply reversed?

Yours puzzedly
TonyP
😶

Troll gently nudging up against Galaxy.

Last edited Sun Jul 09, 2017 3:12 pm | Scroll up

RE: 12 volt question

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Sat May 02, 2015 12:11 pm
by Ribski •

| 1.468 Posts

Quick answer - 12 volt supply is not effected ! (this is because the input on mains is alternating current , rectified to DC for 12 volt.) Reversed mains polarity means that the 'live' and 'return ' are reversed, not the +ve and -ve ! - which doesn't really exist in AC mains as it changes 50/60 cycles per second, hence 'alternating current'.

* I'm NOT qualified to answer this - just my understanding ! If I'm wrong someone please correct me !!!!

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RE: 12 volt question

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Sat May 02, 2015 12:16 pm
by Aaron Calder •

| 3.834 Posts

I too am totally unqualified to answer this but have been assured by competent electricians that reversed polarity is not a serious problem.

Nevertheless, I do have a polarity checking plug and carry a polarity correcting lead when touring just to be on the safe side.

Forum Administrator
2003 Triton 420 and Audi A4 2.0Tfsi S-line SE Cabriolet

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RE: 12 volt question

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Sat May 02, 2015 12:32 pm
by Randa france •

| 13.283 Posts

We have a red light on our camping electrics box that is connected to a splitter and is used in the awning. When the red light shows we too use our polarity correcting lead.
It sounds posh but it's just a short spare lead wired the wrong way around
Randa

1999 Eriba Troll 530 pushing a VW Touran 2L TDi Match

Last edited Sun Jul 09, 2017 3:13 pm | Scroll up

RE: 12 volt question

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Sat May 02, 2015 12:35 pm
by Frantone (deleted)

Thank you Martin and Brian.
I know that reversed polarity is not an issue (usually) in Eribas. Like Brian I do carry a tester but I was unsure about the 12v supply and as I run a TV and LED lights that are sensitive or inoperative to reversed polarity it just occurred to me that they may be damaged by reversed 12v polarity.
Thanks
TonyP

Troll gently nudging up against Galaxy.

Last edited Sun Jul 09, 2017 3:13 pm | Scroll up

RE: 12 volt question

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Sat May 02, 2015 1:15 pm
by Ribski •

| 1.468 Posts

As long as your 12volt is fully 'smoothed' by running VIA a 12 VOLT battery you should have no problem when powering sensitive equipment. I would be very wary of running if no battery in circuit ! The DC rectification from the Eriba unit alone is very poor DC ! !

RE: 12 volt question

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Sat May 02, 2015 2:51 pm
by hampshireman (deleted)

I had two different polarity connections made up by my qualified son for our continental trips and it didn/nt matter which one we used, they both worked.

Puck 225L pushing CMax 1.9TDI Ghia
Pepe's Walk

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RE: 12 volt question

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Sat May 02, 2015 6:00 pm
by Julie Grafo •

| 3.563 Posts

I've never understood electrics and in my ignorance just connected up the Eriba wherever we are, home and abroad. Never had any problems, have I just been lucky?

Puck L 225 GT pushing Honda CRV SE 1.6 i-DTEC

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RE: 12 volt question

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Sat May 02, 2015 6:35 pm
by Ribski •

| 1.468 Posts

Really it should make no difference in the function of the apparatus - except that it a piece of mains equipment is switched 'single Pole' (i.e. only the LIVE is switched) it could be that if reversed only the RETURN or NEUTRAL is switched, thus leaving a potential mains LIVE current in the equipment . At this stage, if switched OFF, it has nowhere to go (as the RETURN has now been switched off, so the appliance does not work,) but it could find a way to go if you touched the wrong bits ! !

So as I see it, it is only a safety issue :)

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