this is 1 for the electricans

ERIBAFOLK POP UP EVERYWHERE
Portal Forum Login Register Map

Repairs, maintenance and accessories � Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things �

this is 1 for the electricans

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Tue May 01, 2018 9:38 pm
by georgeb (deleted)

Had the van serviced all good apart from 1 thing. When they test the electrics when did the test where the force the consumer unit to trip out and its mean't to do it in a certain time. It failed and they said the trip switch for will need to be replaced. Upon inspection they said they hadn't seen this particular make before and were reluctant to just putting a replacement of the shelf in. Has anyone else had this trouble and do you think it would be ok to just replace this trip switch with a modern equivalent.

Its a triton 430gt (01)

ta

RE: this is 1 for the electricans

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Tue May 01, 2018 10:55 pm
by JohnE (deleted)

Quote: georgeb wrote in post #1
...they said they hadn't seen this particular make before and were reluctant to just putting a replacement of the shelf in.

Have they just walked away from the problem, or did they say they'd come back sometime later with a solution?

Quote: georgeb wrote in post #1
...do you think it would be ok to just replace this trip switch with a modern equivalent?

The older BIP units are generally fitted with a 16A double-pole MCB which supplies all 230V equipment - usually a couple of sockets, the fridge element and sometimes a couple of 230V lights.

Modern vans are now fitted with a double-pole RCBO and two or three separate single-pole MCBs. The RCBO can be rated up to 40A and the MCBs are rated according to the equipment they supply, to a maximum of 16A

With the BIP setup, the existing 16A MCB can be replaced with an RCBO, but rated at no more than 16A.

16A double-pole RCBOs aren't that common, but they are available.

If your van is fitted with an RCBO then it must work correctly, ie, trip within it's specified time, but there is no compulsion to upgrade an originally fitted 16A MCB to an RCBO except in the case where extra circuits or eqipment are being installed.

(An RCBO is a residual-current device (RCD) with integral over-current protection)

Last edited Wed May 02, 2018 6:03 pm | Scroll up

RE: this is 1 for the electricans

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Tue May 01, 2018 11:09 pm
by Aaron Calder •

| 3.834 Posts

When we updated my 2003 Triton, John, I was surprised to find that what appeared to be a trip switch on the BIP unit was simply an on/off switch that looked like one. You replaced it for me.

Might that be the case here?

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

RE: this is 1 for the electricans

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Wed May 02, 2018 4:28 pm
by georgeb (deleted)

Thanks for that all I assumed that I could use a modern version. They said they could sort it but were really not happy about it, I guess with it being 15+ years old, might be a can of worms messing with electrics. I looked on screw fix for a RCBO rated at 16 amp. Just a case of getting 1 that's fits now. Also they said it didn't trip at allon the test, which is slightly worrying!!! so defo needs to be replaced. Can you buy the mega meter that they used to cause the trip out from an electrical wholesaler? as I want to be sure that it is doing its job and is safe.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/mk-sentry-16a...urve-rcbo/30877

would that do the job?

I looked at he trips switch and it looks like its a single pole. Very confused now

Last edited Wed May 02, 2018 5:12 pm | Scroll up

RE: this is 1 for the electricans

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Wed May 02, 2018 5:25 pm
by JohnE (deleted)

That Screwfix RCBO is only single pole, and also requires a separate neutral connection - the one you require is the double pole type I linked to in my first post.

Quote: georgeb wrote in post #4
... they said it didn't trip at all on the test

It's either faulty, or if it doesn't have a test button, it's an MCB, and not an RCBO.

Quote: georgeb wrote in post #4
Can you buy the mega meter that they used to cause the trip out from an electrical wholesaler??

Yes you can, but you'd need to part with a couple of hundred quid, and you'll also need an isolating transformer to prevent the tester from tripping your house electrics.

Last edited Wed May 02, 2018 5:26 pm | Scroll up

RE: this is 1 for the electricans

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Wed May 02, 2018 5:43 pm
by georgeb (deleted)

Sorry yes I see it now in your post, DURRRR. I will hunt out a double pole bad boy. Guess I'm going to learn about caravan electrics after this.

thanks bud

RE: this is 1 for the electricans

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Wed May 02, 2018 10:40 pm
by Dorsetboy (deleted)

Hi George, can I ask if that faulty switch is a plain MCB or a RCBO with a trip button.
Rgds Mike.

RE: this is 1 for the electricans

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Thu May 03, 2018 9:18 am
by Aaron Calder •

| 3.834 Posts

This was what my 2003 BIP was like prior to modernisation

BIP01.jpg - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)

and this was after JohnE's update to modern specification

Attached pictures:
No rights to view attachments. Only file names are shown. Register now!

BIP02.jpg

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

Last edited Thu May 03, 2018 9:20 am | Scroll up

RE: this is 1 for the electricans

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Thu May 03, 2018 11:41 am
by Steve and Debbie •

| 1.108 Posts

very neat

Puck 120 GT - Nissan Pulsar 1.5DCi

#10

RE: this is 1 for the electricans

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Thu May 03, 2018 1:28 pm
by Dorsetboy (deleted)

On my 99-420 I looked at changing out the MCB for a RCBO but......There was not much space to work and I did not want to touch that fragile looking BIP, so, I fitted a new caravan specific RCBO consumer box alongside the BIP unit and re-ran the incoming cable to the original MCB in the BIP via the new consumer box......and then.....I took a supply from the new consumer box MCB to feed the CTEK battery charger and mini oil heater so I did not have to leave the BIP unit live over the winter.
A very good result for only a few quid spent on a simple box and bit of cable and a bag of clips and several cups of tea and a huge piece of cake while listening to planet rock.

Rgds Mike.

#11

RE: this is 1 for the electricans

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Thu May 03, 2018 1:34 pm
by cabbie37 •

| 695 Posts

or you can get rid of the hideous BIP all together...

Question for Eriba Electrical experts??

#12

RE: this is 1 for the electricans

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Thu May 03, 2018 8:05 pm
by Dorsetboy (deleted)

Well you can get rid of the BIP unit, I took a look at all the nice works by other folk and decided I did not need to.
Its a great "Faff" to do do all that and for what?
I did not even bother to connect a lesiure battery.
Nothing here is electronic, the gas heater is "Manomatic", I have a good map light taken off the Mover battery which has proved to be sufficient and so on.
Life is good and the more simple the better.