Using three pin charger abroad

[jamerg]

Hi everyone

Just getting geared up for my trip from the UK to the French alps in a few weeks in the PHEV. As I'm probably going to be driving from the chalet to the slopes every day it would be nice to be able to charge the car overnight. I've looked at previous posts about being careful regarding what type of extension lead you use (which I didn't know about when charging using one at my in-laws over Xmas - luckily their house didn't burn down...), but what I was wondering was whether it is OK to us an adaptor for a European type socket (which I'd need, of course, to plug in my UK 3 plug adaptor at all).

Have tried searching to no avail - does anyone know the answer to this please?

 

[jaapv]

Yes one can use them - I do it the other way around, adapting Schuko to three-pin. I think the no-extension-lead thing has to do with lengths rather than with things plugged in. It is not legal to have more than 50 (IIRC) cm between the relay box and the outlet.

 

[maby]

Others have done it successfully, though I would not like the idea of putting that much current through the cheap continental adaptors that are sold in airport and ferry port departure lounges. we made up a couple of adaptors by connecting a good quality continental plug to a good UK 13A trailing socket with a decent capacity cable - this seems to be the best solution to me. You should be able to get decent continental plugs in your local branch of CEF.

 

[jamerg]

Thanks guys.

 

[davebodger]

Hi everyone
Just getting geared up for my trip from the UK to the French alps in a few weeks in the PHEV. As I'm probably going to be driving from the chalet to the slopes every day it would be nice to be able to charge the car overnight. I've looked at previous posts about being careful regarding what type of extension lead you use (which I didn't know about when charging using one at my in-laws over Xmas - luckily their house didn't burn down...), but what I was wondering was whether it is OK to us an adaptor for a European type socket (which I'd need, of course, to plug in my UK 3 plug adaptor at all).
Have tried searching to no avail - does anyone know the answer to this please?

I use one of these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CONTINENTAL-EUROPE-SCHUKO-MAINS-HOOK-UP-ADAPTER-LEAD-230V-16A-CARAVAN-MOTORHOME-/331626109900?hash=item4d3674dbcc along with a 25m caravan hook-up cable then either plug in my 16A EVSE or convert to 13A socket at the other end of the cable then use the Mitsubishi supplied 10A EVSE.

To convert to 13A I use one of these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/240V-16-Amp-Industrial-Plug-To-13-Amp-Domestic-Socket-Converter-GW64204-/231708041991?hash=item35f2e02307

The hook-up cable is like this one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Caravan-Motorhome-Camping-25m-Mains-Extension-Hook-Up-Lead-/181490021427?hash=item2a41a5f433

Make sure the hook-up cable is made from 2.5mm wire, or it can get hot in use.

If you are going to use it in sub-zero conditions make sure you get proper arctic-rated cable so it doesn't get too stiff.

Beware polarity reversal with the Schuko!
I use one of these to check polarity http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Socket-Tester-UK-Mains-Plug-In-Polarity-Earth-Safety-Tester-Neon-Indicator-/201340146556?hash=item2ee0ced37c:g:1GMAAOxyOalTYMC1

 

[anko]

Beware polarity reversal with the Schuko!
I use one of these to check polarity http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Socket-Tester-UK-Mains-Plug-In-Polarity-Earth-Safety-Tester-Neon-Indicator-/201340146556?hash=item2ee0ced37c:g:1GMAAOxyOalTYMC1

Out of 20.000 or so PHEV owners in the Netherlands, that all have received a Mode 3 charge cables fitted with a Schuko plug, I am pretty sure there is not a single one that worries about "polarity reversal". Not when charging their PHEV's and not when using any other electric appliance. As NL versions of the charge cables appear not to be sensitive to polarity, I can hardly imagine UK versions would be. I thought this phenomena was something for the past?

 

[davebodger]

Beware polarity reversal with the Schuko!
I use one of these to check polarity http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Socket-Tester-UK-Mains-Plug-In-Polarity-Earth-Safety-Tester-Neon-Indicator-/201340146556?hash=item2ee0ced37c:g:1GMAAOxyOalTYMC1

Out of 20.000 or so PHEV owners in the Netherlands, that all have received a Mode 3 charge cables fitted with a Schuko plug, I am pretty sure there is not a single one that worries about "polarity reversal". Not when charging their PHEV's and not when using any other electric appliance. As NL versions of the charge cables appear not to be sensitive to polarity, I can hardly imagine UK versions would be. I thought this phenomena was something for the past?

To be fair I have not personally encountered this myself, but it is something that is spread around on camping/caravaning forums from time to time and so I check "just in case".
Also I think it is different by country France/Germany/Italy.
Things are probably improving all the time as older installations are replaced with new and as you say it probably has little relationship to car charging.
Here is the explanation typically given (from a UK point of view) :-
"Why this situation can occur on the Continent:
In UK, switching is only done on the live line, and because our plugs & sockets are always connected the same, both switches and circuit-breakers (including RCDs) render cables & devices completely off, and safe.
In Europe, generally, switching is done simultaneously on both the live AND neutral lines; and because of this safer practice, it is not unusual to find live or neutral randomly connected to live. This is perfectly fine and safe, but does cause issues for UK visitors.
Firstly, many of our switches and RCDs, including some in motorhomes/caravans are single-pole, (meaning that they ONLY disconnect the live—or at least the expected live), but where the lines are reversed, they only pointlessly disconnect the neutral, leaving live power running past the switch/RCD, through any following cable and into all connected devices…even after any single-pole RCD has 'tripped'!"

So as long as all the switches involved in your car charging are double-pole then there is no problem of anything being left live when it is turned off and polarity does not matter.
To make it clear, this is not a problem with the Schuko plug itself or the way it is used in Europe, this is a potential problem for people traveling from the UK and taking their UK equipment with them and getting it to work safely in mainland Europe.

 

[anko]

So, this only applies to appliances that have their own circuit brakers?

In my house (I guess in virtually every house over here), every socket is protected by a circuit braker. Although only one line is protected, it is always the live one, regardless whether it is the left or right pin of the socket. Now I can imagine if you have an appliance connected to it that has it's own circuit braker and this circuit braker trips before the one in the house does, it may disconnect the wrong line. If the circuit braker in the appliance cuts of only one line it could be the wrong one.

I do know I have for example circuit brakers in my caravan, so the risk could apply there, but I cannot remember ever reading anything about that.

Does your charge cable happen to have a circuit braker in the 3-pin plug?

 

[davebodger]

So, this only applies to appliances that have their own circuit brakers?
In my house (I guess in virtually every house over here), every socket is protected by a circuit braker. Although only one line is protected, it is always the live one, regardless whether it is the left or right pin of the socket. Now I can imagine if you have an appliance connected to it that has it's own circuit braker and this circuit braker trips before the one in the house does, it may disconnect the wrong line. If the circuit braker in the appliance cuts of only one line it could be the wrong one.
I do know I have for example circuit brakers in my caravan, so the risk could apply there, but I cannot remember ever reading anything about that.
Does your charge cable happen to have a circuit braker in the 3-pin plug?

Our 10A Mitsubishi supplied EVSE's have a 13A BS1363 plug, which is fused on the live side.
The purpose of the fuse is to protect the cable leading from the plug in the event of a short-circuit, preventing it from catching fire or melting from overheating.
The EVSE itself has a RCD circuit breaker inside and a small "stop" button on the outside that can be used to trip the breaker and turn off the output from the EVSE.
I do not know if the RCD inside is a single or double pole type.
If I get time I will test it.

 

[anko]

Mine doesn't have a fused plug, as it is supposed to be used on fused wall sockets anyway. I can see how it could be an issue when you would use your cable (with a 13 a fuse) on one of my wall socket (with a 16 a fuse), as the fuse in the device will 'fail' before the one in the house.