Help needed please, electric has gone off

[faraway]

I have a multi meter, never used it and don’t know how to! Can dig it out though. Is there a possibility that a blown fuse would affect the whole system?

 

[mitzimad]

If you don't know how to use the meter testing 240 volts isn't the place to start I would pop into a screwfix and get a non contact test or volt stick this will show if you have 240 at the consumer unit in the van just by holding it close

 

[faraway]

I’ve just tried someone else’s working cable as well and still nothing.

 

[SIFTA SAM]

If your leisure battery is staying charged that means 230v is probably getting to your van.

 

[faraway]

If your leisure battery is staying charged that means 230v is getting to your van.

I also have two solar panels and the power only went off yesterday evening.

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[faraway]

.

 

[autorouter]

On the consumer unit in the MH, there should be an RCD, which is a kind of circuit breaker. It has a small 'Test' button.

Turn the RCD on (switch UP). Then press the 'Test' button. Does the RCD trip off, or does nothing happen? If it trips, then mains power is reaching it.

If the RCD trips as soon as you switch it on, then turn off all the other circuit breakers (MCBs) and try again. The MCBs are the ones with no test button. If it then stays on, turn on the MCBs one at a time, until you find the circuit that is tripping the RCD.

 

[Bessy765]

Start at your van mains fuse box, the trip sometimes goes without the lever dropping down. Turn the mcb’s off (smalller switches off, then the main trip switch usually slightly bigger. Normally upwards for on down for off. With your lead plugged into the van and post, turn the main trip off and on again. Then there should be a test button, if you press that and the trip drops down you have power to your van. If when you test the button and nothing happens you have no power to your van. As suggested remove the lead at both ends and check the wires are connected to each end of the plug.

 

[L' Hobo]

If your at Canterbury, ask warden assistance (they are usually more than willing to help) and they will know the nearest Leccy's number, Good Luck!

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

I have a multi meter, never used it and don’t know how to! Can dig it out though. Is there a possibility that a blown fuse would affect the whole system?

There could be just the one fuse on your incoming 240 v that is causing the problem if you have tried another "working" ehu cable then its internal to your van.
I am not familiar with chausson but you need to work methodically from the van cable connection and trace the wiring to check for any inline fuses.if you can check your leisure batteries you can determine if they are charging from the ehu or not. Obviously if charging then the issue is just on the 240 v side

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[faraway]

If your at Canterbury, ask warden assistance (they are usually more than willing to help) and they will know the nearest Leccy's number, Good Luck!

Thanks, they have been down twice to check the bollards.

 

[faraway]

Start at your van mains fuse box, the trip sometimes goes without the lever dropping down. Turn the mcb’s off (smalller switches off, then the main trip switch usually slightly bigger. Normally upwards for on down for off. With your lead plugged into the van and post, turn the main trip off and on again. Then there should be a test button, if you press that and the trip drops down you have power to your van. If when you test the button and nothing happens you have no power to your van. As suggested remove the lead at both ends and check the wires are connected to each end of the plug.

Many thanks, I’ve tried as above and when pressing the test button, nothing happens. I’ve tried three different leads, so I don’t think it’s that.

 

[L' Hobo]

Thanks, they have been down twice to check the bollards.

I know Canterbury is usually busy but surely they didn't just walk away??

You appear to be dealing with the main 230v side and, personally, if you have tried everything you know, I would get in an electrician they recommend.

PS. Could you Solar panels, which I believe you mentioned, be complicating matters??

 

[faraway]

I’ve tried a couple of local people/places and can’t get a mobile engineer at the moment. I’ve made a booking for Thursday morning to take the MH to someone in the area I have used before and he’ll have a quick look. Hope it’s something straight forward

No idea about whether the solar panels are affecting anything.

 

[autorouter]

I’ve tried as above and when pressing the test button, nothing happens. I’ve tried three different leads, so I don’t think it’s that.

Assuming the hookup bollard really is OK, then there is a fault somewhere between the MH inlet connector and the RCD in the consumer unit. A guess would be a loose wire that's finally become detached.

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[MisterB]

to help with the process of elimination, have you tried your own lead on someone elses van? this is where a multi meter comes in handy, even if only to check the continuity from one end of your lead to the other.

as you have tried other peoples cables and still have nothing, then it appears to be a fault in your consumer unit or the wires to it (or being identified by your trip switches)

can you undo your mains connector attached to the van itself? the fault may be in there? a 'pen tester' is ideal because you can tell where the circuit is live, up to the point that it isnt. its an easy way to test your own lead is ok aswell.

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if you have a pen tester, you can test whether you are getting power to your consumer unit and if not, where the 'break' in continuity is. to set your mind at rest, the pen tester doesnt require you to undo or open any electrical sockets fittings etc, you merely touch the cable with it and it tells you 'by electrical wizardry' if the cable is 'live' or not. make sure you test it on a known live cable first, ie, someone elses hook up cable, that way you know what to expect and get used to using it!

 

[Bessy765]

With the power lead disconnected, from outside the van undo the four screws holding the inlet socket to the van there should be enough slack to enable you to pull it out far enough to check the cables are tight in the back of the socket. Also with the mains lead disconnected remove the surround of the vans fuse box and check for loose connections there

 

[faraway]

Start at your van mains fuse box, the trip sometimes goes without the lever dropping down. Turn the mcb’s off (smalller switches off, then the main trip switch usually slightly bigger. Normally upwards for on down for off. With your lead plugged into the van and post, turn the main trip off and on again. Then there should be a test button, if you press that and the trip drops down you have power to your van. If when you test the button and nothing happens you have no power to your van. As suggested remove the lead at both ends and check the wires are connected to each end of the plug.

I’ve just tried this procedure again. In the mains box, there is a test press button on the left, then a smaller up/down switch next to it. To the right of that is the mains (bigger) switch. With the bigger switch up and the smaller one next to it up, when I pressed the test button the bigger switch stayed up but the smaller one went down.

 

[Pirahna]

If you've got solar then you probably have a priority switch. The priority switch will have a fuse in it, the NDS switch for example has a fuse in the bottom of the unit. That's where I'd check next.

 

[autorouter]

The breaker on the left, with the test button and small switch, with '30mA' written on it, is the RCD. The breaker on the right, with 'C13' written on it, is a 13A MCB.

How are you checking that there is no mains power? Have you tried a few different appliances in the sockets. One of your appliances might have had a fault, tripping the bollard. You don't want to be using that for testing the power.

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[rb62]

The main trip is No1,trip No 2 is for the circuits in the van. Put both switches in the down position,put no 1 up,what happens? if it stays up press the test button,switch on no1 should drop down.If this works OK put no 1 up and try putting no 2 up,if no1 switch drops then there is a fault either with something that is plugged into the 240 or maybe the heating,turn everything 240v off and see what happens.

 

[faraway]

The breaker on the left, with the test button and small switch, with '30mA' written on it, is the RCD. The breaker on the right, with 'C13' written on it, is a 13A MCB.

How are you checking that there is no mains power? Have you tried a few different appliances in the sockets. One of your appliances might have had a fault, tripping the bollard. You don't want to be using that for testing the power.

Thanks. Nothing works in any socket. With my EHU lead unplugged, the warden has tested the bollard twice and they say there is power at the bollard. My two leads did not work and someone kindly lent me their working one to plug into my MH and bollard and it did not work on mine. On my main panel above the hab door there is usually a little green light showing when power is coming into the MH. That green light is off.

 

[MichaelT]

Turn everything off (inc fridge) and see what happens with the No1 switch in your picture, if it stays up then try the test button, it should drop down. If nothing happens then you have a problem with supply so unplug from mains and trace the incoming cable to the power box and check all connections are OK both in the power box and where it joins the EHU inlet point.

Then try and plug in again but keep everything turned off, if all OK turn on each appliance at a time and see what happens to narrow down if you have a faulty appliance.

 

[faraway]

Turned off or unplugged everything. The switch stayed up, pressed the test button and it dropped down.

 

[MichaelT]

Turned off or unplugged everything. The switch stayed up, pressed the test button and it dropped down.

So now turn a low wattage item on or charge phone to see if any power to sockets, if you have then turn each appliance on to see what happens.

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[autorouter]

With the bigger switch up and the smaller one next to it up, when I pressed the test button the bigger switch stayed up but the smaller one went down.

If the smaller switch went down when the test button was pressed, that means mains power is reaching the test button.

If the smaller switch stays up when you switch it up, and doesn't switch off immediately, then that's how it should normally behave.

If the smaller switch stays up when the bigger switch is up then there's no earth leakage fault in the mains circuits. In theory all the appliances and sockets should be working. There could be a break in the wiring, or a detached wire, that's stopping the electricity from travelling to the sockets/appliances. The break should be after those two circuit breakers.

 

[Bucket]

As others have said, your test button test shows there is power reaching the switch box (consumer unit). So this tells you it is something at fault that takes power from the unit, it could be anything electrical that draws mains power so the process of elimination takes over, literally unplug or switch off everything. Then try each device or appliance on it's own, eventually one will make the RCD trip and that identifies where the fault is.
Once you have found the fault you need to check if it is a device or the conductors that join the device to the consumer unit. Hopefully it's something portable so you don't have to start dismantling your interior.
I have experienced something similar when a lamp bulb has blown and it has to be taken out of the light fitting before the RCD is prepared to stay on.

 

[faraway]

I’ve tried charging the phone in different sockets, but nothing shows a charge or turning on. All sockets and plugs appear dead.

 

[pappajohn]

Many thanks, I’ve tried as above and when pressing the test button, nothing happens. I’ve tried three different leads, so I don’t think it’s that.

Then it's somewhere between the vans hookup socket and the fuseboard.

You need to systematically work from hookup socket to main breaker in the fusebox checking for voltage at every point.....it could even be the main breaker is faulty.
If you can't use a multimeter you really need an electrician for your own safety..

 

[Richard n Ann]

Take the cover off the fuse box and test for voltage with your multimeter set on AC volts into and out of the MCBs

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