Grounding on a trailer?????? Help plz

[garrysmith]

Thanks in advance

I have just started a catering trailer project, from scratch...........

I am getting to the stage where I need to think about electrics and just wanted to post my idea on here to make sure im heading in the right direction.

I have a consumer unit to run out a ring main (6 sockets), I light unit, 1 oven.

My only main stump is how do I ground the electrics from the unit? is this as simple as bringing an earth from the unit and bolting to the steel work of the trailer???

Cheers

Gaz

 

[ParkySparky]

Portable generator supply?

Steptoe will give you the answer

 

[Evans Electric]

Have a look in Regs ... might be 717.

 

[steptoe]

Portable generator supply?Steptoe will give you the answer

maybe not! :|

how are you supplying the trailer?

as Parky asks, is it via genny or are you plugging into a supply somewhere?

if you are using a genny it will depend a lot on the genny windings too.

 

[ParkySparky]

Portable generator supply?Steptoe will give you the answer

maybe not! :|

how are you supplying the trailer?

as Parky asks, is it via genny or are you plugging into a supply somewhere?

if you are using a genny it will depend a lot on the genny windings too.

Bang a rod in!!!!

Only joking!

Need abit more info pal.

 

[steptoe]

:slap

And a big long lead!

 

[Marvo]

My only main stump is how do I ground the electrics from the unit? is this as simple as bringing an earth from the unit and bolting to the steel work of the trailer???

You have two separate issues, the main earthing system and the earh bonding. Strapping the steelwork of the trailer to the earthbar of the CU will take care of the bonding unless you have water or gas piped supply to the trailer.

Your biggest decisions are about the main incoming earth. As pointed out this depends on whether you can import the earth from the external supply. Obviously a generator presents a whole new bunch of issues especially if it's a V-O-V type genny where the neutral floats at a voltage. TBH banging a decent sized rod in might not be a bad option with a generator to make the system TT.

 

[fulham sparks]

What do u mean by the neutral floats at a voltage ovram?

 

[col]

It's not anchored to earth.

The Neutral is at 230V potential difference between it and "line"

Is it a "butty van"?

 

[steptoe]

Is it a "butty van"?

in a lay-by ,

or a fixed site with incoming mains?

 

[Marvo]

What is a 'butty van' please?

What do u mean by the neutral floats at a voltage ovram?

The genny has 2 windings and the center point is bonded to the chassis. Simply put the live sits at +120 volts and the neutral at -120 volts. This is a fairly common arrangement with site generators and camping generators, the theory is that if you get ashock you only receive a 120v whack instead of the full 240v (unless you're stupid enough to touch the L + N simultaneously. The downside of this arrangement is that you will get a shock off the neutral as well as the live and you can't bond the N + E in a T-N-CS incoming earth like you might in a domestic CU.

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---------- Post Auto-Merged at 11:57 ---------- Previous post was made at 11:55 ----------

I'm not sure why the board isn't automatically parsing my attached image, do I need to add bb-code to make it p****?

Good grief this is hard work, why is the word P-A-R-S-E in the swearword filter?

 

[col]

Like wot he said :Salute that was a much better explanation.

A "Butty van" is the technical term for a catering trailer.

And as for P-A-R-S-E not getting through the swear-filter, maybe it's just taking the "P" :C

 

[steptoe]

Sometimes its easier to link your picture to photobucket or similar Ovram