6 Fixes For Caravan Electrics That Keep Tripping
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If you own a caravan, you might as well be quite familiar with the idea of tripping out your electrical devices. There are many ways you can trip your appliances in a caravan. In fact, it is a common occurrence for all caravan owners to experience.
The most common way in which your caravan can undergo electric tripping is by taking on more power than the supply can handle. This particular instance is known as “overload.” However, you also might find electric tripping in your caravan happening due to faulty appliances or cables.
In this article, I will extensively discuss the potential reasons behind why your caravan electrics might trip. Furthermore, I will also give a brief analysis of the common factors that are generally responsible for tripping your caravan electrics. Lastly, I will provide a list of feasible tips that you can use to fix the malfunctioning electrics in your caravan. So, keep reading!
Why Do Your Caravan Electric Keep Tripping?
Overload as well as a fault in your cables, are the primary reasons behind caravan electric failure. You may experience tripping if your electricity is suffering from an overload. Besides, faults that tend to occur because of rogue cables can also cause your electricity to trip by taking out a section of your circuit site.
It is important to note that, in places such as a caravan where you have limitations in terms of power usage, you have to have a clear idea about all your electrical appliances within your caravan. Normally, the appliances that can produce a lot of heat are responsible for drawing the largest share of power.
Factors That Can Affect Your Caravan Electronics
There are some important factors that can always affect your caravan electronics out of the blue. For instance, if your caravan electrical system is not working, it might be because there is not enough voltage available in the first place. Keep in mind that you should always have at least 13-14V on your meter to maintain a healthy battery that can sustain your electrical system.
Fuses and circuit breakers in your caravan can be susceptible to failure. As a result, experts and professionals tend to advise checking them thoroughly every now and then. Apart from this, moisture can be responsible for eroding the fuse connections of your caravan. Besides, incidents such as short-circuits and current surges can also affect the tripping of your caravan electronics.
If you are making additions to your caravan, such as screwing a new shelf into your wall, be wary of the electrical wiring that runs on the other side of the panelling. Since the walls in caravans tend to be very thin, you might risk severely damaging the wiring if you are not cautious.
6 Easy Fixes For Caravan Electrics That Keep Tripping
Caravan electric tripping is not something to ignore. It can lead to disastrous consequences. But what exactly can you do about it? Well, below is a list of 7 useful tips that you can use to fix the malfunctioning electrics in your caravan.
1. Maintaining Overloads
You can prevent overloads in your caravan by installing small circuit breakers. They usually work as substitutes for fuses. These miniature circuit breakers can withstand a small amount of overload for a limited time. However, they tend to trip eventually with a larger amount of overload.
Usually, the overload tripping tends to take a few minutes to activate, depending on the amount of overload. As a result, this gives you some time to switch off your devices before the power is lost altogether.
2. Installing Load-Monitoring Devices
You can buy load-monitoring devices that can account for the amount of current at the supply point and forward that information via wireless medium to a portable display panel. This device is primarily made to calculate the cost of electricity that is in use. You might also use it to display the load in kilowatts (KW).
This is a very convenient device for all caravaners as it constantly keeps you on tab as to how much power your caravan is drawing. As it happens, you can adjust the sensor to keep the power draw within your own limit.
3. Load Controlling Devices
A load controlling device generally entails a sensing coil that threads through the live wire feeding the caravan. It can sense the current and send the reading to a digital control panel that allows you to view it. You can then set the level of your supply to a certain range.
If the supply exceeds the level that is set, the boiler is powered down in different stages to prevent tripping of supply. A load controlling device is an effective technology to prevent tripping.
4. Fixing Faulty Aerial Cables
It is hard to find a caravanner who does not have a TV inside their caravan. Having a TV inside your caravan allows you to enjoy your favorite show on the go, no matter where you are. However, caravan TVs are notoriously famous for malfunctioning due to faulty aerial cables.
Making sure that your caravan has a high-quality coaxial cable with sufficient thickness allows you to enjoy decent pictures on your screen. It also ensures that you do not have to compromise on your signals, which hampers the image quality of your screen.
5. Replacing Faulty Aerial Socket
Sometimes the wall-plate in your caravan can be vulnerable to external forces like water and thunderstorms.
These can cause damage to your wall-plate which can ultimately result in your caravan TV not working properly. Many YouTube videos can assist you in navigating the replacement process.
6. Tending To Your Poor Coaxial Cable
A short on the cable can cause your caravan TV to stop working altogether. To diagnose if you need to attend to the existing coaxial cable of your caravan, get a multimeter to check for possible shorts on your cable.
If you do not find any issues there, you have to check for cable terminations starting from the wall plate.
Follow Safety Measures That Prevent Caravan Electrics From Tripping
Modern-day caravans tend to comprise a 12-volt DC and a 240-volt AC circuit. If there is ever a need for you to work on any part of the AC circuit, make sure to do it with a professional hand. It will ensure your safety and protect your insurance. Other steps that you should take to prevent your caravan electronics from tripping are listed down below.
- Make sure to install a safety switch in your van in case of an emergency.
- Disconnect the electric devices that trigger the safety switch in your caravan. Get it looked at by an experienced electrician before using it again.
- If needed, use only approved 15 amp power leads if you wish to connect your van to any external supply.
- Never connect more than one supply to any one supply socket.
- Any potential renovation to your caravan should be carried out by a qualified electrician or contractor to avoid any probable damage.
- Get expert hands to service your electric brake controllers every now and then. It can help avert the potential tripping of your electric devices.
Following all of the advice provided in this article does not eliminate the possibility of device malfunction. However, it can significantly lower the likelihood of tripping your caravan’s electric devices. By implementing these fixes, you can lessen the likelihood of potential threats that your caravan’s electric components would otherwise encounter.