elddis affinity, Owner'S Handbook Manual

Page: 28 / 126

7-1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
12v POWER SUPPLY
Battery Installation
Your caravan will be fitted with a BCA Leisure
charging and power distribution unit.
If you wish to install a leisure battery please
ensure that it is placed on the battery tray
supplied with your caravan. Then place the
tray in the battery locker fitted to the side of
your caravan. Connect the battery to the
clamp fittings connected to the connection
leads within the battery box.
The type of leisure battery you should utilise
will depend on how you wish to use your new
caravan. If you are going to only use your
caravan when it is connected to a mains
supply and do not have a motor mover fitted,
then any good standard leisure battery rated
at least 85 ampere-hours at 20 hour
discharge rate is sufficient. However, if you
are going to use your caravan without a
mains connection or have a motor mover
fitted, then an AGM type battery rated at least
85 ampere-hours at 20 hour discharge rate is
recommended.
Battery Maintenance
Your leisure battery should be maintained in
accordance with the manufacturer’s
instructions. For information on the automatic
charging system in your caravan please refer
to ‘Automatic Charging System’ in the index.
Do not charge your leisure battery with any
charger other than that supplied. Failure to
comply may cause damage to your battery. If
you remove your leisure battery, ensure that
it is not placed on a cold surface as the
battery will deteriorate more rapidly than if
stored at a suitable temperature
Generators / Charger
All electrical equipment fitted in your new
caravan can be run from either a controlled
generator or charger whose output is
maintained between 11volts and 14volts.
At least once every 3 years, the caravan
electrical installation should be inspected and
tested, and a report on its condition obtained,
as prescribed in British Standard BS7671.
230v POWER SUPPLY
Mains Unit
The Mains Unit replaces the conventional
fuse box. Similar, but larger ones are often
fitted in new houses. The unit, normally
located in the front nearside bed box, gives
overloads and earth leakage protection for
the 230V electrical supply in your caravan.
For normal operation all switches on the unit
need to be in the ON position. The switches
on the left of the unit are known as MCB’s
(miniature circuit breakers). These take the
place of the conventional fuse but are more
convenient. In the event of a fault the MCB
‘trips’ i.e. automatically moves to the OFF
position. After elimination of the fault the
MCB can be re-set by switching to the ON
position (against the spring pressure in an
upwards direction). If an earth fault develops,
or a person was to touch a live piece of
equipment, the leakage of current to earth
should immediately operate the RCD
(residual current device) and ‘trip’ the main
switch, to the OFF position. This switch can
only be re-set after elimination of
the fault.
Please note: In case of difficulty, consult an
approved electrical installation contractor
(who may be the local electricity board). It is
dangerous to attempt modifications and
additions yourself. Lamp holder-plugs
(bayonet- cap adaptors) should not be used
under any circumstances.
Resetting the RCD
To re-set, operate the switch as for MCB’s.
Periodically, the RCD should be checked by
operating the test button marked ‘T’. The unit
should immediately switch to the OFF
position. If the unit does not switch off then a
qualified electrician should be consulted. If
the unit does switch off, the test is complete
and the switch can be re-set restoring the
supply back to normal.
Please note: Simultaneous operation of all of
the 230V mains electrical equipment may not
be possible. A typical UK caravan site mains
hook-up point provides a maximum output of
10 amps and on some continental sites the
available output may be as low as 5 amps. If
your loading exceeds the site supply it may