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Thread: COC for Caravan's

  1. #1
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    COC for Caravan's

    I was asked a question that I had to have a think and read on before I felt comfortable with trying to answer

    Can you issue a COC for a caravan ?


    According to SANS10142
    1.3 - This part of SANS 10142 does not apply to
    1.3 b) - automotive electrical equipment excluding the caravan part of a roving vehicle


    To my surprise it seems that Joe does need to have a COC for his caravan and that the caravan park would be entitled to ask for it before allowing him to connect/plug in

    I then look at the COC and say address ? - I now understand why they state Unique number where applicable and insert the registration number of the caravan
    Type of installation would be Other and I can described it as Caravan

    Section 3 - Will need to cover myself as to the location and extent of the installation

    Trying to see if I now need to install a DB in the caravan - Looks like it may be needed to complete the COC but the Caravan sites regulation ( 7.6.4) states that each site shall be feed by a socket outlet with earth leakage unless it is feed from a safety supply. The socket outlet must comply to SANS 60309-1 or 2 and have a six o'clock earth position - Is what we commonly refer to as a welding socket.

    Changes are that there will not be a safety supply and that the supply to the site could be greater than 20 Amps as there is no restriction. So I suppose a DB will be necessary .
    The reg's do require Earth leakage at the socket outlet point , at the caravan site, so I may be able to leave that piece of equipment out of the DB .
    I feel that by installing an ELU in the caravan there could be incompatibility between different makes of ELU and nuisance tripping could occur.

    Looks like there is another whole world of COC's to be written up - Does anybody see differently

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    Dave A (22-Sep-18)

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    A low cost house has a pre paid meter with a single socket outlet installed next to the prep paid meter, no DB.

    Why would you need a COC for a caravan?

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    Hi

    You make the above statement sound like a COC is not needed for a low cost house installation - As far as I am aware, no supply authority" will install and connect supply to a dwelling unless a coc has been issued.To Issue a COC you need to have protection and all the other bits to fill in.
    Low cost houses normally have ready boards installed with circuit breaker protection , sockets etc

    Then there is the OHSA that states "every user or lessor of an electrical installation , as the case may be , shall have a valid certificate of compliance "

    Before the question on a caravan came up and further to reading the regulations I was always under the impression that a caravan would be treated as a portable/fixed appliance. With reading SANS 10142 I have now changed that thought to maybe a COC is a requirement for a caravan , and maybe the caravan park owner would be entitled to request the COC.
    Since you have no idea what size supply the caravan park is going to have per site I would think you need to have protection on the circuits.That would be the only reason I would install a DB.

    I can only find reasons as to why I would need to produce the certificate and no regulation or interpretation to absolve me from providing the COC - if I was that caravan owner.

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    A caravan plugs into a socket outlet, Why would you require a COC. If would be a different story if it was supplied from a circuit breaker in a Sub DB with a cable secured to a building etc.

  6. #5
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    Been thinking on the "why would you require a COC for a caravan " which is a bit different to the question of "is there any reason why the caravan park owner may not ask for a COC before you connect" but almost the same .

    I was looking for a reason to refuse giving the park owner a COC which I could not find.

    If I start looking to see how I convince the caravan park owner that he has to ask for a COC before allowing me to connect

    A caravan is included under the sans 10142 ED2 - under 1.3 b) page 22

    I had a look at definitions for Fixed appliance and stationary appliance pg 32 - Would put it down to a fixed appliance for lack of any better definition.
    Reading a bit further , I come across the definition for Premises 3.61 pg 47 - and think the caravan could be a stationary or mobile appliance and therefore would be regarded as a premises

    So I could regard it as a premises and then the complete SANS 10142 is relevant .

    If I stick to fixed appliance - 6.16.1.10 pg 183 - The wiring between different parts of a fixed appliance that are installed separately is part of the fixed installation even where it is supplied from a socket outlet , unless such wiring is less than a 3m length
    Being seen as part of the fixed installation I need to issue a COC for the work

    During the argument with myself , I am starting to lean towards the caravan being a stationary appliance which means that basically the complete SANS 10142 needs to apply

    Either way it looks like the caravan park owner should be asking me for a COC before switching on

    The jury is out on which piece of me is winning the argument - or if there is even an argument -

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