Could anyone please tell me do I need an "Amphbian". I am a complete novice and have been told I need one but what did everyone use before these came on the market. It seems to me that unless you are parking your van outside a residence for a period of time what other use would I need it for. Am I correct in saying you charge your fridge on gas before you leave and then switch it to 12V while are travelling. Also when you stop for a break or to do some shopping is it essential to switch off the fridge from 12V. We will have two batteries in our van. Some people say it is not necessary others have a different opinion.
oldtrack123 said
03:30 PM Jan 31, 2014
HI John
If you are happy to precool the fridge on gas & do not wish to EVER connect your van to a 10A outlet YOU HAVE NO NEED FOR AN AMPFIBIAN.
Your #ay fridge SHOULD NEVER be run of your van batterries it will flatten them very quickly
IT SHOULD be run by IT'S OWN direct feed from the Crank!!,but with an automatic isolator to prevent discharging the crank battery WHEN THE ENGINE IS NOT RUNNING
BuUt some connection may be required to the van battery depending on FRIDGE MODEL
PLEASE POST FRIDGE model & we can advice further
PeterQ
Daryl620 said
04:23 PM Jan 31, 2014
Hi John,
Your van fridge should have a standard 240v 10 amp 3pin plug,
Uplug & connect standard extension lead to fridge/residence to precool the fridge.....
Daryl.
oldtrack123 said
04:50 PM Jan 31, 2014
Daryl620 wrote:
Hi John, Your van fridge should have a standard 240v 10 amp 3pin plug, Uplug & connect standard extension lead to fridge/residence to precool the fridge.....
Daryl.
HI
AND HOPE non one jams the extension lead in a door or window opening & damages it.
Running 240V through door ways or windows, especially metal, is not a very good idea unless precautions are taken against damage!!!
PeterQ
03_troopy said
05:08 PM Jan 31, 2014
On this point about running 240V power leads to outlets in a house; a mate and myself once had to break into a house and extinguish a fire that had started when an extension lead was plugged into an outlet beside a bed. By the time we saw the smoke it looked like the fire had taken a good hold, but due to the house being located in a bushy area in Queensland in the middle of summer after a few years of drought, and the close proximity of our neighbouring houses, it was imperative that the fire be extinguished quickly. The fire wasn't actually as bad as we first thought, from the heat and smoke, and once we gained entry we were able to extinguish it with a bit of a bucket brigade (tank water so not enough pressure for hoses to be any use).
Once the fire was out it was plain to see that the fire had started at the plug/outlet where it had overheated, probably due to poor contact pressure. To make it worse there was a dooner pushed over it which kept the heat in and gave a fuel source for the resulting fire. As the owners were away for the day it could have been a lot worse had we not seen the smoke when we did.
One more thing, if you ever find yourself in this position, make sure you switch off the mains before throwing buckets of water over a live power point with a charred lead hanging out of it. At the time we had totally forgotten to do this and almost cr*apped ourselves when we realised.
spida said
08:55 AM Feb 1, 2014
get an amphibian I say. You may only use it once in a while but it is way better than
A) not having it when you need it
B) have some bush expert making you up a 10 - 15amp lead and then having it short and cause a fire and not getting insurance.
The amphibian stops you overloading a house system with its cutout switch - safety first always!
Phil C said
11:23 AM Feb 1, 2014
In days gone by, we used a 15 amp lead with a 10 amp plug top or got a 15 amp point wired into the home for the van. Strange as it seems if the wiring to the old 10 amp gpo (powerpoint) is the right size (2,5mm square or better) and the breaker is 16 amp or better, the only thing that gets changed is the GPO. It is a good thing to chill the fridge before a trip as the 12V will only keep it cool, 12v not so good for chilling. Using gas has its merit and is probably more convenient for you, but gas is not cheap.
Not sure I agree with spida, the size of the active and neutral pins are the same for 10 and 15 amp connectors, the big deal is the earth and the wire diameter. OH by the way, get a real electrician to help you, electricity is far too dangerous to stuff around with. I do agree with safety first, if you feel you need to and have a spare $200 or so, go get the amphibian, we did survive without them, rather well in fact.
ALSO, never run an extension lead through anything other than fresh air.....
oldbobsbus said
12:08 PM Feb 1, 2014
The best advice I can give after reading all the instructions here is dont forget to take your..
Common SenseWith you...
I sometimes wonder how people think we got to be old without all the things people need today to just survive..
KFT said
02:48 PM Feb 1, 2014
you are spot on there Bob
the common seems to be very uncommon these days
probably something to do with the amount of stupid mixed in with the uncommon sense.
frank
brian said
03:48 PM Feb 1, 2014
Dead right there Bob.
There is often a strong argument in favour of adding a little more chlorine to the gene pool.
Phil C said
11:00 AM Feb 3, 2014
Yeah, ten out of ten there Bob...
PeterD said
12:48 AM Feb 4, 2014
What is common sense? I think Albert Einstein had a good of what it is:
Common sense is nothing more than a deposit of prejudices laid down by the mind before you reach eighteen.
oldbobsbus said
07:57 AM Feb 4, 2014
PeterD wrote:
What is common sense? I think Albert Einstein had a good of what it is:
Common sense is nothing more than a deposit of prejudices laid down by the mind before you reach eighteen.
There are alot around today that didn't even get that deposit I tell ya.
mickm said
08:49 AM Feb 4, 2014
Here a Jaycar product which is very cheap when compared to the amphibian. The only negative I can see is that it is not waterproof but is normally mounted inside the house at the GPO end.
Portable RCD with 15A to 10A Mains Plug Conversion
NOT FOR USE IN THE RAIN OR EXPOSED TO WEATHER
Convert your 15A power lead to fit a 10A power outlet whilst adding the additional safety of RCD earth leakage protection. Ideal if you only have a device with a 15A mains plug, and you are located somewhere that does not have a 15A power outlet available. Features a 10A circuit breaker/RCD in case you accidentally overload the device.
Specifications: Voltage: 240VAC, 50Hz Max load: 2400W 10A Rated residual current: 30mA RCD type: AC & DC pulse sensitivity Dimensions: 180(H) x 135(D) x 124(W)mm Electrical Safety Approval Certificate No.: SAA122512EA ( see attachment below for proof )
Basically.... if you want/need 240 volt power to the van and you are not in a van park, you need an amphibian.
Using 240 volt with a "normal" lead (whether its dodgied up to fit the bigger plug or fed through a door or window) is risky and foolhardy.
There are more brands than the amphibian which will do the job, but only the amphibian is waterproof- so be careful to only use other brands under cover.
Read the instructions that come with the unit, and do what they tell you !
If you don't want to charge your fridge on 240 volt, or camp in some one's yard, don't bother.
oldtrack123 said
01:20 PM Feb 4, 2014
mickm wrote:
Here a Jaycar product which is very cheap when compared to the amphibian. The only negative I can see is that it is not waterproof but is normally mounted inside the house at the GPO end.
Portable RCD with 15A to 10A Mains Plug Conversion
NOT FOR USE IN THE RAIN OR EXPOSED TO WEATHER
Convert your 15A power lead to fit a 10A power outlet whilst adding the additional safety of RCD earth leakage protection. Ideal if you only have a device with a 15A mains plug, and you are located somewhere that does not have a 15A power outlet available. Features a 10A circuit breaker/RCD in case you accidentally overload the device.
Specifications: Voltage: 240VAC, 50Hz Max load: 2400W 10A Rated residual current: 30mA RCD type: AC & DC pulse sensitivity Dimensions: 180(H) x 135(D) x 124(W)mm Electrical Safety Approval Certificate No.: SAA122512EA ( see attachment below for proof )
Could anyone please tell me do I need an "Amphbian". I am a complete novice and have been told I need one but what did everyone use before these came on the market. It seems to me that unless you are parking your van outside a residence for a period of time what other use would I need it for. Am I correct in saying you charge your fridge on gas before you leave and then switch it to 12V while are travelling.
Also when you stop for a break or to do some shopping is it essential to switch off the fridge from 12V. We will have two batteries in our van. Some people say it is not necessary others have a different opinion.
If you are happy to precool the fridge on gas & do not wish to EVER connect your van to a 10A outlet YOU HAVE NO NEED FOR AN AMPFIBIAN.
Your #ay fridge SHOULD NEVER be run of your van batterries it will flatten them very quickly
IT SHOULD be run by IT'S OWN direct feed from the Crank!!,but with an automatic isolator to prevent discharging the crank battery WHEN THE ENGINE IS NOT RUNNING
BuUt some connection may be required to the van battery depending on FRIDGE MODEL
PLEASE POST FRIDGE model & we can advice further
PeterQ
Your van fridge should have a standard 240v 10 amp 3pin plug,
Uplug & connect standard extension lead to fridge/residence to precool the fridge.....
Daryl.
HI
AND HOPE non one jams the extension lead in a door or window opening & damages it.
Running 240V through door ways or windows, especially metal, is not a very good idea unless precautions are taken against damage!!!
PeterQ
Once the fire was out it was plain to see that the fire had started at the plug/outlet where it had overheated, probably due to poor contact pressure. To make it worse there was a dooner pushed over it which kept the heat in and gave a fuel source for the resulting fire. As the owners were away for the day it could have been a lot worse had we not seen the smoke when we did.
One more thing, if you ever find yourself in this position, make sure you switch off the mains before throwing buckets of water over a live power point with a charred lead hanging out of it. At the time we had totally forgotten to do this and almost cr*apped ourselves when we realised.
get an amphibian I say. You may only use it once in a while but it is way better than
A) not having it when you need it
B) have some bush expert making you up a 10 - 15amp lead and then having it short and cause a fire and not getting insurance.
The amphibian stops you overloading a house system with its cutout switch - safety first always!
Not sure I agree with spida, the size of the active and neutral pins are the same for 10 and 15 amp connectors, the big deal is the earth and the wire diameter. OH by the way, get a real electrician to help you, electricity is far too dangerous to stuff around with. I do agree with safety first, if you feel you need to and have a spare $200 or so, go get the amphibian, we did survive without them, rather well in fact.
ALSO, never run an extension lead through anything other than fresh air.....
The best advice I can give after reading all the instructions here is dont forget to take your..
Common SenseWith you...
I sometimes wonder how people think we got to be old without all the things people need today to just survive..
the common seems to be very uncommon these days
probably something to do with the amount of stupid mixed in with the uncommon sense.
frank
Yeah, ten out of ten there Bob...
Common sense is nothing more than a deposit of prejudices laid down by the mind before you reach eighteen.
There are alot around today that didn't even get that deposit I tell ya.
Here a Jaycar product which is very cheap when compared to the amphibian. The only negative I can see is that it is not waterproof but is normally mounted inside the house at the GPO end.
Portable RCD with 15A to 10A Mains Plug Conversion
NOT FOR USE IN THE RAIN OR EXPOSED TO WEATHER
Convert your 15A power lead to fit a 10A power outlet whilst adding the additional safety of RCD earth leakage protection. Ideal if you only have a device with a 15A mains plug, and you are located somewhere that does not have a 15A power outlet available. Features a 10A circuit breaker/RCD in case you accidentally overload the device.
Specifications:
Voltage: 240VAC, 50Hz
Max load: 2400W 10A
Rated residual current: 30mA
RCD type: AC & DC pulse sensitivity
Dimensions: 180(H) x 135(D) x 124(W)mm
Electrical Safety Approval Certificate No.: SAA122512EA ( see attachment below for proof )
Using 240 volt with a "normal" lead (whether its dodgied up to fit the bigger plug or fed through a door or window) is risky and foolhardy.
There are more brands than the amphibian which will do the job, but only the amphibian is waterproof- so be careful to only use other brands under cover.
Read the instructions that come with the unit, and do what they tell you !
If you don't want to charge your fridge on 240 volt, or camp in some one's yard, don't bother.
HI
THAT unit can be used at HOME provided it is in a weather proof situation
However it's use in PUBLIC locations Cps, Show grounds , to supply van if in a motel& such IS NOT APPROVED
Jaycar used the "motel" example when they FIRST advertised it
THEY WERE FORCED TO REMOVE THAT !
]
IT DOES NOT COMPLY TO THE STANDARDS FOR THOSE TYPES OF USES!!
PeterQ
-- Edited by oldtrack123 on Tuesday 4th of February 2014 01:49:34 PM