- This topic has 23 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 3 years, 3 months ago by
.
- Topic
Hi everyone
Been reading up on ev chargers at home as I’m considering an EV as my next car.I currently have an electric outlet near my garage and was wondering if an installer could just swap that outlet for a charge point or would they need a new wire to the consumer unit? The latter will be difficult based on where it’s currently located!
Any help or guidance is much appreciated
Thanks
- Replies
The EV Charger will be connected direct to your consumer unit. So because it is not a standard 2.5 cable there will need to be a much thicker cable run to the unit. I also had to have the main fuse changed to a 100 amp as my property only had a 60amp fuse. That was done by another company. So the answer to your question is no, You will need to connect to the consumer unit. Don’t panic these guys are used to hard setups they do these everyday. They can sort it.
Just had one fitted and it needs to be connected to the main power supply ie: where your electric box is located .
I had a Ohme smart charger fitted a few months ago and the process is pretty simple, ohme will contact you to arrange installation with one of they’re installation partners and they will ask you to fill in online survey form but you can ask for a onsite survey which is the way I would go.
My situation was very much like yours with armoured cable coming from my house consumer unit to my garage with a another small consumer unit that I hoped would be adequate, unfortunately it wasn’t, basically it wouldn’t have given enough power to the charger and the possibility of tripping out all the time. The way it was sorted was in the end far better and neater with a dedicated fuse and cable, slightly more in cost of £250 for the extra cable that was used, over 30m in the end.
So my advice is ask for a onsite survey.In a word NO.
The cable going to your outlet will be 2.5mm2 t+e more than likely, which will not be able to cope with a 7.4Kw charger, in the same way it would beable cope with a similar size electric shower. Also your existing outlet will more than likely have RCD protection, which is not permissible in almost all circumstances.
Your charger when fitted, will normally require 3 core 4mm2 6mm2 or 10mm2 SWA (armoured cabled) depending on length of run to take into account any voltage drop. Your charger will have its own dedicated fuse (mcb, either from the consumer unit or as in the majority of cases a stand alone unit. It won’t be permissabe to have RCD protection on the charger circuit due to the nature of DC current with the car batteries.
You may need minor works carried out on behalf of the grid by one of its contractors, but rather than explaining it now as all cases differerent and will be dicussed at the point you have a survey done.
mo11 – You can use your existing outlet with a “granny” charger. It would be incredibly slow for an EV (which depending on your circumstances might be ok) but perfectly ok for a PHEV.
Thank you so much for your reply guys. You’ve given me more information than ages of searching online. Much appreciated.
I recently renovated my home and have new tiled flooring so really dont want to take any of it off also to run cabling – is it possible to run the cable above the floor like standard cables just tacked to the wall?
I recently renovated my home and have new tiled flooring so really dont want to take any of it off also to run cabling – is it possible to run the cable above the floor like standard cables just tacked to the wall?
In the majority of cases your incoming supply, consumer unit will be on or next to an external wall and they will just drill through the wall at low or high level depending where all your electric is. In other words 99.999% they will never dig up the floor. Thats coming from someone who’s been a sparky for 4oyrs+ the latter part fitting charge points albeit commercial untill I was taken ill
Don’t over think things too much at this point 🙂
When are you due to change cars?
Thank you so much for your reply guys. You’ve given me more information than ages of searching online. Much appreciated. I recently renovated my home and have new tiled flooring so really dont want to take any of it off also to run cabling – is it possible to run the cable above the floor like standard cables just tacked to the wall?
All my cable was done outside, the cable is armoured 16mm/ 10mm core so it’s pretty heavy stuff.
To just clarify on my previous point- a single pole RCBO should not be used rather than I initially said an RCD should not be used.
So if your charger has an RCD DD with in it there is no requirement for other RCD protection…..
RDC-DD (Residual Direct Current – Disconnecting Device). will often be built within the car charging equipment to monitor and and disconnect should any DC problems appear on the AC side of the installation, which could affect the operation of RCDs. If the charger does not have this it shall be protrcted by a 30Ma type B RCD. Depending on the situation a Type A may be used.
I couldn’t run the cable outside for mine, so it was run from the consumer unit up into the loft and down again in an existing void at the rear of the house to the basement, then out through the wall to the charge point. About 25-30m of 6mm armoured cable.
In life, it's not who you know that's important, it's how your wife found out.
All my cable was done outside
I take it your meter box is outside and they split the tails using henley blocks and installed a small CU next to your box?
Thank you for all the responses.
My consumer unit isn’t on an external wall, hence the query… The previous owners extended the house and didn’t move the consumer unit. I planned on moving it but costly so kept putting it off.
Due to change in June/July this year so plenty to think about.
Considering a PHEV or a full EV at the moment
Think a site visit from the installers is needed! I just didn’t want to pick an EV and order and then the costs of fitting the charger spiralling due to the set up and location of my consumer unit…
So its now on the inside wall, due to the previous owner being a tight arse when they had an extention!!
Is your electrics near an outside wall or as I suspect in what was an old pantry now in the middle of the house?
Either way they are extremely unlikely to want to dig up the floor, as it causes all sorts of problems with regs if its not deep enouth. It will be suface mounted or in trunking if they cable in twin and earth to an outside point, you can box it in afterwards to make it look pretty 🙂
Prior to having a charger fitted you will have to send photo’s off anyway and fll in a form.
Can you put a ppicture up of your electrics and where they are in relation to an external wall or if the extension is ground floor floor garage with bedroom above or all living quarters!
I don’t have an EV but charger and installation is free with mb up to a certain point. Perhaps others can say if they purchase their own cable due to the run was the work then carried out for free. I think @Fastbike1000 quoted he paid £250ish extra for 30 meter cable run.
All my cable was done outside
I take it your meter box is outside and they split the tails using henley blocks and installed a small CU next to your box?
Yes that’s right. Lucky last year we changed to a smart meter and my supplier installed a 100amp fuse and all the charger stuff went into the consumer unit, nice and tidy.
Perhaps others can say if they purchase their own cable due to the run was the work then carried out for free. I think @Fastbike1000 quoted he paid £250ish extra for 30 meter cable run.
I must add that the extra was for the cable and a small trench run of about 10 foot.
Perhaps others can say if they purchase their own cable due to the run was the work then carried out for free. I think @Fastbike1000 quoted he paid £250ish extra for 30 meter cable run.
I must add that the extra was for the cable and a small trench run of about 10 foot.
My view point is, if cost a little more than that it’s still going to be far cheaper on Mb than having it done if say you were not on Mb, as the total installation and charger would be chargeable.
When I was looking for my next car I knew it was going to be either a EV or PHEV and I did a lot checking and when you take into account that Motability pay for your charger and installation which is around 1K it was a no brainier for me to go full EV.
Good points. Hopefully a full EV if APs are reasonable. Leaning towards the e2008 which has a reasonable advance payment.
I’ll stop worrying about the charger and focus on shortlisting cars.
What happens if you order an EV get the charger installed and then change your mind about the EV. Would motability be looking their money back for the install.
I recently had an Easee one charger installed, I had to pay an extra £250 for the install. I needed my water and gas bonding as they where missing , also needed an extra 25m of cable as my consumer unit is towards the back of the house.
I recently had an Easee one charger installed, I had to pay an extra £250 for the install. I needed my water and gas bonding as they where missing , also needed an extra 25m of cable as my consumer unit is towards the back of the house.
Depending on the age of your house, but newish homes have plastic or plastic sheathed pipe entering the home with water especially not needng main bonding as per wiring regs. I do find some installers like to make a quick quid or so. As said it depends on the age of your home and what type of pipework enters the home.
I forget who, but someone on here had to correct the installer or NG but, cant remember which.
Just had my Ohme EV charger installed today, it was installed by OVO , they turned up this morning at about 9:30 and didnt stop till about 3:30pm. They had to fit a small sperate consumer unit next to the meter, i didnt expect that. i though that they would use one of the spare ways on the main consumer box. they had to route about 6-7m of cable around the garage and then out to a wall a few meters away. a very nice neat job in the end and they cleaned up any mess when complete, a quick test afterward with the installers van (our car isnt with us till 1st March) and it seems to be working fine, charge rate was 7.1KW/hr on the display.
We had a 8m tethered cable on the charger (standard is 5m) but didnt have to pay a penny, just cost me 5 cuppas each installer (two of them came) .
overall a good experience and no problems from start to finished including the pre-installation communications from both Ohme and OVO.
nice job OVO/Ohme, now just need the car !
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.