Which EV charger?

dharm999

I think I’d be happier and sleep better by going for the dedicated charger rather than using a normal 3 pin socket.  The worry would always be there around the increased risk and for the extra cost it is more peace of mind.

Heedtheadvice

The exile is right. Not with you on this one Reed.

Granny chargers by design are only for emergency use - as per manufacturers instructions. 

Sometimes they can get quite warm if used for a long period at their max capacity. 

They are not necessarily waterproof but the 13A plug is OK in that respect if used in a waterproof outdoor socket.

They do not normally give earthing safety protection where there is a fault and the car body becomes live. Dedicated wall chargers can do ( but not all of them) The Zappi is one that does give protection.

Do any of the granny chargers give the functionality of remote control, monitoring and charge etc history, plus do they allow excess PV generation to automatically be routed to the car ( and more) and integrated with battery storage systems?

More to it than just switching on at a low charge level more so if you have an EV that needs a lot of charge....

Screwdriva

Exiled_Tyke said:

https://wepoweryourcar.com/3-pin-plug-charger-vs-dedicated-home-charger/

But using a granny really isn't recommended and doesn't give you access to the best tariffs.  Some of the reasons given above are a bit weak but the safety reason is the key one. Whilst issues with either way of charging are going to be very rare the risks are still much higher using a granny.  

This is spot on!

Reed_Richards

Screwdriva said:

Exiled_Tyke said:

https://wepoweryourcar.com/3-pin-plug-charger-vs-dedicated-home-charger/

But using a granny really isn't recommended and doesn't give you access to the best tariffs.  Some of the reasons given above are a bit weak but the safety reason is the key one. Whilst issues with either way of charging are going to be very rare the risks are still much higher using a granny.  

This is spot on!

No it's not!  The safety aspects are all hearsay unsupported by actual evidence.  And I can charge longer and cheaper with Eon NextDrive than I could with Octopus and cheaper still if I were prepared to risk Tomato.  I have a waterproof outdoor socket with built-in WiFi and that gives me all the timing control I need. 

This site is supposed to be about money saving after all; I suggest a perfectly good way of saving £900 and get poo-pooed for it.  

Exiled_Tyke

This is the best summary of the issue I've found.  So as I said before there risks of using a granny may be small but they are still many times greater than that of using a properly installed charger.   The example given at the end of this I have had happen to me with an electric fire some time ago. At the time I couldn't understand why an appliance within the 13amp limit of the plug could cause such a problem.  But now, I do.   

Heedtheadvice

@Reed_Richards

I don't think anyone is poo-pooing your idea of money saving but just pointing out the reasons why that saving has downsides.

You are quite entitled to your view as are other posters to give a  balance.

I would take you up on the safety issue though.

It is responsible to consider safety risks such as Ground Circuit faults and provide protection. These protections can be from residual current devices, weather protection, double insulation, low voltage etc as appropriate especially pertinent for outside use.

I take it you are an engineer versed in the IEC requirements, the British Standards ( commonly known as Wiring regs) and also Building regs and that you have ensured your charging system meets them. It could be that you are not and are relying on a consumer unit or separate RCD for good (but partial) protection from  ground and other faults without knowing what is formally required. However others may not have a modern electrical installation and could end up at high risk.

It is irresponsible if we were to not point out the known risks.

Hearsay it is not.

Exiled_Tyke

Reed_Richards said:

Screwdriva said:

Exiled_Tyke said:

https://wepoweryourcar.com/3-pin-plug-charger-vs-dedicated-home-charger/

But using a granny really isn't recommended and doesn't give you access to the best tariffs.  Some of the reasons given above are a bit weak but the safety reason is the key one. Whilst issues with either way of charging are going to be very rare the risks are still much higher using a granny.  

This is spot on!

No it's not!  The safety aspects are all hearsay unsupported by actual evidence.  And I can charge longer and cheaper with Eon NextDrive than I could with Octopus and cheaper still if I were prepared to risk Tomato.  I have a waterproof outdoor socket with built-in WiFi and that gives me all the timing control I need. 

This site is supposed to be about money saving after all; I suggest a perfectly good way of saving £900 and get poo-pooed for it.  

I have a great deal of respect for your contributions to these boards and don't have any intention of putting you down. I merely disagree with you on this particular matter. 

silverwhistle

Exiled_Tyke said:

This is the best summary of the issue I've found.

Yes, Jeremy Harris knows his stuff. Whilst I've occasionally used a granny charger to mop up solar whilst I've been around I wouldn't overnight (not just 'cos of poor solar!). Remember the 13amp socket rating is for peak not for continuous high loads.

My solution has been a commando termination Ohme which I've had for 4 years. Although there is no link with the MG4 API I can tell it what to charge either by calculating a percentage I want of the full battery by taking existing levels and requesting the balance I want. Alternatively, as I am on Agile at the moment I specify the unit price I'm willing to charge at which is published 24 hours in advance. For example the price is high at the moment and I've run down the battery to low but will be charging tonight (1.6p per unit at 22.30). It's going to be cheap, possibly negative over the weekend, so I'll fill the battery. This suits my user case..

QrizB

I know there's a lot of love for the Zappi in this thread!

Just to give a different option, we've got an Ohme ePod (the cable-less one) which Octopus installed. It does what it says on the tin, the app works well and it integrates nicely with Intelligent Go.

Reed_Richards

@Exiled_Tyke posted a useful quote.  So I should be very clear that you should not use a granny charger that operates at more than 10 A .  Most of them don't, although I saw some advertised adjustable up to 13 A when I was buying mine; avoid.  At 10 A the assertion in the quote, as I read it, is you should be fine charging your car overnight.  An outside socket will surely be well ventilated so the only scope for potential issues would be charging your car on a hot day with the plug in full sun.  I almost never do that but I'll bear it in mind.

@Heedtheadvice also makes a good point.  My house was rewired in 2019 and my consumer unit has RCBO circuit breakers.  So I think my wiring is as safe as you can hope for and I'm confident my electrician was aware of all the necessary regulations.  Any wiring running at 10 A for long periods will be put to the test so if you have any doubts about your wiring then the dedicated circuit that is installed with a 7 kW charging point is a safe way to go.  But a new dedicated circuit to an outdoor socket would still be a cheaper option, even that plus a new consumer unit stocked with RCBO circuit breakers like mine would probably still be cheaper than one of these expensive 7 kW chargers.