Installing a electric charging port at home

FreeBear

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81986473#Comment_81986473

Or for £20, you can have an extension lead that sidesteps notifiable requirements → https://www.diy.com/departments/desiretech-outdoor-double-switched-socket-3m-cable-ip66-waterproof-dustproof-socket-2-gang-plug/5056475434074_BQ.prd

Would not recommend !

Reed_Richards

I would not accept a safety argument that 'I have not had an issue' is valid.

No, it most certainly isn't. But I tried to research accidents involving granny chargers before I bought one and the very few I could find reported were all because the socket or wiring failed.

With any aspect of safety you can think of potential risks easily enough but judging the likelihood of those potential risks actually occurring is hard. For example, a wallbox charger runs at about 3 times the power of a granny charger. So if something goes wrong there is the potential for much greater harm. There is an example here https://www.rchelectrical.co.uk/knowledge-hub/are-electric-car-chargers-safe-a-case-study-into-the-hazards-of-ev-chargers/ of a safety hazard caused by an EV charger installation but I presume that the fundamental problem was that the installer did not seek DNO approval.

Heedtheadvice

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81986529#Comment_81986529

I appeciate that your earlier post " it works for me " was a comment on cost grounds. It could be inferred by some readers that equates to 'it is fine and can be the charging method to employ.

I am concerned that the whole discussion of granny vs wall box really does ignore the safety issues, one of which imho is the potential risk of live car bodywork in certain fault conditions and the possible potential difference in earth voltages between diffetent protective conductor systems. The latter is being addressed ( probably owing to increased requireme t fir on street charging ) and considerations is not really for this thread.

The former however is a real potential hazard for many supplies in domestic property particularly in TN-C-S grid connection utilising PME ( the grid Neutral is used as earth) under fault circumstances.

BS7671 does address this. I wonder if your risk assessment covered this aspect ( or other compliance requirements) when choosing to use a granny charger :-) .....but I doubt if many at all using a granny charger frequently or running from 32A connectors or from 'waterproof' bs1361 sockets even know of the shock risk, let alone ensure compliance with required practice.

Heedtheadvice

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81986473#Comment_81986473

Thanks for that @Qyburn I had totally forgotten those differences!

Perhaps it is worth pointing out that wiring regs non compliance is not in itself illegal ( but the consequences can be) whereas not complying with building regs requirements and getting certification for an installation is a criminal offence. ( not sure if that applies in all UK jurisdictions !)

Reed_Richards

When my house was rewired the electrician installed a buried earth; I forget the technical name for that. But that means I don't use the grid neutral for earth.

I'm not on an "intelligent" tariff so my car charges between midnight and 6 AM. If the car bodywork was somehow live during that time it wouldn't be live by the time I came to use the car. The only potential for harm that I can think of is to somebody trying to break into the car.

@Heedtheadvice, I understand that you have concerns about granny chargers but I don't understand what makes wallbox chargers better. Can you explain this in simple terms?

Heedtheadvice

Sure.

Firstly it is great that you have that local earth and provided it is still functioning correctly you ought not have the risk I am concerned about. That does not mean others do not have that potential hazard, do not have installations that mitigate that risk or have users who plug in not even aware.

Two reasons why I see the smarter 'wallbox' chargers will reduce that risk.

Some chargers ( e.g. the Zappi for one, there may be others of course ) have built in self checking to ensure that protective conductor fault is checked at every use. ( there are separate devices to check that too I believe)

All such chargers should be installed to national British Standards by qualified/competent persons conversant with the requirements of the standards and what to do to comply. Thus providing a high level of safety.

The same cannot be said for the easy cheap DIY plug it in chargers.

Reed_Richards

Thank you, @Heedtheadvice .

This discussion set me thinking about risk. The RAC publish a list of the safest cars on the market https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/features/ownership/the-safest-cars-on-the-market/ . The manufacturer of my car, Vauxhall, is not on the list for any of its car models. Surely my chances of being in a serious car accident are far greater than my chances of experiencing a serious accident with an EV charger? Yet I didn't take any car safety data into account when choosing what car to purchase. Do many of us?