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Electrician understanding of Electrical Vehicle Charging installations

Jaymack

I note from my future assessment visit under notes, that the NiCEIC reserve the right to visit the location where an EVC installation has been installed. Methinks there may be concern on the quality of installations by their members whether future or not. I have enrolled on their onsite course which includes a copy of the IET Code of Practice - Edition 4. I did enrol since I was aware of the knowledge and other standards required by the installer. I have not carried out any of these such installations but I was asked to quote for one, so having seen what was involved w.r.t. earthing requirements and consultation with the supplier etc. I gave an initial quote of £50 for an initial survey etc. to this domestic property. I didn't get any response so I assume that the eventual contractor simply gave a quote. I am now concerned on the quality of such installations. Should it be made compulsory to inspect such installations by a competent authority before energisation?'

Jaymack        

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    In the radio interview last week Paul Meenham was pretty adamant that anyType AC RCD warrants a C2 in an EICR.

    Paul Meenhan also said OLEV/OZEV audits are identifying Type AC RCDs protecting EVSE as a major issue and the most common non-compliance.

    Part of the discussion was that if the EVSE has a built in RCD and Open PEN protection, then surely the best answer is to install the circuit in a manner that means the circuit doesn’t need RCD protection, but that often means that a spare way in a RCD protected consumer unit cannot be utilised, increasing the amount of work and the cost of the installation as a new or additional consumer unit may be required.

    The electricians who failed the audits are having to go back and rectify their work, if they have connected the new EVSE into an obsolete consumer unit with a Type AC RCD will they have any options other than installing an additional consumer unit? If they do have to install an additional consumer unit that’s quite a financial hit if they only priced for a MCB in a spare way. 

    Incidentally, I actually bought some new Type A RCDs to upgrade my consumer unit last year, but used them on a job and now need to order some more, should I sleep soundly knowing I have not upgraded?

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  •  

    In the radio interview last week Paul Meenham was pretty adamant that anyType AC RCD warrants a C2 in an EICR.

    Paul Meenhan also said OLEV/OZEV audits are identifying Type AC RCDs protecting EVSE as a major issue and the most common non-compliance.

    Part of the discussion was that if the EVSE has a built in RCD and Open PEN protection, then surely the best answer is to install the circuit in a manner that means the circuit doesn’t need RCD protection, but that often means that a spare way in a RCD protected consumer unit cannot be utilised, increasing the amount of work and the cost of the installation as a new or additional consumer unit may be required.

    The electricians who failed the audits are having to go back and rectify their work, if they have connected the new EVSE into an obsolete consumer unit with a Type AC RCD will they have any options other than installing an additional consumer unit? If they do have to install an additional consumer unit that’s quite a financial hit if they only priced for a MCB in a spare way. 

    Incidentally, I actually bought some new Type A RCDs to upgrade my consumer unit last year, but used them on a job and now need to order some more, should I sleep soundly knowing I have not upgraded?

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  • in reply to Sparkingchip
    Sparkingchip said:
    Incidentally, I actually bought some new Type A RCDs to upgrade my consumer unit last year, but used them on a job and now need to order some more, should I sleep soundly knowing I have not upgraded?

    TN earthing system? Then, yes, sleep soundly. It is additional protection. Your circuit breaker will still work no matter how much DC current is in the circuit.

    Giving a 'C2' to an existing circuit on an EICR for use of a Type AC RCD is over the top IMO. How many million houses have these Type ACs?  How many people die from electric shocks when they are protected by type AC RCDs? Vanishingly small, if any at all. So why the need to make it a C2?

    It still bugs me with plastic CUs. Change to metal CUs (whcih isnt a bad thing overall), as the manufacturers didnt make their CUs to the product standard, and caught fire. Why werent the Manufacturers taken to Court for their lax attitude , or was it total disregard to product standards?

    How do we know they are following the standards now for Type A RCDs? Could they be selling Type AC but labelling them as Type A?

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