Rules and Guidelines
Want to participate in the discussions? Please read our Community Rules and Guidelines. Need some help? Visit Support and Answers.

  • State Not Answered
  • Locked Locked
  • Replies 8 replies
  • Subscribers 36 subscribers
  • Views 2122 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
You may also be interested in
This discussion is locked.
You cannot post a reply to this discussion. If you have a question start a new discussion

EV charger on outside of wooden detached outbuilding

Alan B

Hi

I am being asked to quote for installing a domestic EV charger on the outside of a detached outbuilding that's constructed of wood. the charger is constructed of plastic.

The building is 20 or 30m from the house is 20 or so meters from the house so no risk of fire spreading to a dwelling.

The SWA from house to DB in the building is protected by an MCB and my plan is to use a metal DB in the building with RCBO's for each circuit which will help reduce the risk of fire to some extent.

Looking through BS7671 and guidance note 4 I can't find any rules requiring me to mount the charger on a non flammable surface but not sure I am comfortable with it.

The charger won't get hot under normal conditions but given it's carrying quite a lot of current presumably there is a chance that a fault could cause fire.

I am wondering if there are rules I have missed, if others would take any precautions and what they are.

I have looked at fibre cement board which could be a solution for internal mounting but I think the charger would be better outside and I don't see the customer accepting fibre cement board being visible outside.

Parents
  • 0

    I also foresee a lot of cooked 60 amp cut outs and service cables.

    Until recently it was generally accepted that a 32 amp EV charger  could not be installed on a 60 amp service, unless the rest of the installation had an improbably low demand.

    Now however EV chargers are available that monitor the total current drawn from the supply, and throttle back the charging rate to avoid overloading the supply. 

    In a home with a 60 amp supply and other significant loads such as cooking and space heating, that could result in a 60 amp service being loaded to 60 amps for hours at a time.

    I suspect that a lot of cut outs and the cable thereto were designed/selected on the basis that no one would actually USE 60 amps other than briefly.

  • 0 in reply to broadgage

    To compound this, certainly in my area the DNO is completely unresponsive to requests for fuse ratings and upgrade requests, more or less forcing the chargers to be installed on whatever fuse is there and setting the household load limit to 60A.

Reply
  • 0 in reply to broadgage

    To compound this, certainly in my area the DNO is completely unresponsive to requests for fuse ratings and upgrade requests, more or less forcing the chargers to be installed on whatever fuse is there and setting the household load limit to 60A.

Children
No Data

Join us to get the best from IET EngX.

Joining EngX lets you personalise your experience so you stay up to date on the topics that interest you, plus you’ll be able to make connections who are looking to collaborate, exchange ideas and more.

Join us Not now

Community Rules & Guidelines