OLEV Installation Auditor problems

To be honest I am surprised the consumer unit in the video did not already have a SPD installed.

There was a brief mention of it having Type AC RCDs, but then there’s an odd comment about the SWA cable not having RCD protection, which it did not need as the EV charger has a RCD built into it, but it was red flagged in the audit. In the video there’s a spare RCD on top of the consumer so I assume the RCD has been replaced.

This particular consumer unit is a Hager “Hi-integrity” consumer unit, next to the main switch is a RCBO supplying an outbuilding, then the remaining circuits are divided between two RCDs with an individual MCB for each circuit.

If I had installed that consumer unit in the last four years or so I probably would have bought it from the wholesaler with the main switch, a SPD and two Type AC RCDs already installed, upgrading the RCDs is not an issue other than they have to be paid for as the wholesaler has them in stock, as they do all the other devices.

When I installed it I would have probably left the spare way as a non-RCD protected way, so any new circuit could be protected by either a MCB, RCBO or AFDD without altering the layout of any of the other circuits or having to alter their protective devices, indeed I would have probably pushed all the existing devices over to the left apart from the outbuilding RCBO, then replaced the non-RCD busbar to allow the new circuit connected to it.

This really should have an easy addition to the installation seeing as the consumer unit was installed so recently, it’s not like working on the old stuff I am used to, some of which is pre-war.

So, there seems to be conflicting comments:

• The SWA cable was not RCD protected, when it seems it actually was, but did not need to be. So if that was the case the the auditor is wrong.
• The EV charging equipment was protected by a Type AC RCD, if it was then it would seem the auditors comment was correct and it was an issue that should have been dealt with at the time of the installation.

All the stuff about circuit and main protective bonding conductor identification is not justifiable.

The issues about the lack of SPD protection should have been highlighted in the quote that was submitted to OZEV for the grant approval.

To be honest I am surprised the consumer unit in the video did not already have a SPD installed.

There was a brief mention of it having Type AC RCDs, but then there’s an odd comment about the SWA cable not having RCD protection, which it did not need as the EV charger has a RCD built into it, but it was red flagged in the audit. In the video there’s a spare RCD on top of the consumer so I assume the RCD has been replaced.

This particular consumer unit is a Hager “Hi-integrity” consumer unit, next to the main switch is a RCBO supplying an outbuilding, then the remaining circuits are divided between two RCDs with an individual MCB for each circuit.

If I had installed that consumer unit in the last four years or so I probably would have bought it from the wholesaler with the main switch, a SPD and two Type AC RCDs already installed, upgrading the RCDs is not an issue other than they have to be paid for as the wholesaler has them in stock, as they do all the other devices.

When I installed it I would have probably left the spare way as a non-RCD protected way, so any new circuit could be protected by either a MCB, RCBO or AFDD without altering the layout of any of the other circuits or having to alter their protective devices, indeed I would have probably pushed all the existing devices over to the left apart from the outbuilding RCBO, then replaced the non-RCD busbar to allow the new circuit connected to it.

This really should have an easy addition to the installation seeing as the consumer unit was installed so recently, it’s not like working on the old stuff I am used to, some of which is pre-war.

So, there seems to be conflicting comments:

• The SWA cable was not RCD protected, when it seems it actually was, but did not need to be. So if that was the case the the auditor is wrong.
• The EV charging equipment was protected by a Type AC RCD, if it was then it would seem the auditors comment was correct and it was an issue that should have been dealt with at the time of the installation.

All the stuff about circuit and main protective bonding conductor identification is not justifiable.

The issues about the lack of SPD protection should have been highlighted in the quote that was submitted to OZEV for the grant approval.