When should the First Periodic inspect of an EVSE be?

When should the First Periodic inspect of an EVSE be?

Points to consider
Location Indoors or outdoors
Domestic Dwelling vs commercial or industrial
Single Phase vs 3 phase.
What the MI recommends

Personally for the average Domestic Dwelling I think it needs to be about 3 years for the following reasons


- Common install location being outside
- Wear and tear of EVSE and leads to the EV
- Firmware updates
- Earthing and PEN detection of current install
- Incorrect RCD or no RCD fitted at all or incorrect type.  Some were fitted with type AC trip characteristics..  (this may be contentious as the Standard practice or MI at the time are have been different to now)
- Solar PV may have been fitted to the system after the EVSE install, this may now need to be checked for Bi-Diractional RCD again this may have been installed with a Type AC or A RCD
- The possibility of the EVSE unit itself had been replaced due to a fault or the customer wanted a different unit




As always please be polite and respectful in this purely academic debate.  Come on everybody let’s help inspire the future.

Parents
  • While they are all good points the designer should set the first inspection and test , after that the inspector should use engineering judgment to set  the next eicr.

Reply
  • While they are all good points the designer should set the first inspection and test , after that the inspector should use engineering judgment to set  the next eicr.

Children
  • the designer should set the first inspection and test , after that the inspector should use engineering judgment to set  the next eicr.

    Taking into account manufacturer's instructions, of course ... the manufacturer may, after all, have a recommended interval for safety check, or servicing?

  • Who designs the EVSE in the first place? Thinking

  • The design process for the install could be split down into 2 or 3 main types.
    Sole trader electrician where they will be the Design, installer and the commissioning agent.

    Employed electricanin or sub-contractor by a larger company following the design specification done by another person at that company who probably uses some Design software like Electrical Om (other brands are available)

    3rd party company does the design spec and then it is tenders out to the cheapest installer on a rinse and repeat system.  Sometimes the design company will put a vast amount of limitations and caveats into the contract as they will not be carrying out the final install.  

    I would like to think that the circuit designers from any of the above would refer to the MI (Manufactureres Instructions) and make sound engineering judjement.  However history has shown that some MI can be inaccurate at the time or proved to be laking engineering judjement at a later date.  As an example some manufacturers stated up until recently that their EVSE had built in RCD protection, but now they admit that their RCD protection does not meet the relevant BS (British Standards) thus some EVSE installs are needing to be altered.  

  • Tangent question.  What if the EVSE was installed when the inbound supply was TNS then at a later date it becomes TNCS due to DNO repairs?