Sergio Fernandez said:

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

My view on each of these for a domestic install:

- Common install location being outside

•  So, are we saying original equipment was not suited to the installation environment?
• We have outdoor equipment all the time (including heat pumps now) ... best move an electrician in full time?
  

- Wear and tear of EVSE and leads to the EV

• Is the equipment not fit-for-purpose?
• In general, for domestic and Mode 3 in commercial/industrial private parking (but not public car park and on-street) charging points, tethered charging equipment is no longer permitted in England and Scotland (Part S in England, Buildings Scotland Technical Handbooks in Scotland all require Mode 3 charging equipment with socket-outlet) ... so the plugs and leads become the user's responsibility and can be easily replaced. They are not part of the installation (although the socket-outlet would be). Having said that, periodic to "check socket-outlet" seems OTT to me ... user calls when it's broken or worn - we do have equipment/socket-outlets that are subject to more frequent connection/disconnection than domestic EVSE?

- Firmware updates

• Only a BS 7671 issue if it affects operation of a protective device such as the RDC-DD ... but that raises 1000s of questions in my head already, such as 'when is it a product recall or major safety issue'?
• Surely waiting until EICR time to update firmware is not always acceptable? Certainly wouldn't be for me ...

- Earthing and PEN detection of current install

• Is the equipment not fit-for-purpose?

- 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)

• Could apply to any installation ... 'no RCD' is not always a 'Code 1' or 'Code 2' issue according to BPG4, so that really sets the scene? (Neither EV nor EVSE would be likely to be classed as Mobile Equipment as defined in BS 7671, so not covered by any of the C2 cases in current BPG4 Issue 7 and would therefore be C3 according to that publication)?
  

- 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

• Nothing to do with EVSE ... and could affect any installation.
• How does the Solar PV RCD affect safety of the EVSE?

- The possibility of the EVSE unit itself had been replaced due to a fault or the customer wanted a different unit

• Then there should be a MWC for the newly installed EVSE, and you could then say that, from the EVSE perspective,  the timer starts again? Seems like a matter for the installation owner?

Sergio Fernandez said:

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

My view on each of these for a domestic install:

- Common install location being outside

•  So, are we saying original equipment was not suited to the installation environment?
• We have outdoor equipment all the time (including heat pumps now) ... best move an electrician in full time?
  

- Wear and tear of EVSE and leads to the EV

• Is the equipment not fit-for-purpose?
• In general, for domestic and Mode 3 in commercial/industrial private parking (but not public car park and on-street) charging points, tethered charging equipment is no longer permitted in England and Scotland (Part S in England, Buildings Scotland Technical Handbooks in Scotland all require Mode 3 charging equipment with socket-outlet) ... so the plugs and leads become the user's responsibility and can be easily replaced. They are not part of the installation (although the socket-outlet would be). Having said that, periodic to "check socket-outlet" seems OTT to me ... user calls when it's broken or worn - we do have equipment/socket-outlets that are subject to more frequent connection/disconnection than domestic EVSE?

- Firmware updates

• Only a BS 7671 issue if it affects operation of a protective device such as the RDC-DD ... but that raises 1000s of questions in my head already, such as 'when is it a product recall or major safety issue'?
• Surely waiting until EICR time to update firmware is not always acceptable? Certainly wouldn't be for me ...

- Earthing and PEN detection of current install

• Is the equipment not fit-for-purpose?

- 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)

• Could apply to any installation ... 'no RCD' is not always a 'Code 1' or 'Code 2' issue according to BPG4, so that really sets the scene? (Neither EV nor EVSE would be likely to be classed as Mobile Equipment as defined in BS 7671, so not covered by any of the C2 cases in current BPG4 Issue 7 and would therefore be C3 according to that publication)?
  

- 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

• Nothing to do with EVSE ... and could affect any installation.
• How does the Solar PV RCD affect safety of the EVSE?

- The possibility of the EVSE unit itself had been replaced due to a fault or the customer wanted a different unit

• Then there should be a MWC for the newly installed EVSE, and you could then say that, from the EVSE perspective,  the timer starts again? Seems like a matter for the installation owner?