Anyone using car battery to power house ?

[DaveIJ]

That's interesting what did you manage to run off it ?

 

[Everest]

In conversation with the guys from UK Power, apparently the trick is to switch off the main circuit breaker in the consumer unit and then plug the feed from the car in and it all should just work.

They only told me this after they had restored power, so I haven't tested it, though I do now have the male to male 13A plugs ready for next time, if there is to be a next time.

NO!

I find it hard to believe that someone from UK Power Network would have said that. If they did, they need to be reported and fired.

Doing what you describe above would be illegal here.

And the same in the UK.

This approach is not safe at all, and in violation of BS7671 and Part-P building regs for multiple reasons including earthing, RCD detection and fusing.

For the safety of you and your loved ones, I suggest you dismantle the suicide cord for starters.

Powering a house from a V2L is technically possible, but will required a competent engineer to install a transfer switch, suitable earthing and RCD protection.

Without any of that you should only use V2L to power doubly insulated devices directly.

 

[TimothyN]

That's interesting what did you manage to run off it ?

The most important thing (though obviously very low impact) was the router and charging devices, but I went on to stuff as I needed it - coffee machine, microwave, lights.

At the moment I am running a dehumidifier in the car (I stupidly left the door open in the heavy rain.)

I am going to experiment with using the car as a daytime battery to move cheap leccy from night to day. Depending on how the dehumidifier goes, I might try the washing machine, tumble dryer etc.

It's all an experiment at the moment.

 

[DaveIJ]

Are you doing this via extension leads ?

 

[TimothyN]

Yes.

I stupidly failed to realise yesterday that I could have plugged the gas combi boiler in and had hot water.

 

[DaveIJ]

Well I need to buy a lead now

 

[TimothyN]

Today's experiment is to run the dehumidifier, the proving oven and then the oven to make bread, while starting at 54% and not going below 20%. All in the name of science

 

[DaveIJ]

Well nothing ventured nothing gained

 

[Everest]

I stupidly failed to realise yesterday that I could have plugged the gas combi boiler in and had hot water.

And how do you propose to do that safely?

 

[TimothyN]

And how do you propose to do that safely?

It is plugged into the wall in the garage, so the sequence would be:

1. Plug the V2L adapter into the car
2. Set the car to deliver V2L
3. Attach an extension cord to the car V2L adapter and run it towards the boiler
4. Unplug the combi boiler from the wall socket
5. Plug it into the extension cord

I believe that to be sufficiently safe, but stand to be corrected if there's a problem.

 

[siteguru]

The problem with a boiler system is the pipework ... that will be earthed, and will probably share the earth with the boiler. Thus when connecting to V2L it's not much different from connecting V2L to your consumer unit - the same (upstream) earth risks apply.

 

[TimothyN]

So the risk is to whom and under what circumstances?

 

[Everest]

I believe that to be sufficiently safe, but stand to be corrected if there's a problem.

That is not safe. A boiler is not a doubly insulated device. You have no earth and no RCD protection.

I assume you did not read my previous postings #82 above and posting #74 where I linked to a previous posting specifically about boilers? Link again here..

Post in thread 'MG4 powering other stuff (Vehicle to Load aka ‘V2L’)'

Jan 29, 2025

Does anyone know if having the boiler electrics supplied via a free plug is allowable? I assume earthing requirements would have to be met somehow, but other than that?

I'll give my 2p worth, though please note I'm not a Part-P qualified sparky.

Should all be possible, but there are a number of things that should be considered. IMHO these are:-

a) Does the boiler supply also power the central heating pump and central heating controller? They often do but if it doesn't supply the pump and controller, it won't run in the even of a power cut. More importantly is if the...

• Everest

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[Everest]

So the risk is to whom and under what circumstances?

To answer that... does your property have a TT or TN-C-S earthing arrangement?

 

[TimothyN]

I have absolutely no idea. I think it was built in the 80s, if that helps?

In other news, I have just baked these two delicious seeded loaves using about 5% of my battery.

Ignoring losses, 5% of 62kWh is 3kWh (rounding because the percentage is very granular, it could be anything from 4.1% to 5.9%), and I save about 19p per kWh by using night-time leccy, so that saved about 60p.

OK, a minor victory, but if I do all my cooking and laundry this way, it's going to add up.

A useful first experiment, and deffo how I'm going to consume electricity until someone tells me why I shouldn't...

 

[Everest]

A useful first experiment, and deffo how I'm going to consume electricity until someone tells me why I shouldn't...

I give up - I have already done that in multiple postings in this thread

I have absolutely no idea.

Which is exactly why you should not be messing with suicide cords to power your house, bypassing all earthing and RCD protection.

 

[tsedge]

Darwin award?

 

[TimothyN]

I give up - I have already done that in multiple postings in this thread

So we agree! That's good, isn't it?

 

[TimothyN]

Which is exactly why you should not be messing with suicide cords to power your house, bypassing all earthing and RCD protection.

But I'm not talking about what you call suicide cords (but whose use is recommended by the UK Power guy yesterday), I am talking about plugging the 13A plug of my combi boiler into the car.

Now, that may not be safe, for other reasons (delighted to be educated), but let's not confound things!

 

[siteguru]

I've already told you why it's not safe ... if the earth line gets a voltage on it (which is possible because the car V2L is floating) then someone working on the power supply to your house (i.e. upstream) may get a shock; and that shock has the potential to be lethal.

That "UK Power guy" needs sacked. That, or you misunderstood what he was saying. @Everest has already quoted the British Standard that is being flouted by the arrangement you're proposing.

I think this is one that @Ayoull could shed some light on, as I believe that he is one of those guys who could be working upstream.