Home charger problem

[Sean2361]

Hello this is my first post and hello too all ,i had my home charger installed 2 weeks ago great or so I thought when in stalled the fitter said wattage problem apparently there is to much current coming in my property. It’s 253 and should be 240 . electricity north west .dno . came and said it needs to be turned down to 240 volts i am still waiting 2weeks later new car new charger no electricity. Love my mg zs ev .. I just want to charge at home ..

 

[Coulomb]

It’s 253 and should be 240 .

Welcome to the forum.

That's actually the voltage, not current. I don't know about the UK, but high voltage is quite common here in Australia. Unless it's really high, like approaching 265V, there is [ should be ] no problem. The car's on-board charger (the thing on the wall is actually a glorified power outlet) will limit the power to a safe level. So there is no reason to avoid using your new EVSE ("charger").

I think that the reason for the high voltage is a combination of not planning for massive rooftop solar take up, and a systemic incentive to sell more power to dumb loads like lights, heaters, and motors. EVs however are smarter loads, and don't draw extra power just because the voltage goes up.

 

[ZSDave]

The mains voltage in the UK is actually 230 volts with a tolerance of -6% to +10%. This gives an allowed voltage range of 216.2 volts to 253.0 volts so your 253 volts is OK.

(The voltage was reduced from 240 to 230 in1993)

Dave

 

[Sean2361]

Thanks for your reply’s the new box fitted for ev . Keeps tripping to the point I have switched it off the DNO.are seeing what volts are combing in and said it will take a week or so and maybe look at the substations and turn it down if necessary

 

[Coulomb]

The mains voltage in the UK is actually 230 volts with a tolerance of -6% to +10%.

Heh, it's the same here, we must have stolen that trick from you guys. How to be compliant with the international standard, without actually doing anything.

 

[Coulomb]

the new box fitted for ev . Keeps tripping to the point I have switched it off the DNO.

I'm sorry to say, but it sounds to my ears that they are blaming the voltage for something they installed incorrectly. Or the wall box is simply faulty, though that seems less likely to me. Is there a voltage rating on some sticker on the wall unit? I find it hard to believe that it can't cope with 253V, or even that it rejects the high voltage by tipping.

Though I guess it could be a transient protection device that is operating at 253V. Again, it seems unlikely to me.

 

[Sean2361]

I agree but they say it’s a built in for safety reasons so that there is no chance of fire ect. It’s a bp pulse unit installed by them looks great . 2 weeks till I can use it .

 

[Jake]

I agree but they say it’s a built in for safety reasons so that there is no chance of fire ect. It’s a bp pulse unit installed by them looks great . 2 weeks till I can use it .

Sounds to me like BP have installed an O-PEN device that supplies the 240 volts from your consumer unit to the charge unit. This device is an alternative to connecting an earth rod to your charger. It monitors the incoming supply voltage and will trip out if there is a variation outside a certain tolerance band. I'm not an electrician but I think the upper limit is 253 volts so you are right at the top end of the tolerance. Perhaps I am wrong and others more qualified will advise you but that's my interpretation from what you have described. Good luck with BP and your DNO to sort it out.

 

[Sean2361]

Thank you good information your correct it doesn’t have an earth rod i am sure it will be ok very soon I hope better to be safe . Just keep topping up at the supermarket luckily for me it’s close to home and free for now thanks for all the information

 

[Kithmo]

Maybe they've fitted an RCD that's too small for the load, too close to the actual current draw.

 

[Lovemyev]

Maybe they've fitted an RCD that's too small for the load, too close to the actual current draw.

I was just about to suggest the same thing !.
When my Rolec was first installed by the EV installer, they tested the unit correctly.
But only two days latter, it started tripping the RCBO in the the wall box randomly.
It would even trip the breaker when the car was NOT even plugged in !.
The EV installer returned after only four days of first install and replaced the so called new breaker with another unit supplied by Rolec.
All was fine, faulty breaker in the new unit was the cause of the random trips.
The poor quality of these Rolec branded RCBO’s have been well documented on the the forum.
With regular use charging at 7kw’s these breakers will only last about 12 to 18 months, before burning out ( usually) at the negative conductor.
Ask me how I know !.
It is NOT a termination issue, it is a failing of the internal components of the breaker unit itself.
Now the warranty on my wall box has expired, I have deceived to install a “Garo” branded RCBO instead.
Hopefully this unit will prove to be better than the Rolec branded breakers.
Time will tell I guess !.

 

[BentWing]

I had the same problem with my bp Pulse box, which kept shutting itself down whenever voltage rose above 250V (or 253V?). The electricity supplier monitored the supply to my house, and found it would occasionally go above 253, to 256 or so. They adjusted the supply from the transformer to not go above 250V, and the wall unit has not shut down since then (a week or so now). This wall unit is obviously far too sensitive to voltage over 250V, and the installer told me there is a newer model (HC5) that isn't so sensitive. But BP would not acknowledge that.