My HyperVolt Installation (lots of pics)

[Alb]

Although those of us installing a fixed charging point at home end up using one of a limited range of boxes, our individual homes and supply arrangements are unique so the purpose of this thread is to share some of my thought processes and experiences in the hope that some elements at least may be useful to other members.

I allowed a couple of months to elapse between delivery of my MG5 and installation of a 7kW charge point. There was no time pressure in my case because in the short term at least, the good old Granny (backed up by a free Pod Point at my local Tesco) met my needs.

I wanted a reasonably future proof solution at a decent price and the HyperVolt ticked all of the boxes for me. Although many of the charge point manufacturers have recommended installers, I chose to seek a local installer because I wanted to use the opportunity to have my Consumer Unit upgraded to an 18th Edition box at the same time. Finding a good electrical contractor became a saga in its own right but I have a separate thread about that here: Choosing a charge point installer

My installation will be easier than many because my consumer unit is in the garage and the charge point was to be located on an external boundary wall meaning that most if not all cabling could be kept internal. Here's a picture of my original Fuse Box (and it was an old fashioned Fuse Box dating back to when the house was built) fitted in the left hand rear corner of my garage:

The charge point was to be located on the outside of the right hand wall close to the door:

This is the other side of that wall and the location where the charge point will be fitted:

On installation day it took just a few hours to install the new Consumer Unit. All outgoing circuits have Type A RCBOs.

The EV cable was routed in 6mm² T+E through the loft space to be dropped down in 25mm conduit alongside the two existing circuits adjacent to the garage door. A 32A isolator was also fitted at this location.

The 25mm conduit was routed to a terminal box and a hole drilled through the wall. The hole was vertically positioned to allow the cable to come out on a mortar line just below the gland entry location on the HyperVolt box. The cable you see here was replaced with a 32A black flexible rated for external use.

There is a small amount of cable visible with the box installed and charging cable unwound but you don't see it at all when the cable is stowed.

Close up of the cable entering the gland.

The finished job inside:

The finished job outside:

All of the installation work here was done by Jack and Luke of JTD Group.
Jack Davis is the company owner.

 

[Jomarkh]

Looking good.

 

[greentangerine]

I'm definitely not a qualified electrician but was surprised by the statement '"all outgoing circuits have Type A RCBOs". I've have thought Type B was more appropriate with EV and also LED lighting possibilities and indeed the photo shows you have Type B fitted.

I'm guessing the Hypervolt has the necessary kit within to meet the PEN fault detection requirements and also the 6mA DC RCD level; my OpenEVSE needs a separate in-line unit for the PEN and a rather more expensive RCD in the consumer unit to trip at 6mA rather than 30.

 

[Alb]

HyperVolt deals with continuous DC leakage protection internally so they specify use of a Type A RCD in the feeding circuit. I'm not sure what gives you the impression the RCBO is a Type B unless you are getting confused by the fact it's a B Curve device?

 

[Stevebissex]

Although those of us installing a fixed charging point at home end up using one of a limited range of boxes, our individual homes and supply arrangements are unique so the purpose of this thread is to share some of my thought processes and experiences in the hope that some elements at least may be useful to other members.

I allowed a couple of months to elapse between delivery of my MG5 and installation of a 7kW charge point. There was no time pressure in my case because in the short term at least, the good old Granny (backed up by a free Pod Point at my local Tesco) met my needs.

I wanted a reasonably future proof solution at a decent price and the HyperVolt ticked all of the boxes for me. Although many of the charge point manufacturers have recommended installers, I chose to seek a local installer because I wanted to use the opportunity to have my Consumer Unit upgraded to an 18th Edition box at the same time. Finding a good electrical contractor became a saga in its own right but I have a separate thread about that here: Choosing a charge point installer

My installation will be easier than many because my consumer unit is in the garage and the charge point was to be located on an external boundary wall meaning that most if not all cabling could be kept internal. Here's a picture of my original Fuse Box (and it was an old fashioned Fuse Box dating back to when the house was built) fitted in the left hand rear corner of my garage:

View attachment 4498

The charge point was to be located on the outside of the right hand wall close to the door:

View attachment 4499

This is the other side of that wall and the location where the charge point will be fitted:

View attachment 4500

On installation day it took just a few hours to install the new Consumer Unit. All outgoing circuits have Type A RCBOs.

View attachment 4501

The EV cable was routed in 4mm² T+E through the loft space to be dropped down in 25mm conduit alongside the two existing circuits adjacent to the garage door. A 32A isolator was also fitted at this location.

View attachment 4502

The 25mm conduit was routed to a terminal box and a hole drilled through the wall. The hole was vertically positioned to allow the cable to come out on a mortar line just below the gland entry location on the HyperVolt box. The cable you see here was replaced with a 32A black flexible rated for external use.

View attachment 4503

There is a small amount of cable visible with the box installed and charging cable unwound but you don't see it at all when the cable is stowed.

View attachment 4505

Close up of the cable entering the gland.

View attachment 4506

The finished job inside:

View attachment 4507

The finished job outside:

View attachment 4508

All of the installation work here was done by Jack and Luke of JTD Group.
Jack Davis is the company owner.

I went for hypervolt too and a new consumer unit about 6 weeks after getting my 5 EV, so I had plenty of time to experience using fast and rapid charging stations, it does take a bit of getting used to but afte several bad experience with Osprey and Tesco Podpoint (rapid), I quickly discovered that Instavolt are easily the most reliable and worth the 40p per kw/h charge, they are just so easy to use.

But hopefully now with my hypervolt at home I will very rarely have to use any rapid charging. I have moved to octopus and will be joining octopus Go Tarriff at the end of the month when I get a smart meter installed so happy days.

The hypervolt is state of the art and will auto update over the wifi too

 

[Evan Jehlyst]

The hypervolt is state of the art and will auto update over the wifi too

oh how could you ..... not mention the best feature - party mode ?????

 

[kevkdg]

I notice a lot of EV charger installs on outside walls don't incorporate drip loops on the power supply cable, is there a reason for this?

 

[Stevebissex]

Not sure what a drip loop is

 

[Jomarkh]

Must be where the cable loops down so water drips off the bottom of the cable and not into the EVSE.

 

[Deleted member 7171]

Bad/lazy/unthinking installers.
I insisted our installer loop ours down.
After he went I squirted some silicone sealant in to the hole around the cable.

 

[kevkdg]

Not sure what a drip loop is

If you have an outside cable entering your house through a hole in the wall, whereby the cable comes from above the hole, you have a loop that takes the cable below the hole in the wall and loops back up again before entering the hole. This way rain water runs down to the bottom of the loop where it drips off rather than run down the cable and into your house.

 

[Alb]

I notice a lot of EV charger installs on outside walls don't incorporate drip loops on the power supply cable, is there a reason for this?

I'm not sure whether your comment was aimed at this installation in specific, but in my case, the charge point is under cover so it and the supply cable have never yet seen any rain. Even if the box were exposed to the elements, the cable is so close to the underside that it effectively shelters it regardless. For good practice, the penetration is sealed with silicone but that's more to prevent an entry point for bugs than to keep water out.
I specified to my installer that the supply cable should not be visible so if he put in a drip loop I'd have had him re-do the job to meet my specifications!

 

[kevkdg]

Hi, I appreciate your install is undercover after looking at the photos again, didn't spot that before. But generally speaking I was curious as I'm having a hypervolt fitted at the end of Feb and was hoping they had rear cable entry point. Mine will be open to the elements. I, like you would prefer not to see the cable but am concerned with water ingress. It does look sheltered by the unit tho.

 

[Kithmo]

I notice a lot of EV charger installs on outside walls don't incorporate drip loops on the power supply cable, is there a reason for this?

My cable comes out of the wall, goes down to near the bottom of the wall, along, then up to the charger, so no drip loop needed. Inside it goes downwards from the isolator/RCB to the hole in the wall.

 

[Ozzie1989]

Hi, I appreciate your install is undercover after looking at the photos again, didn't spot that before. But generally speaking I was curious as I'm having a hypervolt fitted at the end of Feb and was hoping they had rear cable entry point. Mine will be open to the elements. I, like you would prefer not to see the cable but am concerned with water ingress. It does look sheltered by the unit tho.

Hypervolt doesn't have rear entry, or at least didn't previously if they've changed the design recently.

 

[Justin H]

I notice a lot of EV charger installs on outside walls don't incorporate drip loops on the power supply cable, is there a reason for this?

The cable glands into the charger should be external rated and, I would suggest with a weatherproof rubber or fibre washer. The penetration through the wall should be weather sealed with a silicone sealant, therefore no drip loop required. From the pictures the charger has a weatherproof stuffing gland but does not show if the wall penetration was sealed with silicone.

 

[Alb]

Hypervolt doesn't have rear entry, or at least didn't previously if they've changed the design recently.

I can confirm that the unit doesn't have rear entry as that would have been my preferred installation method.

 

[Alb]

Hi, I appreciate your install is undercover after looking at the photos again, didn't spot that before. But generally speaking I was curious as I'm having a hypervolt fitted at the end of Feb and was hoping they had rear cable entry point. Mine will be open to the elements. I, like you would prefer not to see the cable but am concerned with water ingress. It does look sheltered by the unit tho.

If I didn't have the benefit of cover I'd have the installation done in exactly the same way. No concerns about water ingress at all.

 

[Lovemyev]

If I didn't have the benefit of cover I'd have the installation done in exactly the same way. No concerns about water ingress at all.

Thanks for uploading the very detailed install.
Speaking only for myself, I think the lads have made a really neat job and I would have been very pleased with the outcome if it was done at my house.
Some EV installs that I have seen, have been nothing short of “Rough” to say the least.
Having no rear entry facility on the back of the Hypervolt is shame, but I think the lads have done a great job of minimising the amount of cable that is visible under the unit.
It’s about as close as you can get to rear entry point.
If I needed to replace my old dumb wall box, it would be for a Hypervolt unit for sure.
OBTW - Your old consumer unit is the very same one that we have I believe.

 

[Alb]

OBTW - Your old consumer unit is the very same one that we have I believe.

If it wasn't for the HyperVolt installation it probably would have given many more years service!