The ongoing saga of trying to get a chargepoint

[Noraf142]

If you can, might I suggest putting down a pipe?
It'll both protect the cable, and make it easier to change later if needed.

 

[chowbenter]

If you can, might I suggest putting down a pipe?
It'll both protect the cable, and make it easier to change later if needed.

Yes good idea, I was looking at some underground cable channeling ideas yesterday. I put the cable around 18" deep under the lawn but I put the spade through it where it rises up to the garage base, one of those things where you tell yourself I'll remember where it is for future reference

 

[Chrispydoc]

I'm sure you won't need reminding to use flexible armoured cable this time. If you are think of putting in a 7KW charger at a later date, I'd up the spec of the cable to ensure it can take the extra load.

I was surprised recently when I checked one of mine and found the main garage supply cable quite "warm" after it had done a full charge.

 

[chowbenter]

I'm sure you won't need reminding to use flexible armoured cable this time. If you are think of putting in a 7KW charger at a later date, I'd up the spec of the cable to ensure it can take the extra load.

I was surprised recently when I checked one of mine and found the main garage supply cable quite "warm" after it had done a full charge.View attachment 649

Yes thanks for reminding me, I had a quick look around online the other day & was wondering what spec of cable I'd need for a 7Kw charger.
If anyone has any idea what strength of cable I'd need I'd be grateful.

I've been a bit preoccupied with other stuff but now really is the time for me to dig another channel whilst I'm doing some work in the garden for a greenhouse base.

 

[Septian]

Yes thanks for reminding me, I had a quick look around online the other day & was wondering what spec of cable I'd need for a 7Kw charger.
If anyone has any idea what strength of cable I'd need I'd be grateful.

I've been a bit preoccupied with other stuff but now really is the time for me to dig another channel whilst I'm doing some work in the garden for a greenhouse base.

32a Cable will do you for 7kw charger
I bought a 10m one of these, really good cable tbh
32a 5m
(That links to the 5m Cable, but you can select the 10m from there also)

 

[chowbenter]

32a Cable will do you for 7kw charger
I bought a 10m one of these, really good cable tbh
32a 5m
(That links to the 5m Cable, but you can select the 10m from there also)

Thanks for the reply.

 

[Kithmo]

For the cable you're laying in the ground, I'd stick a 40A cable in, there's not a great deal of difference in the price of 40A and 30A twin and earth.

 

[chowbenter]

For the cable you're laying in the ground, I'd stick a 40A cable in, there's not a great deal of difference in the price of 40A and 30A twin and earth.

Thanks for that, really appreciated, There's a separate fusebox in the old bakerlite fusebox that was wired up in place when we bought the house which supplied an electric cooker, It has an old style wired 32amp fuse in it, I'm planning on using that to wire the garage for an EV.

I was chatting with a bloke earlier in the year who said he'd bought & fitted a 7Kw charger with digital display from the Chinese site Alibaba, (he has a Gen 1 Nissan Leaf) It's been up & running now for a few months and he says he's had no problems with it. Is this a "done thing" in the BEV world or is chancing your luck?

 

[lee graham]

I would recommend 6mm armoured cable for underground.

I would never buy anything cheap from alibaba. Especially nothing to do with high voltage electricity.

I will have a read of this thread and see if I can think of anything else. Just on school run.

 

[chowbenter]

I got a courtesy call from MG chaplehouse Wigan today, It's the first time I've spoken to them since picking up the ZS ev at the end of January as they've been closed/furloghed for many months.
She was asking me how the car is & how the 7kw charger is, I said the car is fabulous a dream to drive but the charger from the OLEV guys didn't happen because of our antiquated ellectricity supply, I said the DNO eventually upgraded us to a 100A fuse supply but all the rest of the work they wanted me to do was just a bridge too far after the hassle of digging up my garden, I wasn';t prepared to go through the expense & hassle of pulling up carpets/floorboards in multiple rooms to get the jobs done they wanted.

She said I'm not the first to have trouble with OLEV, she said I made a courtesy call to a lady yesterday who bought a ZS EV to see how she was going on with the car & home charger, She told her the OLEV people wouldn't install her 7kw home charger because she didn't have a dropped kerb into her driveway