Help Needed to identify commando socket

[s88ats]

I had this 32a rated commando socket installed by an electrician (I was planning on moving and didn't want to use the grant this time around). Coupled with this OHME charger (great to make a dumb charger clever btw and a promo with octopus made it £150ish IIRC) all I needed was the 32a blue adapter from Tesla - which I emailed parts and they had ready for me on my pick up.

I'd recommend getting an electrician in to check it's got the appropriate cabling/ protection to upgrade the existing commando to a 32a for faster charging. Or as others have suggested maybe email parts and see when Tesla will be getting it back in stock and using the 3pin as a temporary solution.

Edit: @NewbieT's suggestion looks like the most cost-effective option. I'd still want faster-charging speeds but that's just me

 

[MrBadger]

I'd recommend getting an electrician in to check it's got the appropriate cabling/ protection to upgrade the existing commando to a 32a for faster charging. Or as others have suggested maybe email parts and see when Tesla will be getting it back in stock and using the 3pin as a temporary solution.

A retrospective upgrade would require the upgraded socket to be compliant with latest regs I think. Which would mean that (iirc not applicable to Scotland) if intended for use for charging an EV outdoors it would require O-PEN protection, ie earth rods or an active protection device.

 

[s88ats]

A retrospective upgrade would require the upgraded socket to be compliant with latest regs I think. Which would mean that (iirc not applicable to Scotland) if intended for use for charging an EV outdoors it would require O-PEN protection, ie earth rods or an active protection device.

Yup, I think your right - I would want anyone who's not using a dedicated EV charger to comply with regs to make sure nothing dangerous occurs with use - rare albeit but it's just not worth it IMO. A competent sparky should be able to do these checks easily and whilst at it, replace the socket to allow faster charging (if the cable size allows).

 

[K3v1n]

This all sounds like expensive and complicated hopefully someone has a spare 16a to tmc to sell many fingers crossed, its a new build so hopefully its right

 

[Dangerous Fish]

Definitely not!! Each adapter for the UMC determines what the car will try to draw. The 32amp commando will tell the car/UMC that's it's fine to take the full 32amps (7+ kW) ... but you are recommending someone connects this to a 16amp rated socket ... this is a bad thing. Hopefully it would just trip the circuit but alternatively they might be really unlucky and it starts a fire.

You can do it the other way around in that you can have a 16amp UMC adapter connected to a 32amp converter to a 32amp supply ... this will be safe but will still only supply 16amps. It does provide another option though.

I should have pointed out that the charge current should be limited to 16A if you do it that way. If you don't all that would happen would be the circuit breaker on the socket would trip.

 

[Adopado]

This all sounds like expensive and complicated hopefully someone has a spare 16a to tmc to sell many fingers crossed, its a new build so hopefully its right

It will be right ... as a general purpose 16amp socket. Technically, the regulations relating to vehicle charging have some additional requirements.

(Just to muddy the water: we all use the UMC with a 3 pin plug without much of a thought as to the higher electrical requirements for vehicle charging in respect of earthing and having an RCD that can cope with DC as well as AC etc. The reality is that your 16amp socket will be just as safe/dangerous as any of your 3 pin sockets when using the UMC... and as I say nobody bats an eyelid using them ... we're just happy when they work. I have a non-vehicle spec 32amp socket ... though it does have an earthing rod close by ... that is my emergency standby and that I have occasionally used with the UMC. If I was going to use it as my main regular charge point I would get the necessary additions but I have no plans for that.)

 

[Peter 224]

As has been said, it isn't a good idea to connect an EV to a commando socket without upgrading the power supply to the socket.

Yes, you could just have a basic 40amp RCD device fitted into your consumer unit and wire it directly to the socket but English/Welsh regulations require that an EV is charged through a safe and managed socket approved by the OLEV people
.
I considered fitting and EV compatible RCD rated at 40A fitted into my consumer unit and getting a local electrician to test for the effectiveness of the earth, as we already have a an earth rod., confident the Tesla inbuilt charging management system will do the rest.

BUT I gave in and had a Sync EV box fitted at great expense as it is now "signed off" as compliant with the OLEV people. But it is largely pointless, I now have a second APP on my phone that gives me exactly the same information that the Tesla App provides.

 

[NewbieT]

Spare 16A adapter in 2021? Not likely: hanging onto mine for the campsite in the summer.

 

[Nick77]

There's a 32A commando adapter that someone has just posted on the for sale thread.

Not quite sure if you would need an inline RCD on the charging cable though. I read its recommended on the standard 3 pin plug cables.

 

[Adopado]

There's a 32A commando adapter that someone has just posted on the for sale thread.

Not quite sure if you would need an inline RCD on the charging cable though. I read its recommended on the standard 3 pin plug cables.

Apparently the 32amp is available online from Tesla it's just the 16amp that is out of stock.

 

[MrBadger]

There's a 32A commando adapter that someone has just posted on the for sale thread.

16A and 32A sockets are incompatible with each other - the 32A is a bigger connector. So you need the correct plug for the socket.

 

[Jason71]

Spare 16A adapter in 2021? Not likely: hanging onto mine for the campsite in the summer.

surely there is someone with a 2019 lease car will sell theirs. Not like the lease company would ever know

 

[Nick77]

16A and 32A sockets are incompatible with each other - the 32A is a bigger connector. So you need the correct plug for the socket.

Ah OK my bad, apologies.

 

[K3v1n]

How much quicker is this likely to be charging over the 3 pin plug if its not a lot maybe I bin it off?

 

[Adopado]

How much quicker is this likely to be charging over the 3 pin plug if its not a lot maybe I bin it off?

It's worthwhile. 16amp vs 10amps so more than half as fast again ... which for a long charge will translate into hours faster! There is a base load needed for charging which actually means a small amount is consumed without going into your battery ... that is a higher proportion on your 10amps vs the 16amps so there's some efficiency losses that are more noticeable with the slower charge speed.

 

[Nick77]

3 pin plug adds about 8 miles every hour.

16A commando is about 14 miles every hour.

 

[K3v1n]

3 pin plug adds about 8 miles every hour.

16A commando is about 14 miles every hour.

Worth it then if I can find one thank you

 

[Nick77]

Worth it then if I can find one thank you

There's also a Tesla Owners UK site, and they have a Facebook group that has for sale posts. Worth checking there too.

 

[K3v1n]

Finally got one, they are back in stock at Tesla Shop mine is due today thanks all for helping on this appreciated