Home Charge Points Discussion and Suggestions [megathread]

[YorkshireBrew]

Interesting videos, but surely there would be danger if there is a PEN fault in a TN C S system with no EV charger?

My understanding is that PEN fault is more likely to be dangerous with an EV because it's outside of the house (where you could be the conductor to ground). Inside the house everything is balanced because there's no route to earth.

So if you're inside a house with a PEN fault don't play hook a duck out of the window with a metal rod.

 

[Adopado]

So if you're inside a house with a PEN fault don't play hook a duck out of the window with a metal rod.

A pen is a female swan not a duck ... is this relevant?

 

[YorkshireBrew]

A pen is a female swan not a duck ... is this relevant?

Exactly! They don’t get on. Those swans are always talking about the potential differences between the species. It’s a high tension situation.

 

[Somex]

A pen is a female swan not a duck ... is this relevant?

Only if the pen was made by Swan and has no ducking ink left in it

 

[MarleyBob]

Thought I’d finally settled on getting an untethered SyncEV charge point. We’ve got a narrow terrace house with very little usable wall space and what we do have is low down. It’s very visible to the street so I’d like to keep things tidy...then I woke up early and started reading all the untethered vs tethered opinions again! I feel like charge points with tidier cable management (Anderson, Zappi, Podpoint) will look really awkward and oversized where it’ll need to go. We’re also really low mileage so once we’re charged to 80% we won’t need to charge again for a while.

So...is there anyone with an untethered charge point that isn’t bothered by by the hassle of plugging both ends, putting the cable away, etc, and is “happy” they went untethered??

edit: I also note that the type 2 cable supplied by Tesla now seems to be just 3m long, fine if we reverse on but if we can’t, that’ll be too short...another thing making me question untethered.

 

[Adopado]

edit: I also note that the type 2 cable supplied by Tesla now seems to be just 3m long, fine if we reverse on but if we can’t, that’ll be too short...another thing making me question untethered.

You generally want a cable that will live in the car for use with public chargers separate to any tethered or untethered arrangement at home so I think you would want 2 anyway. (On a wet day you are not going to be coiling your untethered cable and slinging it in the car without issues)

 

[MarleyBob]

Hi All

Had my Sync EV charger installed by Ben and Louis. www.evcinstalls.co.uk. Lovely lovely guys - couldnt reccomend them more highly. £589 installed, great communications from start to finish. Neat job, and moved circuits around in my CU as needed.

looks good...the Sync EV is on my very short list. On the cable run, is it just the 6mm standard cable or is there a second cable too? Also, be good to hear your initial experiences of the charge point, there’s not a lot of info out there on Sync EV as I’m sure you’ve experienced too.

 

[yfwt]

Hi All

Had my Sync EV charger installed by Ben and Louis. www.evcinstalls.co.uk. Lovely lovely guys - couldnt reccomend them more highly. £589 installed, great communications from start to finish. Neat job, and moved circuits around in my CU as needed.

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That’s reassuring to know am getting mine installed on 9 June the same unit (until then 3 pin life for me ) - looks so discreet and neat and matches your black pipe work! Want to know if the app (does it do schedules charging or sync to your electric tariff), charging and the rfid card works as expected? Love to hear your thoughts and enjoy!

 

[Puzuk]

Hi All

Had my Sync EV charger installed by Ben and Louis. www.evcinstalls.co.uk. Lovely lovely guys - couldnt reccomend them more highly. £589 installed, great communications from start to finish. Neat job, and moved circuits around in my CU as needed.

View attachment 667971

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I’ve got the same one on order about 100 quid more from smart home charge. You using the Tesla cable or buying a longer one?

 

[yfwt]

I’ve got the same one on order about 100 quid more from smart home charge. You using the Tesla cable or buying a longer one?

Depends I think I got a 4-5 metre one and let’s see if it reaches from my install point to the car. I do wish tesla made dual charging flaps on each side of the car like the taycan… oh well apart from that still

 

[Somex]

I also note that the type 2 cable supplied by Tesla now seems to be just 3m long

FWIW
This comment prompted me to check what was supplied with my MIC car in Mar 2021
It’s approximately 4.5m long

 

[Adopado]

Be aware that if you take the untethered route (not recommended by me!) bear in mind that you can buy a single phase type 2 to use with your charge point (7kW is all you get anyway) so long as you keep the 3 phase type 2 cable from Tesla in the car for public charger use. Saves a little money but still allows you to maximise public charger charging speed. Though the Tesla model 3 is rated for 11kW on 3 phase ac chargers I’ve seen 12kW at a location that must have had a slightly elevated voltage. This is a very worthwhile advantage over the 7kW you would normally get at home and when you are stuck without access to Superchargers or rapid CCS.

 

[Alic01]

Thought I’d finally settled on getting an untethered SyncEV charge point. We’ve got a narrow terrace house with very little usable wall space and what we do have is low down. It’s very visible to the street so I’d like to keep things tidy...then I woke up early and started reading all the untethered vs tethered opinions again! I feel like charge points with tidier cable management (Anderson, Zappi, Podpoint) will look really awkward and oversized where it’ll need to go. We’re also really low mileage so once we’re charged to 80% we won’t need to charge again for a while.

So...is there anyone with an untethered charge point that isn’t bothered by by the hassle of plugging both ends, putting the cable away, etc, and is “happy” they went untethered??

edit: I also note that the type 2 cable supplied by Tesla now seems to be just 3m long, fine if we reverse on but if we can’t, that’ll be too short...another thing making me question untethered.

We are getting an Easee untethered charger installed, probably the tidiest looking and smallest full featured charger you can get.

Can’t find much in the way of reviews but it came highly recommended by the local Tesla approved installer and what info there is online seems positive. We have simple requirements tho as no solar and likely won’t be able to make use of current EV tariffs either so the choice was largely about neatness

 

[SunnyM3]

I've ordered a podpoint with the grant however due to my work I'm often at another address and would require another charger. The second address has solar panels that are west/sw facing so get lots of peak period energy.

I work in construction as a project manager so have sparks who can install although not via the grant.

Given that the Tesla app can control and schedule charging is there anything wrong with going for a bargain basement project ev charger or ohme cable from Octopus and getting my spark to install it?

He's happy to go down down earth rod route too and we are both convinced it's probably the safest option. It'll work out about the same cost the podpoint after grant as the cable run from the consumer unit is less than 5m. Has anyone got an install done without a grant?

 

[Smileysam]

I used MCW in Leicester, Chris Bennett was very helpful.

That's handy to know, I need one installing in Leicester.

Which charger did you go for and how's it been so far?

 

[dbtor]

Has anyone got an Andersen a2? They look much nicer than the other chargers and seem to comparible features, but they are a few hundred more.

 

[btc1k]

looks good...the Sync EV is on my very short list. On the cable run, is it just the 6mm standard cable or is there a second cable too? Also, be good to hear your initial experiences of the charge point, there’s not a lot of info out there on Sync EV as I’m sure you’ve experienced too.

The in-laws have a SyncEV installed and have had no end of troubles with it - it won't/can't handle slight variations in voltage coming from the Grid.

Compared it to my own Ohme charger which handles same fluctuations fine.

Just one experience of course.... but staying overnight at their place and plugging the Tesla in (they live 3hrs away), now consists of 2 hours of unplugging/replugging and resetting the app before it finally charges at 7kw... and then dropping to 6, 5, 4, 3, before I finally give up and go to a rapid charger.

 

[Adopado]

The in-laws have a SyncEV installed and have had no end of troubles with it - it won't/can't handle slight variations in voltage coming from the Grid.

Glad I've not got one of those then ... not surprisingly my Zappi baulked at the Grid supplying 258.2v! Even the standard voltage here when no demand is around 250v ...

 

[BeerOhYeah]

I have an A2 with the solar kit and works very nicely - varies the charge rate to match the solar excess - very happy with it so far and like you say looks smart and tidy with the concealed cable.

Had a few little issues with the CT clamp being wholly inaccurate but a visit from the head engineer (who happens to live up the road) sorted that out. Customer service so far has been pretty solid too.

 

[dbtor]

I have an A2 with the solar kit and works very nicely - varies the charge rate to match the solar excess - very happy with it so far and like you say looks smart and tidy with the concealed cable.

Had a few little issues with the CT clamp being wholly inaccurate but a visit from the head engineer (who happens to live up the road) sorted that out. Customer service so far has been pretty solid too.

I was quoted £750 for a Zappi, or £1125 for an Andersen A2. Definitely going with the Andersen as it fits the aesthetic of the house and overall is much tidier. It's reassuring to hear that someone has one and likes it.