Home charge points (purchase/problems/questions) (See mod note post#1)

kesey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sL9aFwzWSwA&t=167s

"Is This The Future of Electric Vehicle Charging? "

Review / installation by Artisan Electrics of the Hypervolt Home Charger. Looks like a very impressive machine. It has an onboard raspberry Pi.

THE ALM

That's the Zappi, Hub and Harvi ordered from the local wholesaler, slightly better price than I can see elsewhere. Will be going down the solar pv route in the future hence the hub and harvi.

Waiting on the electricity supplier getting back to me about a day/night meter and then organise the electrician to get l sorted.

Might be a bit of work getting installed and hoping we will be able to do it from the meter box.

What was total outlay for the devices if you don't mind me asking?

Buffman

electricus wrote: »

A 13A extension cable - with an covered outdoor socket which fits the bigger molded plug on a granny cable.

Sounds like you want something like this.


https://www.screwfix.ie/p/pro-xt-13a-1-gang-unswitched-extension-lead-10m/4097x


I wouldn't worry about a built in RCD on the lead as the socket circuit you plug into will have RCD protection. (Also, when 2 RCD's are used in series it opens up discrimination issues.)

THE ALM

Deleted User wrote: »

What was total outlay for the devices if you don't mind me asking?

The bundle came to €921, tethered charger. About €100 less than I could find elsewhere.

mun1

THE ALM wrote: »

The bundle came to €921, tethered charger. About €100 less than I could find elsewhere.

You should be able to get install done for under €400 including new main dist board fitted in meter cabinet.

THE ALM

mun1 wrote: »

You should be able to get install done for under €400 including new main dist board fitted in meter cabinet.

Aiming for around that alright. Will get the sparks out when I have the equipment.

the_amazing_raisin

Got my dual home charger setup installed yesterday





The EO Mini was there already for charging the Leaf. Got a tethered Type 2 Zappi for use with the ID.4 which was supposed to replace the EO but then my wife decided to take the Leaf so that plan was out

No matter, split the feed for the 2 chargers and wired them back to the same 32A supply

Zappi has a CT clamp watching the current load of the charger supply cable and a limit set to 28A to give a bit of breathing room since the supply only has a 32A fuse on it. I'm going to talk to the electrician to see if that can be raised to 40A as I think we're right on the limit

The Leaf will only pull 16A from the EO Mini so that'll leave 12A minimum for the Zappi

Haven't tested both in parallel yet, I'll probably give it a go during the day tomorrow to make sure it doesn't trip the breaker. I'd hate for it to trip during the night and both cars don't get a full charge

Btw this is the same EO Mini that got ripped off the wall a few weeks back. Electrician did a good job fixing it back to the wall and all the electronics are undamaged, just the casing.

I'm going to have a go at sealing it up so it's fully weatherproof, but I half suspect it's got a fairly short life leftover. If it lasts until the missus gets a newer car then it'll be grand

EDIT: Before the RECI police get on my case, I should say that all works were carried out and fully tested by a licensed electrician, and I have a test cert to prove it

Bigmac1euro

Sorry total newbie here to the EV world.

One thing I can’t really find is the total cost of installing a standard car charger kit to front of house


I’m considering buying a 2nd hand leaf or possibly a Hyundai.
I stay within my post code for 90% of my driving.
Just trying to figure out which EV would be best for me. Of course I need to price the costs involved so just wondering what prices are for installing charger?
Maybe there’s a separate thread for this already?

the_amazing_raisin

Bigmac1euro wrote: »

Sorry total newbie here to the EV world.

One thing I can’t really find is the total cost of installing a standard car charger kit to front of house


I’m considering buying a 2nd hand leaf or possibly a Hyundai.
I stay within my post code for 90% of my driving.
Just trying to figure out which EV would be best for me. Of course I need to price the costs involved so just wondering what prices are for installing charger?
Maybe there’s a separate thread for this already?

The problem with a standard kit is that it doesn't really exist, every installation is slightly different

Companies are starting to offer fixed price packages within certain limits. Electric Ireland offer one, not sure about others. There's generally some terms and conditions around the install such as it being within a certain distance of the meter box or consumer unit and not being particularly difficult.

Unfortunately these packages can be very expensive and not always the best value

The only sure way to get an accurate cost is to get an electrician out and get a quote. It's always best to get several quotes and pick the one you think is best

The other thing you could run into is extra costs. If your house was wired 50 years ago then it'll need to be upgraded to the newest standards before more works can be carried out. Again, you need an electrician to advise on this if it turns out to be the case

slave1

the_amazing_raisin wrote: »

Got my dual home charger setup installed yesterday



The EO Mini was there already for charging the Leaf. Got a tethered Type 2 Zappi for use with the ID.4 which was supposed to replace the EO but then my wife decided to take the Leaf so that plan was out

No matter, split the feed for the 2 chargers and wired them back to the same 32A supply

Zappi has a CT clamp watching the current load of the charger supply cable and a limit set to 28A to give a bit of breathing room since the supply only has a 32A fuse on it. I'm going to talk to the electrician to see if that can be raised to 40A as I think we're right on the limit

The Leaf will only pull 16A from the EO Mini so that'll leave 12A minimum for the Zappi

Haven't tested both in parallel yet, I'll probably give it a go during the day tomorrow to make sure it doesn't trip the breaker. I'd hate for it to trip during the night and both cars don't get a full charge

Btw this is the same EO Mini that got ripped off the wall a few weeks back. Electrician did a good job fixing it back to the wall and all the electronics are undamaged, just the casing.

I'm going to have a go at sealing it up so it's fully weatherproof, but I half suspect it's got a fairly short life leftover. If it lasts until the missus gets a newer car then it'll be grand

EDIT: Before the RECI police get on my case, I should say that all works were carried out and fully tested by a licensed electrician, and I have a test cert to prove it

Nice, have you thought about a white vinyl spray of all the black ducting/pipework and isolator, would blend them in better and if you don't like will simply peel off. Not expensive stuff.

Bigmac1euro

the_amazing_raisin wrote: »

The problem with a standard kit is that it doesn't really exist, every installation is slightly different

Companies are starting to offer fixed price packages within certain limits. Electric Ireland offer one, not sure about others. There's generally some terms and conditions around the install such as it being within a certain distance of the meter box or consumer unit and not being particularly difficult.

Unfortunately these packages can be very expensive and not always the best value

The only sure way to get an accurate cost is to get an electrician out and get a quote. It's always best to get several quotes and pick the one you think is best

The other thing you could run into is extra costs. If your house was wired 50 years ago then it'll need to be upgraded to the newest standards before more works can be carried out. Again, you need an electrician to advise on this if it turns out to be the case

House was built in 98 so I’d say wiring is fine.
Do I provide the charge kit? Like the Zappi above and then they do the rest?

the_amazing_raisin

Bigmac1euro wrote: »

House was built in 98 so I’d say wiring is fine.
Do I provide the charge kit? Like the Zappi above and then they do the rest?

You can buy the charger or the electrician can provide it. Some electricians are starting to ask as agents or wholesalers for charger brands, I think there's a company in NI which specialises in Zappi chargers

Truth be told, the chargers themselves are simple devices, they're all wired in basically the same way to in theory any qualified electrician should be able to install any charger

In practice you probably want to make sure your electrician has installed a few chargers before

One bit of general advice, buy the charger that suits your needs and don't get too hung up about future proofing by going for one with extra features. The hardest part is running the cable to the charger, upgrading to a new charger later is simple by comparison

If you're going for a second hand Leaf then I'd recommend going for just a basic charger. You might even be able to pick one up second hand

Bigmac1euro

the_amazing_raisin wrote: »

You can buy the charger or the electrician can provide it. Some electricians are starting to ask as agents or wholesalers for charger brands, I think there's a company in NI which specialises in Zappi chargers

Truth be told, the chargers themselves are simple devices, they're all wired in basically the same way to in theory any qualified electrician should be able to install any charger

In practice you probably want to make sure your electrician has installed a few chargers before

One bit of general advice, buy the charger that suits your needs and don't get too hung up about future proofing by going for one with extra features. The hardest part is running the cable to the charger, upgrading to a new charger later is simple by comparison

If you're going for a second hand Leaf then I'd recommend going for just a basic charger. You might even be able to pick one up second hand

Thanks, this is really helpful info. I will follow your advice.
I’ve had a look on adverts and don’t see any 2nd hand chargers.
What would be the cheapest/standard charger?

Would this do the job?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07WW6ZWVN/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_TXCSTBHZ4WYGM2R46A1S

eagerv

Just another point worth considering re buying your own charger point or getting it supplied by installer. Our Zappi was supplied by the installer, may have been a little more expensive than sourcing my self and using our own electrician. But we have had two problems in the last year where the installer had to come back to fix and install a new unit at no cost to ourselves.

Gumbo

Bigmac1euro wrote: »

Thanks, this is really helpful info. I will follow your advice.
I’ve had a look on adverts and don’t see any 2nd hand chargers.
What would be the cheapest/standard charger?

Would this do the job?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07WW6ZWVN/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_TXCSTBHZ4WYGM2R46A1S

I installed one of these in January in my parents house for their 530e. They are a basic plug and charge unit, they are adaptable to 13a all the way to 32a so you can lower or higher your charging speed if required.

the_amazing_raisin

slave1 wrote: »

Nice, have you thought about a white vinyl spray of all the black ducting/pipework and isolator, would blend them in better and if you don't like will simply peel off. Not expensive stuff.

I might look into that, it's all around the side of the house so it's not very noticeable but it would be nice if it didn't look like an electrical substation around there

the_amazing_raisin

Bigmac1euro wrote: »

Thanks, this is really helpful info. I will follow your advice.
I’ve had a look on adverts and don’t see any 2nd hand chargers.
What would be the cheapest/standard charger?

Would this do the job?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07WW6ZWVN/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_TXCSTBHZ4WYGM2R46A1S

I haven't experience with that particular charger but as Gumbo said it's a nice simple unit, does exactly what's intended

You've also got Amazon's very straightforward returns system in case something goes wrong

You'll need to make sure whatever car you buy comes with a charging cable. If you're getting a Gen1 leaf then make sure it's a Type 1 to Type 2 cable. Every other BEV in Ireland uses a Type 2 connection

If the car doesn't come with a charging cable then you'll need to budget a couple hundred for one

If you do get a Leaf, then be advised that most of them only charge at 16A. However it's best to get cabled for a 32A charger to future proof yourself if you upgrade your car later

There's no problem plugging a 16A car into a 32A charger. The car and charger do a handshake to figure out the maximum current the car can take and the charger can provide before charging starts.

Similarly if the charger or car detect any anomalies (like a cable break or someone sticking their fingers in the pins) then no current will flow. They're actually very safe systems if installed correctly

galaxy12

Newbie in this forum and just ordered an EV /ENIRO and would be looking shortly to get a 7.2 KW home charge with a SEAI grant .Is there a difference between an EO MINI , zappi and WallBox Pulsar ?

Browsing through the earlier posts here I read about the EO MINI having a Hub & or an ALM near the fuse board . Would a wallbox or a zappi not be better then if all the electronics for load management are inside the unit itself ?I see very little space next to my fuseboard if the ALM or hub is quite big .

the_amazing_raisin

galaxy12 wrote: »

Newbie in this forum and just ordered an EV /ENIRO and would be looking shortly to get a 7.2 KW home charge with a SEAI grant .Is there a difference between an EO MINI , zappi and WallBox Pulsar ?

Browsing through the earlier posts here I read about the EO MINI having a Hub & or an ALM near the fuse board . Would a wallbox or a zappi not be better then if all the electronics for load management are inside the unit itself ?I see very little space next to my fuseboard if the ALM or hub is quite big .

Well to answer your first question, they all charge EVs, it's what else they do is where the differences are

I've both an EO Mini and Zappi at the moment, both are great, haven't missed a beat

The EO Mini is very simple and discreet, no display at all and minimal config

The Zappi is somewhat bigger but has a lot more smart features built in. It's particularly optimised towards using Solar PV to charger your car

Regarding load management, you'll need to get a CT clamp around the mains feed to your house. The charger will use this to monitor the current load of your house and adjust the charging speed if your house is getting close to the limit

In the case of the Zappi, the CT can be wired directly to the charger or can be connected to an add-on wireless module called a Harvi which connects to the Zappi

AFAIK, the system for the EO Mini is pretty similar except the CT clamp is connected to the ALM module which is then hardwired to the EO Mini. I don't think there's a wireless option available

The CT clamp can either go in your CU or the meter box outside. The meter box is generally more popular since there's more space and the charger is probably going nearby anyway

Since you can now wire the charger directly to the meter box instead of the CU, the wiring for the CT clamp can just run alongside this, so the installation could be a lot simpler

Tazium

Any reason to not choose Electric Ireland for their EO Mini Pro 2 offer?

Cyrus

Tazium wrote: »

Any reason to not choose Electric Ireland for their EO Mini Pro 2 offer?

none that i can think of.

fafy

Just got the Andersen A2 installed, i told EVPower Ireland, i wanted zero cables visible, outside the house, and no issue, they went the more difficult route, into an attic, into another room, and out just behind the unit position. Very happy, and its so tidy and discrete.

galaxy12

the_amazing_raisin wrote: »

Well to answer your first question, they all charge EVs, it's what else they do is where the differences are

I've both an EO Mini and Zappi at the moment, both are great, haven't missed a beat

The EO Mini is very simple and discreet, no display at all and minimal config

The Zappi is somewhat bigger but has a lot more smart features built in. It's particularly optimised towards using Solar PV to charger your car

Regarding load management, you'll need to get a CT clamp around the mains feed to your house. The charger will use this to monitor the current load of your house and adjust the charging speed if your house is getting close to the limit

In the case of the Zappi, the CT can be wired directly to the charger or can be connected to an add-on wireless module called a Harvi which connects to the Zappi

AFAIK, the system for the EO Mini is pretty similar except the CT clamp is connected to the ALM module which is then hardwired to the EO Mini. I don't think there's a wireless option available

The CT clamp can either go in your CU or the meter box outside. The meter box is generally more popular since there's more space and the charger is probably going nearby anyway

Since you can now wire the charger directly to the meter box instead of the CU, the wiring for the CT clamp can just run alongside this, so the installation could be a lot simpler

Thanks . I didn't know that the charger can now be directly wired to meter. Has this been a very recent change ?
I was in the phone with electric Ireland just now for the eo mini and they weren't too sure ?!he said that all their current installs are charger to CU.

Cyrus

fafy wrote: »

Just got the Andersen A2 installed, i told EVPower Ireland, i wanted zero cables visible, outside the house, and no issue, they went the more difficult route, into an attic, into another room, and out just behind the unit position. Very happy, and its so tidy and discrete.

is there any trunking inside? and where is the isolator switch?

looks great btw

KCross

fafy wrote: »

Just got the Andersen A2 installed, i told EVPower Ireland, i wanted zero cables visible, outside the house, and no issue, they went the more difficult route, into an attic, into another room, and out just behind the unit position. Very happy, and its so tidy and discrete.

Let us know how you get on with that charge point.

It is a nice unit but not alot of people installing them due to the price.

Would still be interested in your opinion on app support and whatever other features it has.

Did you get the add-on which does the load sensing... i.e. if you turn on another high powered device in the house the charge point will reduce its draw to protect the house fuse?

Gumbo

galaxy12 wrote: »

Thanks . I didn't know that the charger can now be directly wired to meter. Has this been a very recent change ?
I was in the phone with electric Ireland just now for the eo mini and they weren't too sure ?!he said that all their current installs are charger to CU.

Yes. Since March.

fafy

Cyrus wrote: »

is there any trunking inside? and where is the isolator switch?

looks great btw

Some conduit inside the toilet, downstairs, as was only way to get cable, directly in the back of the unit, at my chosen location, its fairly discrete, and was totally unavoidable, as i specified zero cabling visible, at the front. Isolator switch is high above the unit, lucky i have a single story attic adjacent to unit, so handy for the cabling all round. Andersen unit is located around centre of driveway, we can drive both our two cars in, as we widened it years ago, so i went with the 5m tethered cable, as thats all i’l ever need, so ready for EV #2 in the near future.

fafy

KCross wrote: »

Let us know how you get on with that charge point.

It is a nice unit but not alot of people installing them due to the price.

Would still be interested in your opinion on app support and whatever other features it has.

Did you get the add-on which does the load sensing... i.e. if you turn on another high powered device in the house the charge point will reduce its draw to protect the house fuse?

Yes, agree it is quite pricey, but spent a lot of time looking at all the options, and for me, i’m fussy on how things look, and for me, i wanted something very discreet, that looked good, and was willing to pay for it. Appreciate its not for everyone, I also see it as a long term investment, as we will be getting a 2nd EV shortly.

Yes, the load management addon is there, i think EV Power Ireland insist on it. From start to finish these guys were sharp and reliable, and knew their stuff,two of them came, and were ontime, in and out in just under 4 hours, as it wasn’t the easiest of cable runs. A neighbour (same house)got a zappi, but used a different run, and some cable is visible, i didn’t like the look of it.

I have no electric showers, Getting 6.7 kw, which is what the Andersen Konnect app is telling me, easy & quick to setup, and got a demo before they headed off.

So far so good on the app, but early days

meercat

fafy wrote: »

. Isolator switch is high above the unit,

It must be accessible and between 400-1200mm above finished floor level and within 2mts of appliance to comply with regulations.