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

Manion

If it's all the same I'd get the 16. It has no bearing in your solar installation.

MacDanger

Sound, thanks

Manion

My thoughts on that btw are to do with if you have a heatpump and an EV in the future charging at night. A 12kVA is probably fine but it will depend on the size of your heat pump. I believe it's default these days for a 16kVa on new builds with a heatpump.

meercat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120103643#Comment_120103643

Yeah. 16kva is the way to go. I think it’s slightly dearer to get installed. Your rec should use 25mm main cables

KCross

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120103618#Comment_120103618

16kVA is what you should go for. As time progresses you will likely use more and more electricity, so better to have the capacity now than to be looking for it in the future at a much higher install cost.

Once you have 16kVA in, the costs for using the electricity are the same as everyone else, so it wont cost you more just because you pick 16kVA now.... it just costs a little more for the initial install.

NOTE: Your electrician has to wire the consumer unit to support 16kVA, so he needs to be told what you have picked.

KCross

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120102851#Comment_120102851

They usually can be configured to support 16A or 32A. If you say you have already confirmed it is pulling 5kW then it is configured for 32A.

You could also look at your consumer unit and see what rating is on the trip switch. Its probably 40, which would further confirm its setup to support 32A.

horse7

Can an electrician put an isolation switch in my mains cabinet between my smart meter and the cable to my consumer unit?

ted1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120106532#Comment_120106532

some will some won’t.

they have no way of killing the supply so it would involve working on live wires. With an 60/80/100A fuse.

micks_address

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120106532#Comment_120106532

I got the esb to fit one in the meter box when there swapped over my tails. Customer service said no hassle but the engineer didn't want to do it.. in the end he begrudgingly did it

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120100174#Comment_120100174

The 2022 Regs state that a new dwelling has to have ducting in place. A charger does not have to be installed.

Technical Guidance Document Part L, Section 1.4.6.3. Suitable infrastructure from the meter cabinet or Consumer Unit to the parking spot that allows for the installation of a charger without builders work.

A developer can of course install a charger and consider that as a compliance.

Manion

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120107043#Comment_120107043

Yeah, there was a bit of coverage, https://www.thejournal.ie/electric-vehicle-recharging-infrastructure-new-homes-5917576-Nov2022/ that changes are coming.

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120107164#Comment_120107164

That is the regulations I quoted already. TGDL 2022. Infrastructure only. No requirement to provide an actual charger.

Manion

Ah right, I apologies, I just jumped to the conclusion Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien was making things worse. I thought the ducting requirement was in years? All the newer houses in my estate have it and wiring.

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120107202#Comment_120107202

No ducting requirement at all. It was at the discretion of the developer. I pushed for it on many sites and in fairness, many did it.

But now they have no choice. Ducting and space on the consumer unit for it.

horse7

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120106602#Comment_120106602

Dont know how they would do it as the smartmeter has a seal, can they unseal and seal the smartmeter to fit an isolation switch?

ted1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120107837#Comment_120107837

No they wouldn’t touch the seal. What they might do is cut the tails and then connect to a MCB. , but they would be live. Some will do this. Some won’t

horse7

Will ESB networks put the MCB IN with a 16 tail to the smart meter?

Manion

No, that would be the job of your Electrician, they wont touch anything on the house side.

horse7

so whats the process, ask the esb to pull the power and unseal the meter so the electrician can put in 16 tails from the meter to a new MCB?

Manion

Your Reci would have to do all the work of providing a new MCB on the consumer unit and running the tails back and then arrange a time with EBSn to make the new connection. It's a multi stage process. From memory going back nearly 20 years the ESB network guy did the switch at the consumer unit for the parents house, but the CU and the meter where co-located and it was a new consumer unit going in. But you get the idea. Your Reci does one part, the ESBn do the next, then your Reci has the finish it off. They should coordinate all that btw.

horse7

I wanted the MCB in the cabinet.

Manion

I dont think that's allowed, cannot see them making that connection for you. You're not being super clear tbh. I'm assuming you want this in connection to a charger installation? An Isolator is just an Isolator, it's no a breaker though some breakers also act as Isolators. What is your goal?

meercat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120108265#Comment_120108265

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2056185347/esb-main-fuse

I answered that earlier for you on another thread.

can you answer me ,why do you want an isolator fitted

horse7

Here's why, my consumer unit has 10 cable to the consumer unit, I wanted to put in 16 armoured to a wallbox charger and it would be to difficult to get it to the consumer unit so would be bringing it to the mains cabinet, anyway it wouldn't work for a 16 cable to be fed off a 10 domestic unit, so if I had a 16 tail to a MCB in the cabinet I would also be able to leave the consumer unit alone.

Manion

OK the way that would work is a consumer unit installed at the cabinet external to the meter box and the existing tails connected to the new unit. You'll have no power for a bit. You'll need to have the new consumer unit in place at the cabinet. Straight forward.

horse7

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120108503#Comment_120108503

The charger would have it's own rcbo and isolator also.

Dubwat

Oh, can I but into your conversation? I'm one of those people with a 10sq.mm tails and all electricians insisted I had to get the entire house rewired (1980's wiring). Are you staying it's possible to leave the existing consumer unit w/10 tails alone and install an entirely separate consumer unit w/16 tails and run the home charger off that?

TIA.

Manion

I vaguely recall your posts before, wasn't there other issues with regards bonding and earths, not just the tails? The wiring would need to be recertified with a tails change, so that was probably your issue.

meercat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120108637#Comment_120108637

All this is restricted work and can only be carried out by a rec.

meercat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120108725#Comment_120108725

What all the rec’s are saying is correct so. Your house needs to be certified to get esbn to connect the upgraded tails. It seems that your house electrics will not pass the testing and verification process to enable the Cert to be issued.