Zappi reliably

HotWaterCylinder · 04-04-2023 1:03pm #1

So in 3 years I am on my 3rd zapppi.

First was "recalled" for having an oversensitive internal RCD. I say "recalled" because it wasn't until I went asking questions to myenergi. That was 10 months old.

Second one lasted lest than 2 years with an output fault when the main contactor failed.

So here I am in on the 3rd one in less than 3 years, at least its the new one.

Spoke to a chap I know and he's on his second in under a year?????

I will say they have been quick to replace them, even sending their own sparks the last time.

Anyone else had one fail ?

micks_address · 04-04-2023 2:27pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058291059/zappi-reliably

I had a new one fitted in October, failed a week later - replaced quickly with no hassle. Replacement engineer said he's flat out replacing zappi's and highly recommended taking their extended warranty out

HotWaterCylinder · 04-04-2023 2:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120439753#Comment_120439753

Hi Mick,

So I'm not alone.....

I didn't know about the extended warranty. Its now over 3 years since I bought originally. I wonder can I take it out since I have a new one.

I'll contact them and report back

KCross · 04-04-2023 2:45pm

Im a few years in with mine.

Screen developed a dud line in the LCD so they sent me a new LCD screen and I fitted it myself

The plastic over the screen also degraded (a well known issue) and they sent me a new cover.

But functionally the Zappi hasn't let me down at all. 100% reliable.... touch wood!

the_amazing_raisin · 04-04-2023 2:52pm

I'm coming up to two years without any issues

I think they did have some issues over the past few years with dodgy units getting out. I'm guessing they've had to ramp production quickly which probably resulted in a quality drop

I still think they're a decent product and there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of chargers out there with the same level of features and the ecosystem to go with it

micks_address · 04-04-2023 3:10pm

im considering the extended warranty anyway. I know people say they should cover for x years anyway.. but will be less hassle with the extended warranty. Its 140 euro for the extra warranty

eagerv · 04-04-2023 4:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058291059/zappi-reliably

Also on our third in 3 years. The current one has been reliable for over a year...🙄

joe1303l · 04-04-2023 5:14pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120439954#Comment_120439954

How many years warranty do you get for €140 ? Does it cover fitting ?

budhabob · 04-04-2023 5:43pm

I raised this point with a very reputable installer who started the are very reliable. One or two known issues but addressed quickly if an issue and the customer support is excellent. I did however take out the extended warranty anyway on both the eddi and zappi.

HotWaterCylinder · 05-04-2023 6:37am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120440553#Comment_120440553

Very reliable when they work yes,

Is there customer support so good that we are not seeing many complaints online?

@eagerv Would you recommend a zappi to your friends/family ? I don't think I would anymore

micks_address · 05-04-2023 8:05am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120442258#Comment_120442258

the customer service is good. i logged my issue, sent pictures and had a replacement approved same day - was with me 2 days later and their replacement engineer came next week to replace.. hopefully they get on top of the issues as i think its a pretty good product otherwise.

HotWaterCylinder · 05-04-2023 8:20am

I just logged into the website and it says my new zappi is under warranty for 3 years so at least that's something.

First time they sent me one was before they had an Irish branch so I just replaced it myself. Very easy, this time they sent someone (very,very professional outfit) .I dont think they have a record of replacing mine before or at least they never mentioned it. They just took the serial number

eagerv · 05-04-2023 9:04am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120442258#Comment_120442258

I know we have had numerous early problems, but I think the latest model is a lot better than the early ones. So I probably would now recommend, even though most installers like Zappis because of the ease of installing. When I quizzed the last fella who came to replace unit, he said he personally prefers Wallbox for reliability.

10-10-20 · 05-04-2023 9:20am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120439954#Comment_120439954

140 EUR warranty for a product that is around ~770 EUR to buy, seems like they are expecting a lot of failures!? It's a simple EV charger at the end of the day - this isn't rocket-science.

micks_address · 05-04-2023 9:27am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120442774#Comment_120442774

maybe not rocket science but it does load balancing and has built in connectivity to their 'eddi' pv diversion devices.. smarter than your average bear

zg3409 · 15-04-2023 11:10am

Good points:

Customer service is good no quibble replacements

Solar integration is best on market with extra things like eddi for solar hot water etc.

They are so popular there is bound to be a good few failures as there are so many in use.

Bad points

There was known whole batches of bad units sold that all broke down.

Lots of reports of them failing, screens failing, buttons and visually them going bad.

My one was never in direct sunlight (north side of house) yet it yellowed heavily.

Lots of reports of corrosion of the plug on the tethered units, the rubber cover is a "dust" cover and actually fills with water corroding the pins. They were supplying a wall holder for free if you asked. Other option is to ensure plug faces down always. Common issue with other tethered brands that don't have a wall mount holder for the plug.

In general they are relatively big and the screen menus are hard to navigate with the app not having the same options.

The can have issues with firmware updates breaking things that used to work and they often have issues where they don't work correctly with newer cars mostly as newer cats were never tested with zappi and the issue is on the car side but can be worked around by zappi settings.

They are also expensive with an rrp of 1000 euro while my old tethered zappi v1 was 650 euro if I remember 5 years ago. So price per unit is very high now. That said other brands have issues too. I keep a granny cable as a backup.

jordan191 · 19-04-2023 3:57pm

i got a v1 Zappi installed in November 2019 & it was trouble free for 2 years, then we got the tethered cable replaced under warranty last year but now its stopped working & out of warranty by 6 months, so be careful. You can extend the warranty for an additional 2 years so i'd recommend that to anyone considering a Zappi

HotWaterCylinder · 20-04-2023 6:40am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120496176#Comment_120496176

Do they sell the cables seperatly ?

I now have 2 complete units for spares . Unfortunately they are different board revisions .

I'm going to attempt a repair of one of them myself, if i ever find the time.

jordan191 · 20-04-2023 9:26am

i'm not sure if they do, but they replaced my tethered cable last year under warranty. I have the old one still here too. It was the connection on the inside of the unit that was the problem last time. seems it can cause problems

HotWaterCylinder · 20-04-2023 11:56am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120498378#Comment_120498378

Interesting.

When my last one failed they suspected the connections at the charger side of the cable (it was't).

I've seen the screw down terminals snap on the input side too.

Keep that for spares. The screen & cable will definitely come in handy in future.

Omacron · 15-08-2023 10:37pm

A little late to this but considering Zappi as a replacement charger. Originally had Wallbox Pulsar Plus installed April 2022 and it stopped working last month. 2 year warranty, was neat on the wall and cheaper than zappi. The Wallbox was examined by electrician they thought on probability manufacturing defect however Wallbox refuse to honour warranty. So trying to sort that with WallBox however their support a difficult to deal with. So the point of this post, appears zappi from above at least support their warranty where issues. When you folks had issues was it as simple as contacting Zappi to sort or did you go through installer?

eltoastero · 16-08-2023 8:28am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120983908#Comment_120983908

I've had to engage with the MyEnergi team for a number of queries over the years (mostly settings related on hubs, eddi but also the zappi). Very good customer service (quick knowledgeable replies, not just copy and paste answers). I've also had a hardware issue with my zappi (the communication wire within the cable has broken, this required the whole cable to be replaced). I contacted MyEnergi and as I was still within warranty, they asked for contact details of my installer and they got in touch with the installer. The installer called me a few days later to arrange a time, all work fully covered by MyEnergi.

The communication wire likely broken from the cable being wound too tightly around the zappi when not in use (this was with a PHEV so it was being taken on and off the stand daily). Now I'm lopping it much more lazily. Had I gone non-tethered I'd probably have just replaced the Type 2 cable myself, but I was very impressed with MyEnergi services (which is why I'd no problem diving deeper into the MyEnergi ecosystem with an Eddi).

unkel · 16-08-2023 11:58am

I'll echo what the others have said. The myenergi products are not the most reliable. But when there is a problem, it will be fixed under warranty (after you have had decent tech support trying to fix) and their functionality is second to none. Would I buy again? Sure would.

creedp · 16-08-2023 12:36pm

My Zappy worked flawlessly since July 2018 until a few weeks back and now it regularly reports a power supply fault when car is unplugged while on. eco+ setting. Needs to be reset by switching off breaker (can take a number of attempts). Works fine on fast setting. Myenergie have said they would send out an engineer to have a look.

eagerv · 16-08-2023 1:27pm

Got our first Zappi three and a half years ago, have had a few problems over the years, now on our third head (Or perhaps two plus innards replaced in one😊). All quickly replaced after calling Myenergi, who efficiently organised their installer once new unit had arrived at our house.

Less than two weeks ago noticed original tethered plug had worsening cracks, had been monitoring hairline cracks over the last while. Seems to have become very brittle after 3 years outside, it has never been dropped or driven over. It isn't even in direct sunlight for most of the day.

Called Myenergi last week and sent on a few pics as requested. No questions asked, a new cable and plug arrived this morning requesting me not to get it fitted ourselves, instead to wait until their installer arrives within a few days. Old one works fine, so no panic.

Impressed with the service from Myenergi.

unkel · 16-08-2023 2:13pm

Looks like the head was in full sunshine a lot while charging the car?

10-10-20 · 16-08-2023 2:16pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120986624#Comment_120986624

Some of those plastics degrade without full sunlight. Most should be UV stable, but there is a trade-off between robustness and UV resistance in some plastic mixes.

unkel · 16-08-2023 2:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120986639#Comment_120986639

I was wondering as I also had a zappi that was about 3-4 years old and it was nowhere near as discoloured.

eagerv · 16-08-2023 2:28pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120986624#Comment_120986624

Max a few hours a day when sunny, but still shouldn't break down as it did.

Hopefully the quality of plastic has improved (Similar to the head units, think they used to have a plastic problem as well..)

micks_address · 17-08-2023 8:29am

had a new one on me today - contactor fault? hold the menu button for 3 seconds and the charger restarted.. was charging surplus solar at the time and got a notification from the car that charging stopped.. seemed to be working fine again

eagerv · 17-08-2023 8:59am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120989284#Comment_120989284

Has happened with us very occasionally over the years also. Normally when on reduced output, as in your case.

Don't think it is anything to worry about..

dloob · 21-08-2023 11:13pm

I wonder how reliability compares between V1 and V2?

I have had a V1 since mid 2019, it's been pretty reliable.

It had the known problem with the plastic on the screen and buttons breaking up, they sent a replacement front.

Also once I had an issue where after entering the pin it would lock again after a second or two so you couldn't change any settings, that was fixed remotely.

But in terms of charging when required and using excess solar etc that has all been good.

Count Hairyfoot · 22-08-2023 1:57pm

I'm due to have a v2 fitted next week. It's a guy in the area (registered electrician) who has done a good few and everyone is always able to claim back the grant. But someone has now told me that in order for the Zappi to be under warranty he has to be on a list of their authorised installers. Is this true? If so how do I check this list?

AmpMan · 22-08-2023 2:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121012328#Comment_121012328

Would'nt be surprised .

When they swapped out mine they said they wanted their fella to do it or it wouldn't be covered.

Count Hairyfoot · 22-08-2023 2:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121012415#Comment_121012415

But did they insist on who installed them in the first place?

AmpMan · 22-08-2023 2:56pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121012561#Comment_121012561

No but it was installed before they had an Irish branch

creedp · 22-08-2023 3:23pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121012415#Comment_121012415

Mmm almost on a par with car manufacturers insisting on maintenance being done by main dealer to maintain warranty

unkel · 22-08-2023 4:39pm

I recently bought a brand new replacement Zappi directly from Myenergi and I could pick whether I wanted one of their installers to fit it (£100 extra) or if I wanted to do it myself.

Risteard81 · 24-08-2023 9:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121012993#Comment_121012993

I presume you mean by "yourself" a REC of your choice. As a special installation/location within Part 7 of the Wiring Rules any work on a chargepoint is Restricted Works.

unkel · 24-08-2023 10:50pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121023204#Comment_121023204

Yes you obviously missed my previous post about this. My mate is a REC and he hooks up all my AC stuff

creedp · 30-08-2023 11:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121012328#Comment_121012328

Ive an issue with my out of warranty zappi and Myenergie advised me to use a local electrician to look at it. I went back saying I would not be confident that a general electrician, while being fine to install the unit, would have the expertise to carry out a diagnostic check on a Zappi. They then recommended I use CEF who they use to install Zappi's across the country.

I must admit Im still skeptical that CEF will be able to diagnose a problem with the unit and will simply charge a call out fee to tell me to buy a new charger. Interested to know if anyone has used CEF to run a diagnostic on/repair a Zappi?

allinthehead · 31-08-2023 8:05am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121049610#Comment_121049610

CEF, as in City Electrical Factors, the wholesaler?

10-10-20 · 31-08-2023 8:13am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121049610#Comment_121049610

Hi, they may be indicating that the fault is on the electrical end rather than with the Zappi, and anyway even if it's not and the Zappi is at fault then it's likely to be a direct-swap of the whole Zappi anyway, which that same electrician can perform the swap-over. They aren't that difficult to get working.

creedp · 31-08-2023 8:17am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121049994#Comment_121049994

Im operating from an email which advised that CEF are used as installers and would be happy to call out to look at unit. I assumed it was referring to the wholesalers who must also be installers.

Im just not sure if CEF, or any general electrician, would have the technical knowledge to diagnose a problem and fix it, ie is there any point coughing up the callout charge to be told buy a new one

unkel · 31-08-2023 8:17am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121050018#Comment_121050018

Swap over out of warranty would be extremely expensive though. No grants to be had for that one. You're looking at well north of a grand for the callout and the zappi

@creedp - how old is the zappi?

allinthehead · 31-08-2023 8:22am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121050033#Comment_121050033

A general electrician would most likely be scratching his head. Try EV chargepoint installers local to you. Describe your fault and they might be able to help. What's the fault btw?

creedp · 31-08-2023 8:26am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121050037#Comment_121050037

It was in installed in 2018 so pased its 5 year mark. It was working perfectly until about 2 months ago when it was connected to a Harvi for solar generation. When I unplugged from eco+ setting for the first time I got the power supply fault message and have got it pretty much every time since when unplugging before charge is complete. Looks like my solar payback may have taken a bit of a hit😂

allinthehead · 31-08-2023 8:49am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121050067#Comment_121050067

Who set it up for you with the Harvi?

I assume you tried the myenergi forum

creedp · 31-08-2023 9:07am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121050164#Comment_121050164

The solar installer who said they had hooked up a lot of them no hassle. I have asked them to come back and have a look but awaiting a response.

No I havent yet looked at the forum as all things electricity confuses the hell out of me😂

allinthehead · 31-08-2023 9:13am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121050229#Comment_121050229

If it only started after they installed the Harvi then it might just be a setting.

unkel · 31-08-2023 12:14pm

Try myenergi support, they are exceptionally good.

Zappi reliably

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