Great service from start to finish. Good price, date and time was arranged quickly.
As the number of Electric Vehicles in the UK increases, so does the demand for charging them. Whilst there are some charging options in the supermarket car parks, fuel stations and at some office block locations there are not enough for everyone to charge whilst out and about.
An electric vehicle charger at home is a sensible option for many and for some, may be the only option for ensuring that their vehicle has adequate charge to make the daily commute or meeting the weekly mileage requirements.
As your local electrician in Leamington Spa installing electric vehicle chargers is a task that I carry out on a very regular basis so we are familiar with the requirements.
Can I have an EV Charger with an Old Fuseboard?
There are certainly some limitations when an old fuse box or fuseboard is involved that’s for sure. The older the consumer unit / fuse board or fuse box, the more likely it is that either a replacement will be needed or a separate, stand-alone consumer unit may be needed.
When you contact me, I will take some details from you regarding your existing equipment.
What is the problem with old fuse boxes and EV chargers?
As the safety regulations update and improve, technology that was installed in years gone by becomes unacceptable by todays standards and in some cases, dangerous! Whilst fuse wire alone was an acceptable way of protecting electrical wiring and homes, it is no longer acceptable without other measures in place.
The most up to date consumer unit technology affords us electric shock protection, arc fault protection, overload protection, short circuit, and earth fault protection. There is also up-front surge protection in many new consumer units.
The old fuse box is now often unacceptable when planning a new Electric Vehicle charging point.
Do I need a totally new fuse box?
Not necessarily. But there may be other system upgrades that are needed in order to comply with the Safety Requirements for Electrical Installations (BS7671). For instance, the regulations mean that electricians have to check existing wiring, earthing and safety connections to pipework are in place BEFORE new equipment can be safely installed.
In reality, this means that an old fuse box may need to be replaced OR an additional consumer unit added in order to power the new charging point. The mains supply will be safely split and a power supply taken to the new consumer unit in order to meet the safety regulations requirements.
What is best, a new fuse box or an additional one?
Ignoring any issues with the capability of the mains supply to power an electric vehicle charger adequately, each electrical installation is slightly different.
A completely new consumer unit is beneficial to the whole electrical installation as every circuit will be checked, inspected, and tested. The circuits will then benefit from the updated safety technology that a new consumer unit offers.
Simply adding a small consumer unit on to an old installation may, in some cases, be slightly cheaper but will not protect circuits other than the single circuit powering the electric vehicle charger.
What is involved when replacing a fuse box with a consumer unit?
I would always recommend that you have a thorough electrical check carried out BEFORE a new consumer unit is installed, especially where the wiring is particularly old.
Without an inspection prior to the unit being swapped, there is a chance that some circuits will not turn on or have to be left disconnected if there are existing hidden faults in the system.
New technology contained in consumer units can detect wiring faults that older technology could not!
Can I have two electric vehicle chargers?
There are problems and solutions regarding this and the answer is not straightforward. YES, you can, BUT the power to each may need to be reduced in order for them to work safely at the same time together. There is more information available for you to read on my site.
EV Charger Electrician in Leamington Spa
Get in touch today so we can discuss your requirements and get your project started.
