Old dumb Rolec EV charger - Kia EV6 tripping whole house
Discussion
Hi all,
Just got home in a new to me 2024 Kia EV6 - plugged into the old 7kw Rolec dumb charger, and "pop", everything dark! It tripped the main circuit breaker for the whole house, not just the Rolec RCD, nor the garage fuseboard RCD on which it lives, not the RCD for the feed to the garage... As soon as the car tries to draw it trips the main circuit breaker, nothing else trips.
I tried to set the charge rate to 60% but the same thing happened.
Our charger is an early Rolec, with a contactor, RCD and that's about it... It's charged our previous BMW i3, and previous two Tesla Model 3's without any problems. Before I find out if it's the car, is it possible it's the charger? The car was on charge when I picked it up, so wondering if my old crappy charger doesn't actually tell the car it's not able to supply 350kw @ 800v?
Just got home in a new to me 2024 Kia EV6 - plugged into the old 7kw Rolec dumb charger, and "pop", everything dark! It tripped the main circuit breaker for the whole house, not just the Rolec RCD, nor the garage fuseboard RCD on which it lives, not the RCD for the feed to the garage... As soon as the car tries to draw it trips the main circuit breaker, nothing else trips.
I tried to set the charge rate to 60% but the same thing happened.
Our charger is an early Rolec, with a contactor, RCD and that's about it... It's charged our previous BMW i3, and previous two Tesla Model 3's without any problems. Before I find out if it's the car, is it possible it's the charger? The car was on charge when I picked it up, so wondering if my old crappy charger doesn't actually tell the car it's not able to supply 350kw @ 800v?
Order a new contactor for it. Ours has needed two replaced since 2011.
https://evonestop.co.uk/products/40amp-30ma-1p-n-2...
Turn off the mains and easy change over.
https://evonestop.co.uk/products/40amp-30ma-1p-n-2...
Turn off the mains and easy change over.
Replaced our Rolec one after about 9 years and two replacement innards last year.
As above, scary scorching inside, not sure if I should be retrospectively terrified about it or not.
Fitted a Wallbox in it's place, easy swap as you're just attaching the new box to the existing wiring.
Has seemed decent in the year or so we've had it running. App is pretty good. Don't think it's smart tariff enabled, but not something I've looked into as we just charge off peak overnight.
The holster that comes with the charger is a nice idea but will break after a fairly short period of time to be replaced by something from amazon. They all do it.
As above, scary scorching inside, not sure if I should be retrospectively terrified about it or not.
Fitted a Wallbox in it's place, easy swap as you're just attaching the new box to the existing wiring.
Has seemed decent in the year or so we've had it running. App is pretty good. Don't think it's smart tariff enabled, but not something I've looked into as we just charge off peak overnight.
The holster that comes with the charger is a nice idea but will break after a fairly short period of time to be replaced by something from amazon. They all do it.
Sounds like the old Rolec can Foxtrot Oscar, not too worried as it's done a decent job for 9+ years!
I'm handy enough to change the contactors etc, so happy to swap out the wallbox. I assume it's all OK for me to do it?
Also, looking around, most seem to be "email for us to install" - which feels like a massive installation fee etc... Any recommendations for a basic charger, off the shelf, that can just be patched in?
I'm going to head to my mate's place and try his chargers - or see if I can trip his house
I'm handy enough to change the contactors etc, so happy to swap out the wallbox. I assume it's all OK for me to do it?
Also, looking around, most seem to be "email for us to install" - which feels like a massive installation fee etc... Any recommendations for a basic charger, off the shelf, that can just be patched in?
I'm going to head to my mate's place and try his chargers - or see if I can trip his house
RemarkLima said:
Sounds like the old Rolec can Foxtrot Oscar, not too worried as it's done a decent job for 9+ years!
I'm handy enough to change the contactors etc, so happy to swap out the wallbox. I assume it's all OK for me to do it?
I think the rules and regs will have changed from when that went in, you might have some homework to do.I'm handy enough to change the contactors etc, so happy to swap out the wallbox. I assume it's all OK for me to do it?
Lots of RCDs in the loop, sounds like it time to get it wired to the latest standard. Typically you don't want more than one RCD in the loop, unless you are happy to pay out a chunk of money for a timed delayed RCD. That is why many new chargers don't have them any more, they also going to have a newer PEN protection solution too. Unless you have solar, the consumer units RCD also should normally be a type A, some older installations left the original type AC RCD in place.
We recently added a garden office / shed, and a decent sparky that we know wired that up, put a new consumer unit into the garage, which is fed from the main fuseboard - off this comes the shed (with a small consumer unit) and the spurs for the garage plugs, lights and EV charger, so I'd think it was up to spec as only done a few years back.
But sounds like it's easier to get him to look and install a newer unit.
But sounds like it's easier to get him to look and install a newer unit.
That was my thinking, and having replaced the RCD and contactor, then thinking it's up to spec...
What car? As similarly, our i3 and two Telsa Models 3's have been fine, and likewise Octopus Go worked with the car so didn't need a smart charger.
It's only this Kia that's thrown it out!
What car? As similarly, our i3 and two Telsa Models 3's have been fine, and likewise Octopus Go worked with the car so didn't need a smart charger.
It's only this Kia that's thrown it out!
After a bit of a look around, the house is protected by a 100A CUR10030A - this is what trips.
There is a feed from the this into the garage, not via the house consumer unit, into a small consumer unit in the garage, off which the feed for the cabin, garage plugs, garage lights and the EV charger are fed from.
The EV circuit is on a B32 RCD.
From a bit of poking around, I need to get the RCD changed for a Type B RCBO, as the DC pulse from the EV is tripping the main house 100A breaker... This also happens when I plug in a 13a basic charger, so nothing to do with draw or amps.
I'll chase up the electrician as I'm not touching anything on that side... But I think this will be the easiest way? Unless swapping the charger really is better, but given I'd not use any of the smart features and use Octopus Go attached to the car for the schedule, it'll be a bit galling to pay £700 for the charger, and another £400 to install, especially as it's a straight swap! Or should be a straight swap.
Does that sound reasonable?
There is a feed from the this into the garage, not via the house consumer unit, into a small consumer unit in the garage, off which the feed for the cabin, garage plugs, garage lights and the EV charger are fed from.
The EV circuit is on a B32 RCD.
From a bit of poking around, I need to get the RCD changed for a Type B RCBO, as the DC pulse from the EV is tripping the main house 100A breaker... This also happens when I plug in a 13a basic charger, so nothing to do with draw or amps.
I'll chase up the electrician as I'm not touching anything on that side... But I think this will be the easiest way? Unless swapping the charger really is better, but given I'd not use any of the smart features and use Octopus Go attached to the car for the schedule, it'll be a bit galling to pay £700 for the charger, and another £400 to install, especially as it's a straight swap! Or should be a straight swap.
Does that sound reasonable?
RemarkLima said:
I'll chase up the electrician as I'm not touching anything on that side... But I think this will be the easiest way? Unless swapping the charger really is better, but given I'd not use any of the smart features and use Octopus Go attached to the car for the schedule, it'll be a bit galling to pay £700 for the charger, and another £400 to install, especially as it's a straight swap! Or should be a straight swap.
Does that sound reasonable?
i paid £880 for the ohme epod a new consumer unit with surge protection (a requirement now apparantly, so not a straight swap) and new tails, took just over 4 hours to do the jobDoes that sound reasonable?
i was on go but wouldnt go back now as intelligent is brilliant being able to charge some during the day especially as we are a 2 EV household now
Edited by Dave Hedgehog on Tuesday 4th November 09:52
Apologies, I am on intelligent octopus go... But it's always been connected to the car rather than the charger.
However, it looks like I'll need an upgrade to put an RCD on each circuit rather than a main shared one and that should sort it as the earth leakage is around 15mA so the car just tips it, but doesn't trip the rolec with it's own RCD.
Seems to be worth doing anyway.
However, it looks like I'll need an upgrade to put an RCD on each circuit rather than a main shared one and that should sort it as the earth leakage is around 15mA so the car just tips it, but doesn't trip the rolec with it's own RCD.
Seems to be worth doing anyway.
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