Can I have a 3 phase supply added easily

[danieljamesscott]

Hi,

I have a main fuse carrier which has space for 3 fuses, although only 1 has a tail coming out of it. There is only 1 cable going into the bottom.

Does this mean it would be (relatively) easy to have the supply upgraded to 3-phase? Is there a way to tell? As there is only 1 cable going in, does this mean there is only 1 phase available? Or could there be multiple phase cables within the single supply going in?

Thanks,

Dan

 

[ebee]

The only person to be able to tell you that is the DNO (your supplier in effect) you could also tell you the cost of converting too and if they would be prepared to undertake it for you.
All we can answer is maybe or maybe not

 

[Murdochcat]

Why do you think you want 3 phase?

 

[danieljamesscott]

Why do you think you want 3 phase?

I am investigating electric car chargers.

 

[danieljamesscott]

The only person to be able to tell you that is the DNO (your supplier in effect) you could also tell you the cost of converting too and if they would be prepared to undertake it for you.
All we can answer is maybe or maybe not

Thanks - I will contact them to ask.

 

[flameport]

I am investigating electric car chargers.

Domestic EV charging does not need 3 phase.

 

[ebee]

Domestic EV charging does not need 3 phase.

Yes I`d say that is usually correct, the DNO will ask why you would want it and that would probably cause advise about other alternatives too.
Example, for instance, let`s say you have an electric shower and think that at times both shower and EV could be running and cause overload issues. You might be able to adapt a shower priority device to temporarily disconnect the EV when shower in use - this could well be cheaper than getting a 3 phase supply.

 

[flameport]

You might be able to adapt a shower priority device to temporarily disconnect the EV when shower in use

Not required - most EVSEs have that functionality built in as standard.

 

[ebee]

Thanks for that Flameport, I`m not up to speed with EV charging units, I`ve retired and never been asked about them so I only know what I pick up on here and a few such as Pro Elect mag or Voltimum etc. Same goes for solar and heat pumps

 

[danieljamesscott]

Domestic EV charging does not need 3 phase.

Yes, but it it does if I'd like to get a 22kW charger installed, right?

 

[flameport]

Yes, but it it does if I'd like to get a 22kW charger installed, right?

A 22kW EVSE does require 3 phase - however there are very few vehicles which can use it.
Most vehicles only have an onboard single phase charger, so even if you have a 3 phase EVSE installed, the car will only use one of those phases.

EVSE = the device on the wall which supplies AC electricity to the vehicle. Often called a 'charger' but it's really just a box with some relays inside to switch the electricity on and off, some also have other features to indicate to the car how much power is available to be used.
The actual battery charger is inside the vehicle, and that's what determines how many phases can be used, converts AC to DC, monitors the battery and so on.

Even if you obtain a vehicle which can use 3 phase, it's mostly pointless.
For charging at home, you plug it in when you get home, and then when you go back to the car hours later or the next day, it's charged.
How fast it is and how long it actually takes is irrelevant.
Even in the case where it's not 100% charged when you return to the car, it's also irrelevant because it's rarely necessary or desirable to charge an EV to 100%

Electric vehicles are not petrol, and they are not refuelled in the same way.
Petrol cars are driven around until there is no fuel left, and then it's drive to a special fuel place to pour petrol into it until full.
EVs are charged when parked, which is the vast majority of the time. How 'full' the battery is when it's plugged in to charge is irrelevant. So is how 'full' the battery is when you use the car again.

The exception is for long journeys of 100s of miles, where it makes sense to charge to 100% at home immediately before starting that journey because home charging will be much cheaper than public charging.
However that is not the majority of journeys. Most people do not drive 100s of miles every day or even every week.

 

[chivers67]

Nothing to do with your question as clearly Flameport & co have answered that, but Is that SWA coming out the Wiska box armour earthed anywhere? Hopefully there's a piranha locking nut inside it or at the other end.

 

[danieljamesscott]

Nothing to do with your question as clearly Flameport & co have answered that, but Is that SWA coming out the Wiska box armour earthed anywhere? Hopefully there's a piranha locking nut inside it or at the other end.

I *think* that's the circuit going to my shed, so I hope so! It was all done before I moved in a couple of years ago.

I can double check in the morning. Thanks!

 

[ericmark]

To use three phase, either it needs splitting into three single phase supplies, or a three phase distribution unit is required. The consumer unit is a type tested distribution unit, which has a maximum of 125 amp rating although only seen 100 amp, and is single phase, to fit a non type tested distribution unit need it to be under the control of an instructed person or better, and I think likely in a lockable area, be it a room or box.

Since I have never wanted to fit a three phase supply into a domestic dwelling I have never looked up the rules, and with the push on EV charging, heat pumps, solar panels, and batteries it may have changed. There was a lot about a single point of isolation, but my own house has an array of isolators since having solar panels, and since I was supplied with a compliance certificate it clearly must comply.

I know now I have a 60 amp fuse, but when the solar panels were fitted, did not know that, so 6 kW of solar panels means I have a potential of 86 amp at the consumer unit.

With the DNO head in the house there may be a problem which does not exist if the DNO head is in a locked box outside. I was mainly commercial so three phase was the norm, my only worry was with non low voltage supplies as I had not had the training to work with 3.3 kV etc. I have worked with 10 kV supplies to a TBM but only as an assistant to the guy trained.

I know where I work we have a 22 kW EV charging point, and even some quite large cars can't use the three phases. The idea is the train takes about 2 hours to do the 8 mile return trip, so visitors can in theroy recharge their cars while travelling on the ECE, I assume that is what a steam train is called, if ICE is internal combustion engine then ECE for external combustion engine. In theroy they could burn pulverised and compressed straw, in practice even the bricketts don't work, they break up and send a shower of coal dust up the stack and coat the carriages with a fine black dust of un-burnt coal, and since not burnt clearly not gained the heat, so whole method of stoking the fire.

A steam engine could be designed to run on wood, but then it would be a new engine not heritage. Most the USA engines were oil fired, and if running efficiently hardly a wisp of smoke, but that's not photogenic so they are set to burn inefficiently so loads of smoke for the tourist.

Today's transport may be efficient and environmental friendly, but there was nothing like watching concord take off with after burners on so flame out of the rear of the engines, the only commercial aircraft I have seem that with.

 

[AndyPRK]

It’s a good point. Like a phone battery, it’s not desirable to fast charge a battery (unless you have to).

Therefore a 32A supply is plenty.

Most chargers monitor the current in your supply cable and will turn it off if for example someone goes in the shower