EV Zappi Charger Install

[ericmark]

I really don't think it matters in this case, the guy is likely now looking for a new job, and clearly the firm will need to send some one to do it again and do it properly. As I said don't like to see some one loose their job just before Christmas, but clearly no firm and accept such workmanship.

Even an electricians mate should do a better job than that.

 

[chivers67]

What's that weird Grey Data Cable to the right hand side of the Board? Some kind of Alarm Cable for loss of Power?

 

[AndyPRK]

There is a current clamp around the main supply (above the main switch).
If the total current on the installation approaches the main fuse rating (or 60A), the zappi will reduce the charging current

The grey cable is the send the installation current back to the zappi

 

[ericmark]

I hope we are told the outcome. I will admit I have made mistakes, I hope not that bad, but since not done knowingly not some thing one tends to remember. But I am sure I have made mistakes, and if some thing has arrived on the market after one has left collage or university then very easy not to be kept up to speed.

Be it gas tight SWA glands or heat treatment through the years I have attended many courses to keep me up to date. In the main arranged for by the firm I was working for, and some things did not seem to make sense at the time, like not bonding direct to earth but through the coil of an ELCB-v which are now outlawed I know, but point is if you ring a manufacturer and some one tells you to do some thing, you may think this does not sound right, but they are the experts.

I would think some thing was missed out, and it was not what the guy on the end of the phone expected the electrician to do, but if the Zappi unit has its own over load built in and is within 3 meters of the consumer unit, then it could have been permitted. I know the Zappi does have current control, but not really for over current, or it would not say use a 32A type B MCB/RCBO. However Zappi clearly have not made it clear what they expected the guy to do.

As I watch videos and read instructions for electric car charging, so I start to realise this is a specialist subject. If we look at the supply to a narrow boat or caravan we realise TN-C-S is not permitted, however with the electric car there is a problem with the car often being close to metal on buildings which is earthed and using TT is not quite as easy, with a caravan fire regulations give a minimum distance from a building which means the possible gradient using TT is not a problem, this is not the case with electric cars, so protection is built into the charging unit, so loss of a PEN will cause it to close down. Also set to close down if over 6 mA DC and other safety features.

So if an electrician is told do it this way, is he wrong to assume the person on the other end of the phone knows what you are talking about? And if he wrong to follow advice given even if wrong?

The same with these pages, we give advice on what we think is being done, a simple phrase like low voltage where poster think this is under 50 VAC and we think it means 50 to 1000 volts AC can result in wrong advice.

 

[griffta]

Sorry for the delay in providing an update to you all on this issue.

In the end the issue got sorted by the company who installed the Zappi in the first place. After I posted on the site, the replies provided me confirmation of my concerns.

Having taken a photo of the shoddy work inside the consumer unit, I sent this to the company with a covering email suggesting that if they didn't return to rectify the poor workmanship I would be forced to pay an independent electrician to do so with the costs put to them for reimbursement. I had also suggested that I would send my findings to the regulatory bodies certifying their company as competent electricians.

Within about 10minues of sending the email, I got a call from the owner of the company, impressive as this was at 8pm. He agreed that the work was not up to standard and he was shocked that a job could have been left in such a state. He arranged for his most experienced engineer to return the next day to rectify.

The next engineer was clearly more knowledgeable. Whilst he wasn't going to throw his colleague under the bus, his comments suggested that the original engineer hadn't been with the company very long and the workmanship didn't meet his standards.

He disconnected the unsafe zappi SWA connection and rearranged the MCBs so that a 40amp MBC could be connected ahead of the two RCDs to supply the Zappi, as per the comments of many in this thread. He also found that the original engineer has misconfigured the CT, again he fixed this.

I know we all have to learn and this could have been the result of lack of experience, however when it comes to other's safety, learning on the job unsupervised and unchecked is surely not the best route to competency. I am sad if the original installer may have lost his job or faced sanctions, especially just before Christmas and in this climate. However the repercussions of his work could have been far worse for me and my family.

Anyway, I wont name the company because I still don't believe that would be fair given that they did rectify the issue promptly.

As always, many thanks for your collective help.

Matt.

 

[ericmark]

Thank you, I suspect we can all think of jobs done early in our career, where we now realise they were not up to scratch. But my early years were spent on construction sites so all my early work now gone. But when my dad started apprenticeship was total 7 years, started at 14, 5 years normal apprenticeship and then 2 years journeyman, by time it was my turn, it was 5 years only with day release, starting at 16, today even shorter with block release, so still 21 year old when considered qualified, but less time to learn it all.

I would not want to see people leave school at 14 year old again, but waiting until 18 before starting an apprenticeship does result in a sharp learning curve. Should be better educated when leaving school to start with, but I could not believe the wiring shown for a fluorescent lamp in 'A' level book, and students questioning if silver is a conductor does point to poor teaching in the schools.

And to be fair, teachers are not always taught that well to start with, remember my son laughing at his teacher who had asked what are to two types of transistor and had been given answer bi-polar and field effect, and said that was wrong you have NPN and PNP which is a sub division of bi-polar.

I find to un-learn harder than learning, I still slip up and call the line live every so often, and it seems there are so many things which were allowed but not allowed any more.