DIY Electrical work: Can I add a plug to a EV charger?

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Obraik

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#261760 13-Dec-2019 16:15

I've got an EV charger and I've also got a 32A socket in the garage of the house I rent. I don't want to get the EV charger permanently installed since the house is a rental. Instead, I'd like to attach a 32A socket to the mains end of the charger which makes use of the 32A socket in the garage. My partner has done electrical work in the past, up to the point where he was an apprentice but changed professions at the end and never got the qualification. I'm confident in his capabilities of doing electrical work and connecting the EV charger to the right cable properly is something I know he'd be able to do just fine.

However, what someone is capable of doing doesn't mean much to insurance if things turn bad and it's not legal 😄 So, seeing that it's not a permanently attached appliance, is this something that can be legally DIY'd or would an electrician need to be involved?

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Zeon

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#2374881 13-Dec-2019 16:42

Interesting the house has a 32A socket! I would think since there is no wiring work done that you don't need any kind of electrician etc. - you are just plugging your appliance into the wall, same as a microwave etc.

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gregmcc

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#2374886 13-Dec-2019 16:53

What do the manufactures instructions for the EV charger say - do there advise against putting a plug and lead on it? or does it say must be hard wired by a qualified electrician?

There are worksafe guidelines on the installation and use of EV chargers, best to follow those.

SomeoneSomewhere

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#2375093 13-Dec-2019 23:28

Schedule two of the regs says this is *not* PEW, so you can do it if you meet the requirements:

work done on low voltage fittings, but only if the work is done in ac-
cordance with ECP 51, and without payment or reward, and the work
consists of—
(i)
replacing a fuse link with a fuse link or plug-in miniature circuit
breaker of an appropriate rating; or
(ii)
affixing a plug, adaptor, cord extension socket, or appliance con-
nector of an appropriate rating to a flexible cord designed for that
purpose

It looks like there is a bit of a gap in the rules, as ECP 51 is all about fixed installation work.

ECP50 (maintenance of appliances by the owner) which does cover appliances and replacing plugs wouldn't be acceptable here as that's limited to single phase 10A.

*shrugs*. The rules are pretty vague in a lot of places.

elpenguino

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#2375236 14-Dec-2019 11:20

Your overarching thought needs to ask can I do this safely ? I would be looking at the charger first - does it have any requirements to be securely fixed e.g. wall, does it have cooling vents to be kept free etc, does it have any finger sized gaps exposed on the rear if it's not mounted to a wall and so on.

If the charger is designed for permanent mounting and wiring you then have to go about choosing, buying and connecting the correct cable and connector for it.

What you're planning to do is covered here:

https://worksafe.govt.nz/managing-health-and-safety/consumers/safe-living-with-electricity/getting-electrical-work-done/doing-your-own-electrical-work/

i.e. the bit Fitting plugs, cord extension sockets or appliance connectors to a flexible cord .

If you think you can do it all safely without killing yourselves (or worse, someone else) or burning the house down, go for it, otherwise, ask a sparky.

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Bung

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#2375244 14-Dec-2019 11:34

If the 32 amp supply to the garage was intended for EV charging it might have the recommended type of RCD. If it is an old socket once used for a welder then its new use wouldn't have been considered. It is probably more complicated than is it ok to fit a plug.

Obraik

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#2377159 17-Dec-2019 16:55

elpenguino:

Your overarching thought needs to ask can I do this safely ? I would be looking at the charger first - does it have any requirements to be securely fixed e.g. wall, does it have cooling vents to be kept free etc, does it have any finger sized gaps exposed on the rear if it's not mounted to a wall and so on.

If the charger is designed for permanent mounting and wiring you then have to go about choosing, buying and connecting the correct cable and connector for it.

What you're planning to do is covered here:

https://worksafe.govt.nz/managing-health-and-safety/consumers/safe-living-with-electricity/getting-electrical-work-done/doing-your-own-electrical-work/

i.e. the bit Fitting plugs, cord extension sockets or appliance connectors to a flexible cord .

If you think you can do it all safely without killing yourselves (or worse, someone else) or burning the house down, go for it, otherwise, ask a sparky.

Yeah, I have no questions about my partners capability of doing the work and attaching it.

The EV charger in question (Tesla wall charger) does come in two versions either with a cable and plug attached or ready to be installed to the wall. The version they give free with purchase of the car is the version that doesn't have a plug attached (it's more expensive for that version). It will still be mounted as if it was on a wall, but to a pole that is inserted into the ground (to avoid permanently mounting it to the house).

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gregmcc

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#2377162 17-Dec-2019 16:59

Obraik:

elpenguino:

Your overarching thought needs to ask can I do this safely ? I would be looking at the charger first - does it have any requirements to be securely fixed e.g. wall, does it have cooling vents to be kept free etc, does it have any finger sized gaps exposed on the rear if it's not mounted to a wall and so on.

If the charger is designed for permanent mounting and wiring you then have to go about choosing, buying and connecting the correct cable and connector for it.

What you're planning to do is covered here:

https://worksafe.govt.nz/managing-health-and-safety/consumers/safe-living-with-electricity/getting-electrical-work-done/doing-your-own-electrical-work/

i.e. the bit Fitting plugs, cord extension sockets or appliance connectors to a flexible cord .

If you think you can do it all safely without killing yourselves (or worse, someone else) or burning the house down, go for it, otherwise, ask a sparky.

Yeah, I have no questions about my partners capability of doing the work and attaching it.

The EV charger in question (Tesla wall charger) does come in two versions either with a cable and plug attached or ready to be installed to the wall. The version they give free with purchase of the car is the version that doesn't have a plug attached (it's more expensive for that version). It will still be mounted as if it was on a wall, but to a pole that is inserted into the ground (to avoid permanently mounting it to the house).

Adding a cord and plug to fixed wired appliance is a modification of the appliance, this is outside the scope of allowed homeowners work, you should engage the services of an electrician, ideally one who has had exp. with EV chargers, as there are special rules around these.

SirHumphreyAppleby

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#2377163 17-Dec-2019 17:02

Obraik:

However, what someone is capable of doing doesn't mean much to insurance if things turn bad and it's not legal 😄 So, seeing that it's not a permanently attached appliance, is this something that can be legally DIY'd or would an electrician need to be involved?

I had a 32A socket installed specifically for this purpose. This approach was recommended to me by a qualified electrician, and installed by another. Both were fully aware of how I intended to use the socket.

Obraik

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#2377164 17-Dec-2019 17:05

SirHumphreyAppleby:

I had a 32A socket installed specifically for this purpose. This approach was recommended to me by a qualified electrician, and installed by another. Both were fully aware of how I intended to use the socket.

Yeah I had the 32a socket installed a year ago by an electrician while they were already doing some other work. The landlord was fine with it and it was pretty cheap to do while he was doing the other work.

Did you do the cabling and plug on the EV charger yourself or did the electrician do that for you?

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SirHumphreyAppleby

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#2377170 17-Dec-2019 17:15

Obraik:

Did you do the cabling and plug on the EV charger yourself or did the electrician do that for you?

The EV is a future purchase, but was a factor in going to 16/32A (I have both socket types) instead of a simple 15A socket for the air compressor. He showed me how to wire up the 16A connectors (similar to the 32A ones) so I could do it when I needed to.