another good trick for driving the earth rod is to fit a three jaw chuck to sds adaptor onto the end of the earth rod then put your sds on hammer only easy to drive into the ground
Nice video, am I old fashioned (I'm 80) but I was always taught to put the cable cleats on the wall with the fixing screws UNDER the cleats to act as support, rather than on the top where the cable would be "hung" ???
I don't know about that. The clips should be equally strong in tension or compression. Putting the ears down gives a nicer looking (at least initially) install, putting them up means that gravity will pull the cable against the wall instead of away from it.
Dont know why but nearly all sparky channels when hammering in a an earth rod they all use little light weight claw hammers. Use a 1kg mash hammer will go in faster. Also fitting the clamp before you hit it in helps as the top mushrooms
I'm sure someone has already said this, but if you lift up that manhole cover, you will get a pretty good idea of how deep the drain pipes are and in what direction (probably out to the road) but easy to check.
Nice install but I don’t see your point in pre drilling the ground to then smash the stake home. How can you guarantee that the last foot is not going to penetrate a soil pipe or HV mains cable ?Not a dig mate just an observation.
Very risky, no guarantee of avoiding any underground utility services unless you hire some surveying equipment, maybe some sort of density scanner 🤷♂️
That's always been the case with any TT system tho. Do u know any sparks that attempt to access plans or CAT scan the ground cos I don't. U make an educated guess based on location of manhole cover, water and gas locations in the property. Not a perfect science but better than nothing. Also, why would u pre drill any material before putting a fixing in or driving a rod? It makes it easier because the rod follows the path of the pre drilled hole. Like Jordan said, it lets you find the sweet spot rather than attempt to bray a rod in 20 times.
@@SME_Ste I did think this too, if you're drilling a 3ft pilot hole then in effect there's only a foot of copper rod in contact with the general mass of earth... Perhaps over time the earth fills in around the other 3ft.
John Daniells yeah I get the pre drilling idea which I’ve actually never tried. I was just interested to know why the last foot would be any different to the first 3. I’ve installed many earth rods but I’m lucky to have a cat scanner.
I winced as well when I saw the copper rod being whacked directly - however then saw the supplied clamp which didn't need the thread, so who cares! Then again I would have threaded on a clamp but... would I have deviated from manufacturers instructions. I hated that clamp, still do.
Being a sparky these days is becoming harder to sleep at night wot with all the new regs etc, wondering if you’ve complied 100% with every aspect of bs7671
I’m pretty sure there is no exceptions for RDC protection in a dwelling so the 40a MCB non RCD is a bit naughty (I know it’s SWA etc) unless i’m wrong. I also know that the Rolex have a built in RCD not RCBO in the unit itself.
Cables which are clipped direct and have an earthed metallic sheath do not need RCD protection. The RCD within the Charging point protects the socket outlet itself.
Late to the game, but I just found out: It is incredible that an EV needs a separate earth and that the EVSE between the socket and the car the needs a relay on that second earth?? How unlikely is it that an onboard charger fails in a way that puts EV battery DC voltage on the ground wire or the chassis, as well as the car computer, which always monitors isolation resistance between chassis and battery, not noticing? I know about SMPS and quality ones go to great length making sure this is not a way they can possible fail unless you throw a bucket of water on them. People have been charging different kinds of electric vehicles straight from the socket, even without an earth in the rain for a century as well as using ungrounded corded steel lawnmowers in claggy grass barefooted, and I've never heard of any EV owner finding dead mammals around their car in the morning for the past 40 years? I would like to know the reasoning in the legislation for treating EVs differently from any other outdoor appliance? Even tumbler dryers, which occasionally are wrongly installed without a ground and then have a short to the chassis, which indeed shock the residents when they find out, almost never off them amidst plenty of grounded piping typical of an utility room.
Great vid. I'm a trainee electrical engineer at a packaging factory. Just done my 18th edition and PAT testing. I'm learning a great deal from your vids. Much appreciated. 🐵
Hi Jordan excellent video again nice close ups notice the critic's have plenty to say I would luv them to make a how you should do it video but I guess they dont have time because they are too busy telling everyone how awesome they are keep the videos coming thanks for sharing
At 16.39 - you say "needed to get the customer to upgrade the main fuse " ?? Surely - the capacity of the existing installation should have been checked before commencing works ? - Or in other words - part of the opening commentary - where external influences and design criteria have been considered - and the supply upgraded ( which it appears it needs to be ) before installation commenced - ie once contractually committed ? I'm assuming that this circuit will be a 32A circuit - which of course has no reduction in terms of diversity - so is a full 32A additional load on the system ?
Top tip mate when your about to install your earth rod put the clamp on first just incase the rid top mushrooms can be a pain trying to fit it after bud :) top upload mate well done
The metal clips being used for prevention on premature collapse , would you agree that it seems pointless when using red plastic plugs? do you know of any fixtures that would replace using plastic plugs?
Thanks for this video as it confirms I can never have a charging point installed at this house due to it being listed. Disappointing but do appreciate that I know where I stand on matters.
A good presentation. What caught my eye was the existing meter arrangement. Many years ago, my house had a similar electromechanical rate change/restricted supply switch setup with an old fashioned meter like that. After that it was replaced by a radio-teleswitch (ultra long-wave) system and a digital meter, then later on it was changed to a fixed timing digital one so as to tolerate reverse current (when I had solar PV added). The existing kit would not be compatible with local generation (typically solar PV like my place), but also not suitable for those utility supply firms that offer EV cars as storage battery export. In general, those old meters will run backwards if they try that.
Brilliant video. Where does the earth from the house installation down the 6mm SWA terminate to in the Rolec if there’s also an earth rod? Many thanks.
Hi just a question on sauna installs. What type of cable what yous recommend using from isolator outside the unit into the heater? Regs say have to use a cable that’ll withstand 170 degrees c, but the sauna that’s going has a thermostat and will cut off at any temperatures over 120 degrees c?
So the earth from the swa was just in a bit of terminal block in the back of the charging point? Been reading up on the regs regarding these charging points and I can't see where it says what should be done with the earth cable apart from them saying "don't use it".
quick question if the swa gland is connected on consumer and you scratch the paint where the gland fits do you still need make earth connection to the earth terminal??
Soyeb mankda technically it should be earthed that way but we always connect an earth wire from the gland directly to the earthing terminal as well, belt and braces as we say
Being a TNS are we required to future proof it changing to a pme? I’ve done a lot of chargers fortunately all been tns and we have not allowed for a rod in those cases? 🤷♂️
Tom Mendoza yes we have to either get written confirmation from the DNO that it will never be changed to PME (which they will never give you) or we have to install an earth electrode TT system
If you are in the UK and not fitting a TT system on a TNS earth then your company is doing it wrong. As Artisan says unless you can get the DNO confirm in writing that a TNS system will never be converted to TNCS/PME then you have to create a TT system. Read the IET guidance book and Regs for further info.
Richard Williamson recently had our NICEIC inspection, he looked at one of our car install jobs which was this very situation. Over the moon with it, only looked at one job and said I’ve seen enough. 👋 So this can’t be totally correct what your saying
@@richardwilliamson3624 I'm just about to receive EDF olev charger installation an eo mini pro. At the meter there is a warning label saying it is PME. The installers rang to say that they had forgotten I will need an earth rod and do I have soft soil near by. I'm not an electrician but I have been watching a few videos about earthing and bonding. I already have a rolec and it does not have earth rod? Fitted in 2018. Do I need to get one added, for pme it seems adding an earth rod on both of the two 32amp circuits should be ok, I don't know. Main fuse is 100amp. Both chargers at the same time pull 7kw each max.
Annoys me so much that main incoming pme systems are so bad that rather than the electrical suppliers sorting it out us electricians have to with a tt system. I guess the earth isn’t their responsibility but still annoys me. Plus are they likely to change a tns systems to tncs? Have you come across it? (I haven’t). Good vid bye the way. Great tip with drilling the floor before hitting the rod in,I’ll use that one
Thanks yeah the regs are way over the top in my opinion but we gotta do what we are told! The TT is there for safety in the case of a PEN fault, which is super unlikely anyway, but hey ho! Never heard of them changing TNS to PME but apparently it does happen...
Artisan Electrics I believe the car charging points on tns systems need to be tt because what we see as tns at the property may actually be tncs in the ground in the street. I don’t see why we needs to tt them anyway. We don’t tt anything else external on tncs or tns.
Where in the regs does it state you have to fit an earth spike in case the TNS supply is converted to TNC-S? If in the unlikely event it was to happen the installation would need to be reassesed and an earth rod fitted at that stage; similar to when water companies informed home owners of metal water mains being changed to plastic so they can get any their main earth connections changed to an earth spike. The electricity DNO would have to inform customers of a change to their earthing from TNS to TNC-S so as to allow customers to get their main bonding conductors installed/replaced, as many older installations will have none or have undersized conductors that are less than the 10mm sq. required for TNC-S.
Plus if the earthing is lost. It means by default we would lose our Neutral would we not? This would result in instant release of the charge coil on the contactor. This would result in double pole isolation to the car. Biggest load of I'll thought out crap I've ever seen. More engineers will die driving rods in.
I like to use the q-max punches for cutting holes in consumer units. They make a really neat hole with no chance of slipping like you can with a holesaw.
John Dufton what I like about these hole saws is they have a wider bit at the back which stops you going through too far, I have used punches in the past as well but prefer this method
Good video. Ditto with regard to the SDS tip and I’ve heard that putting in the earth rod a few feet from the building wall avoids having to try to get the rod through foundations. Do you think it would be acceptable to connect your SWA sheath to the earth rod and isolate the other end from theTN system earth? I was asked to connect a Tesla car charging unit which did not come with the required type B RCD so had to source a separate one which cost the client an extra £400.
Thanks! Yeah I could have done it the other way but it’s more difficult as the gland is connected to the metal consumer unit so impossible to separate the two earthing systems.
Hey Jordan great video. We drive earth rods in nz daily we use Toby boxes which sit flush with the surface and have a lid on them they are great for installations where they are concreting round them. Can you can them back home? TBH braver than me working live, not something I do out of choice especially not in a domestic setting. Commercial I’d think twice. Keep up, loving the new van
The amount of unsuitable CUs there are for EV charging is unbelievable in UK. A goldmine waiting to happen 😉 but it's a gamble investing at the moment. Hmmm...
I carry 80A & 100A main service fuses to upgrade from 60A or 80A depending upon the requirements, I have the requisite meter seals and correct tool to crimp them as well, I find the DNO's are not bothered about a registered sparky upgrading the main fuse as long as the seals are replaced.
That's no a very good earth box. I would at least rightly wrap the clamp connection in gas tape (Denso tape), otherwise it's likely to suffer heavy corrosion over the years.
I would have started at the charging unit first outside, then done the inside work, I always work towards the mains supply then you would have needed to lock off the breaker, plus no danger of anything being live till you have finished.
Agree it's a good idea to work from load to supply, although in this case he said he didn't have the charger due to lead times, so had to come back to fit it.
Thanks for your excellent explanation of your setup and particularly the earthing rod connections to avoid contact to the PME. I am still a learner and was trying to get my head round this kind of EV charging installation and your video has helped a lot. If a house is on a TNCS would you do a similar setup with an earthing rod if you were installing electricity to an outside metal shed in a garden that houses for example water pump and UV light filter, sockets, lighting etc? The metal shed is obviously an extraneous conductive part so it would have to be bonded to the earth rod. Would the shed MET and CU still have to be kept separated from the main house PME earthing system? Thanks again Chris.
Hello! Great video and a very neat job! Seeking some advice if you don’t mind? I’m considering buying an electric car in the next year or so but don’t know quite how I’d get the charger installed at home. I’m by no means an electrician so please bear with if I use half the wrong terms 😂 Does the cable leading to the charger need to come directly from the consumer unit or can it be run from other cabling via a spur/connection unit? Sadly my off road parking is at the back of my garden which is quite a way from the consumer unit; and as far as I know I wouldn’t be able to trail the charging cable across any public path to the car for obvious reasons! I already have outdoor sockets fitted with 2.5~mm 3 core armoured cable running close to the drive, however these are run off of an existing indoor circuit via a switched fused connection unit. To me, this would be the easiest option as the ideal location for the charger is close to this armoured cable, on the other side of a garden wall; but would this be viable?
Nice video Jordan ,I am attending the course on car charge points soon ,is the paperwork side as onerous as the mcs system for claiming customers grants back ?
Great video Jordan. I also have those long 1m drills and invaluable ! I use the SDS on a large Hilti kit I have and nothing stops them! ( sorry - but Makita /DeWalt or Milwakee come nowhere close ! ). I use a old SuperRod red plastic tube to keep them stored in and brilliant use.
Do you pay to be registered with Nic for the vehicle charging installs? I have thought about being registered. Last 2 enquiries I’ve had though as in today the car manufacturer offer free installation so no need for us. Have you came across this?
I’m not registered with NICEIC for this it’s part of my normal approved contractor status. I get lots of enquiries, you’re right about manufacturers but often customers want someone they can trust.
hi mate nice video. did you leave the earth cable from the swa loose in the charging box? because I heard you say you wanted to separate the two earth cables. also could you still have used a swa gland kit on the charging box instead of the stuffin gland.
Andy chara yeah I left the earth core taped up inside the box, so it’s accessible for testing but nobody can inadvertently touch it. I didn’t want to use an SWA gland as the brass gland would be an exposed conductive part connected to the TNS earthing system. No need to use proper armoured gland on both ends anyway as long as it’s earthed at one end it’s fine. Compression gland did the trick nicely. Taped up the armouring so it’s not exposed.
Wow, working on a live consumer unit, and bodging around a live busbar with a screwdriver, the earth rod should not be covered over, and you should always connect the circuit at the CU AFTER the load end has been connected.
Agree Paul Green, but thesedays you tend to get shot down by commenting on the proper safe working methods. Personally my thought is if its getting put out on a public forum, everthing must be done as per rules and regs. Why the 3 core SWA when only needing 2 core? Dont say the CPC is there to protect the cable, because thats never been the job of a CPC. Why the bodge of the SWA gland at the charge point - the reason given in the video is utter tosh! Is part of thart earthing conductor directly buried? Cos if it is 10mm don't comply does it? What was the reason for live testing on exposed end of the conductors? Isn't this what the dead testing is designed for? PS i'm not perfect in any way, but if you're doing this stuff for the world to see, get it bang on right!
Another great video, we use the 1m drill bits and there great have 10mm, 16mm,25mm and 35mm there a must have, great job just wish the conduit went into the earth spike box, keep up the good work
Thanks for the video, my apprentice made me aware of your work. Please work safe 1. fitting MCBs to a live consumer unit. 2, drilling the side of a live consumer unit. 3. unconventional zs measurement.
@@artisanelectrics yes they do, is this something you can do? The place is in London. Cable run about 20m. Ans how much roughly would it cost. I'm looking having the Zappi
Great video enjoy watching them inpsires me to go solo. Had a question bout the service head as it looked like it's the old type where they fused the neutral too u less is been replaced with solid link. How would you normally go about this?
Ok cool thanks for the response. I suppose as long as you've informed them, that s your part done. Do you add something with the certificate for them to sign as evidence? I ask as I'm figuring ways out for hopefully when I go solo as yourself. Many thanks again. Love watching these vids on RUclips between and all the other guys too. I use your tip when straightening up existing cables when installing new db, works a treat
Hi Jordan Question for you and all you other EV. charging point installers, how have you guys managed to carry out testing on the Rolec charging Pod, only asking because when I did my EV training we were told you need the Rolec testing adaptor (basically a £480 Martindale tester) which tells the charging pod there’s a car attached to the pod which lets you carry out the rcd and Zs test Lee
There is a type 2to universal socket tester That makes the charger think it’s connected to the car I don’t think they are that sort of money.I install ev chargers for a living and have fitted in excess of 600
Tim Davison yes, it’s to avoid problems in the case of a PEN fault where the whole metalwork of the car could become live and if you’re standing on the ground you could potentially get a shock
My question would simply be approx how much for this installation should I allow before purchasing the new electric car.plus will this fully charge the car overnight, or is that just a few miles booster, thanks to great video.
You should probably allow about £1500-£2k for the charging point and installation depending on your situation, this charging point is 7kW so will charge your car fully overnight.
Water heater is only a backup immersion heater in case the boiler packs in. No diversity is allowed for the charging point though. Upgrade of main fuse to 100amp is in progress.
Bollocks, TN-S may go to a TN-C-S? I ask because TN-S is the best return and TN-C-S is a cop out that can fail. PME is an overhead or underground supply that has multiple returns to source. What happens when a fault on the car is returned by the TN-S of the house with a person in the middle?
Apparently sometimes it looks like TN-S at the service head but they have replaced the underground cable somewhere down the road and PMEd it there, it happens quite a lot.
Yeah you need it because it could potentially be turned into a PME system in the future, if you can guarantee it will stay as TNS then you don’t need an earth rod.
taking the premature collapse thing a bit too serious sometimes, that cable would collapse about 1in being held both ends with a wall and metal dB, no one ever is going to get tangled up in that swa lol, not a dig at you just common sense dosnt seem to prevail a lot of the time.
Hi, pls help. Its not clear for me no matter how many times I read the 18th edition. Do you have to connect the PME earth to the earth rod as well or keep the PME earth separate from the earth rod, so the EV charger is connected only to the rod? Thanks
@@artisanelectrics now I understand, the earth from the TNs is just floating if you like, but its there to trip the RCD to protect the cable running to the Rolec. But its the TT will protect the Rolec.
Nice job. But I’m not keen on the clamp connection to the electrode. You’d get a maintenance free connection by sweating the cable on. That is what the supply authorities do when installing an electrode when putting a replacement pme service which connects to an old pilc distributing main. They usually just leave the electrode lying in the trench, so it is buried fairly deeply. You were lucky to get a nice low reading from the electrode.
I notice you've used a 40A breaker in the CU, however this will not grade with the RCBO in the Rolec. You should have instead used a 50A MCB at the CU to ensure proper discrimination
It was not an SWA gland just a compression gland at the charging point end as I didn’t want simultaneous contact to be possible between the TNS earth and the TT earth system.
Fantastic installation! Great to see start to finish. Regarding the Rolec, was that a Type B RCD? I thought they only came with a Type A RCD?, If so, what did you do for the 6ma DC leakage?
Liam Wolstenholme thanks! They come with a type A RCD and internally they have a device which monitors DC residual current and switches off if it gets too high.
Good video, it's easier to use hituff cable rather than SWA that way you don't need to worry about the armouring, would be ideal for that as it's all above ground, nice to see you installing a rod, I have been to loads of places and they have just connected them to the existing main earth. The thing that annoys me with charging points, is like with any renewables, it's treated as a special case, there is no difference installing circuits for these things as opposed to a cooker or shower, so why all the crap of going on courses and joining another scheme, all about getting extra money from the contractor.
The thing is that they pull a constant load rather than a cooker or something else which clicks on and off these will pull 30amps constantly for 4-8 hours while the car charges, so there’s a lot higher risk, also they are generally outside which makes a difference to safety especially with the issues around exporting PME
@@artisanelectrics that could be true, but its just a circuit and if you are an electrician you should know all this, whenever their is government money, theres always some red tape and additional cost totally pointless, as i said i have seen these points installed, by so called approved installers and they have not used an earth rod.
Throw that do armour slice away and get a rothenbirger steel conduit cutter, the type that look similar to a plumber's pipe cutter. They are perfect for swa. I work in street lighting and work with swa all day, trust me it works a dream 🤙
Amour slice only works well if you change the blade regularly, if you only get one tooth broken there crap. Also only tighten the knob up gently every turn then you good to go.
Update! All my viewers can now benefit from FREE amazon prime video subscription for one month, follow the link in the description.
another good trick for driving the earth rod is to fit a three jaw chuck to sds adaptor onto the end of the earth rod then put your sds on hammer only easy to drive into the ground
Nice video, am I old fashioned (I'm 80) but I was always taught to put the cable cleats on the wall with the fixing screws UNDER the cleats to act as support, rather than on the top where the cable would be "hung" ???
William Martin Culleton interesting thanks for sharing!
I’m an apprentice electrician in college and that’s what they recommend to do have the screw/ nail under the cable to provide support to it
Interesting thanks for sharing!
William you are not old fashioned just have common scence, which is sadly missing nowadays.
I don't know about that. The clips should be equally strong in tension or compression. Putting the ears down gives a nicer looking (at least initially) install, putting them up means that gravity will pull the cable against the wall instead of away from it.
Dont know why but nearly all sparky channels when hammering in a an earth rod they all use little light weight claw hammers.
Use a 1kg mash hammer will go in faster.
Also fitting the clamp before you hit it in helps as the top mushrooms
I'm sure someone has already said this, but if you lift up that manhole cover, you will get a pretty good idea of how deep the drain pipes are and in what direction (probably out to the road) but easy to check.
Good idea!
Nice install but I don’t see your point in pre drilling the ground to then smash the stake home. How can you guarantee that the last foot is not going to penetrate a soil pipe or HV mains cable ?Not a dig mate just an observation.
Very risky, no guarantee of avoiding any underground utility services unless you hire some surveying equipment, maybe some sort of density scanner 🤷♂️
That's always been the case with any TT system tho. Do u know any sparks that attempt to access plans or CAT scan the ground cos I don't. U make an educated guess based on location of manhole cover, water and gas locations in the property. Not a perfect science but better than nothing. Also, why would u pre drill any material before putting a fixing in or driving a rod? It makes it easier because the rod follows the path of the pre drilled hole. Like Jordan said, it lets you find the sweet spot rather than attempt to bray a rod in 20 times.
Also if you're removing the earth to a point with a drill bit, then there has to be some loss of contact between the rod and the surrounding earth?
@@SME_Ste I did think this too, if you're drilling a 3ft pilot hole then in effect there's only a foot of copper rod in contact with the general mass of earth... Perhaps over time the earth fills in around the other 3ft.
John Daniells yeah I get the pre drilling idea which I’ve actually never tried. I was just interested to know why the last foot would be any different to the first 3.
I’ve installed many earth rods but I’m lucky to have a cat scanner.
Nice video mate, thanks... Screw a nut on to the earth rod before smacking with the hammer, just to protect the thread a bit
Good idea thanks
They actually sell ends to be used for knocking it down .
I winced as well when I saw the copper rod being whacked directly - however then saw the supplied clamp which didn't need the thread, so who cares! Then again I would have threaded on a clamp but... would I have deviated from manufacturers instructions. I hated that clamp, still do.
Always good though to keep a usable thread, just in case you need to send another deeper
Being a sparky these days is becoming harder to sleep at night wot with all the new regs etc, wondering if you’ve complied 100% with every aspect of bs7671
Yeah I feel the same at times
I’m pretty sure there is no exceptions for RDC protection in a dwelling so the 40a MCB non RCD is a bit naughty (I know it’s SWA etc) unless i’m wrong. I also know that the Rolex have a built in RCD not RCBO in the unit itself.
Cables which are clipped direct and have an earthed metallic sheath do not need RCD protection. The RCD within the Charging point protects the socket outlet itself.
Late to the game, but I just found out: It is incredible that an EV needs a separate earth and that the EVSE between the socket and the car the needs a relay on that second earth?? How unlikely is it that an onboard charger fails in a way that puts EV battery DC voltage on the ground wire or the chassis, as well as the car computer, which always monitors isolation resistance between chassis and battery, not noticing? I know about SMPS and quality ones go to great length making sure this is not a way they can possible fail unless you throw a bucket of water on them. People have been charging different kinds of electric vehicles straight from the socket, even without an earth in the rain for a century as well as using ungrounded corded steel lawnmowers in claggy grass barefooted, and I've never heard of any EV owner finding dead mammals around their car in the morning for the past 40 years? I would like to know the reasoning in the legislation for treating EVs differently from any other outdoor appliance? Even tumbler dryers, which occasionally are wrongly installed without a ground and then have a short to the chassis, which indeed shock the residents when they find out, almost never off them amidst plenty of grounded piping typical of an utility room.
Great vid. I'm a trainee electrical engineer at a packaging factory. Just done my 18th edition and PAT testing.
I'm learning a great deal from your vids.
Much appreciated. 🐵
Excellent glad to hear!
Please buy a copper mallet/lump hammer, was painful watching you use that hammer. :-)
Yes, agree with that point.
I had to turn the sound off, agree with it. Was painful to watch
Hi Jordan excellent video again nice close ups notice the critic's have plenty to say I would luv them to make a how you should do it video but I guess they dont have time because they are too busy telling everyone how awesome they are keep the videos coming thanks for sharing
Ha ha thanks a lot! Much appreciated!
I am assuming that because the swa offers additional protection for the cable that is why you dont fit an rcd for additional protection of the cable?
Yes that’s right and it’s clipped direct so according to the refs doesn’t need RCD protection
At 16.39 - you say "needed to get the customer to upgrade the main fuse " ??
Surely - the capacity of the existing installation should have been checked before commencing works ?
- Or in other words - part of the opening commentary - where external influences and design criteria have been considered - and the supply upgraded ( which it appears it needs to be ) before installation commenced - ie once contractually committed ?
I'm assuming that this circuit will be a 32A circuit - which of course has no reduction in terms of diversity - so is a full 32A additional load on the system ?
I have used a lot longer bit and I am a qualified electrician since 30 years
Excellent vid as always Jordan. Keep them coming! Well presented :)
Michael Kirkham thanks a lot
love the toffee hammer
Top tip mate when your about to install your earth rod put the clamp on first just incase the rid top mushrooms can be a pain trying to fit it after bud :) top upload mate well done
Rid?? Rod even haha
The metal clips being used for prevention on premature collapse , would you agree that it seems pointless when using red plastic plugs? do you know of any fixtures that would replace using plastic plugs?
Love it. Have been using it often for a month . So far so good.
Content was electrifying
Paul Mcgeoch 😂
There's always a bright spark in the comments section.
Thanks for this video as it confirms I can never have a charging point installed at this house due to it being listed. Disappointing but do appreciate that I know where I stand on matters.
Glad I could help
@@artisanelectrics Thank you. :)
Yep, got these bits and more. Come in extremely handy and well worth the extra pennies
Definitely!
A good presentation. What caught my eye was the existing meter arrangement. Many years ago, my house had a similar electromechanical rate change/restricted supply switch setup with an old fashioned meter like that. After that it was replaced by a radio-teleswitch (ultra long-wave) system and a digital meter, then later on it was changed to a fixed timing digital one so as to tolerate reverse current (when I had solar PV added).
The existing kit would not be compatible with local generation (typically solar PV like my place), but also not suitable for those utility supply firms that offer EV cars as storage battery export. In general, those old meters will run backwards if they try that.
Thanks for your comments john
Brilliant video. Where does the earth from the house installation down the 6mm SWA terminate to in the Rolec if there’s also an earth rod? Many thanks.
Hi just a question on sauna installs. What type of cable what yous recommend using from isolator outside the unit into the heater? Regs say have to use a cable that’ll withstand 170 degrees c, but the sauna that’s going has a thermostat and will cut off at any temperatures over 120 degrees c?
So the earth from the swa was just in a bit of terminal block in the back of the charging point? Been reading up on the regs regarding these charging points and I can't see where it says what should be done with the earth cable apart from them saying "don't use it".
quick question if the swa gland is connected on consumer and you scratch the paint where the gland fits do you still need make earth connection to the earth terminal??
Soyeb mankda technically it should be earthed that way but we always connect an earth wire from the gland directly to the earthing terminal as well, belt and braces as we say
thank you
Being a TNS are we required to future proof it changing to a pme? I’ve done a lot of chargers fortunately all been tns and we have not allowed for a rod in those cases? 🤷♂️
Tom Mendoza yes we have to either get written confirmation from the DNO that it will never be changed to PME (which they will never give you) or we have to install an earth electrode TT system
If you are in the UK and not fitting a TT system on a TNS earth then your company is doing it wrong. As Artisan says unless you can get the DNO confirm in writing that a TNS system will never be converted to TNCS/PME then you have to create a TT system. Read the IET guidance book and Regs for further info.
Richard Williamson recently had our NICEIC inspection, he looked at one of our car install jobs which was this very situation. Over the moon with it, only looked at one job and said I’ve seen enough. 👋
So this can’t be totally correct what your saying
@@richardwilliamson3624 I'm just about to receive EDF olev charger installation an eo mini pro. At the meter there is a warning label saying it is PME. The installers rang to say that they had forgotten I will need an earth rod and do I have soft soil near by. I'm not an electrician but I have been watching a few videos about earthing and bonding. I already have a rolec and it does not have earth rod? Fitted in 2018. Do I need to get one added, for pme it seems adding an earth rod on both of the two 32amp circuits should be ok, I don't know. Main fuse is 100amp. Both chargers at the same time pull 7kw each max.
Where does it state we need a written letter from the DNO?
Cheers for uploading this mate 👍
No problem!
I know you had limitations for method 1 earth rod test, but it would have been nice to have had you mention it.
I would have run the SWA down and across the wall and then up into the consumer unit in that store / laundry room
Annoys me so much that main incoming pme systems are so bad that rather than the electrical suppliers sorting it out us electricians have to with a tt system. I guess the earth isn’t their responsibility but still annoys me.
Plus are they likely to change a tns systems to tncs? Have you come across it? (I haven’t).
Good vid bye the way.
Great tip with drilling the floor before hitting the rod in,I’ll use that one
Thanks yeah the regs are way over the top in my opinion but we gotta do what we are told! The TT is there for safety in the case of a PEN fault, which is super unlikely anyway, but hey ho! Never heard of them changing TNS to PME but apparently it does happen...
Artisan Electrics I believe the car charging points on tns systems need to be tt because what we see as tns at the property may actually be tncs in the ground in the street.
I don’t see why we needs to tt them anyway. We don’t tt anything else external on tncs or tns.
Where in the regs does it state you have to fit an earth spike in case the TNS supply is converted to TNC-S? If in the unlikely event it was to happen the installation would need to be reassesed and an earth rod fitted at that stage; similar to when water companies informed home owners of metal water mains being changed to plastic so they can get any their main earth connections changed to an earth spike. The electricity DNO would have to inform customers of a change to their earthing from TNS to TNC-S so as to allow customers to get their main bonding conductors installed/replaced, as many older installations will have none or have undersized conductors that are less than the 10mm sq. required for TNC-S.
Plus if the earthing is lost. It means by default we would lose our Neutral would we not?
This would result in instant release of the charge coil on the contactor.
This would result in double pole isolation to the car.
Biggest load of I'll thought out crap I've ever seen.
More engineers will die driving rods in.
Good to meet you at Sliverstone. Looking forward to seeing your videos of the event.
Thanks! You too!
Nice video Jordan, very informative and helpful to us who are looking at getting into EV charge points at a domestic level.
Thanks! Glad to help!
Hi Jordan
Great Video!
What breaker would you use if the swa armored cable feeding the ev charger was buried on the ground.
Cheers
Do you have to use SWA? Thought that was only if exposed/underground?
Don’t have to but it’s good in this kind of environment
I like to use the q-max punches for cutting holes in consumer units. They make a really neat hole with no chance of slipping like you can with a holesaw.
John Dufton what I like about these hole saws is they have a wider bit at the back which stops you going through too far, I have used punches in the past as well but prefer this method
Me too - they appear to have gone out of 'fashion' but they are brilliant!
Good video. Ditto with regard to the SDS tip and I’ve heard that putting in the earth rod a few feet from the building wall avoids having to try to get the rod through foundations. Do you think it would be acceptable to connect your SWA sheath to the earth rod and isolate the other end from theTN system earth? I was asked to connect a Tesla car charging unit which did not come with the required type B RCD so had to source a separate one which cost the client an extra £400.
Thanks! Yeah I could have done it the other way but it’s more difficult as the gland is connected to the metal consumer unit so impossible to separate the two earthing systems.
Hey Jordan great video. We drive earth rods in nz daily we use Toby boxes which sit flush with the surface and have a lid on them they are great for installations where they are concreting round them. Can you can them back home? TBH braver than me working live, not something I do out of choice especially not in a domestic setting. Commercial I’d think twice. Keep up, loving the new van
It'll be interest to see how industry responds when electric vehicles really take off and households are charging multiple vehicles.
Alvin Ashman yeah it’s def gonna happen it’s just a matter of time, I’m trying to be ahead of the curve
@@artisanelectrics Installation seems a doddle, the paperwork side e.g applying for a government grants seem like a bit of a headache.
The amount of unsuitable CUs there are for EV charging is unbelievable in UK. A goldmine waiting to happen 😉 but it's a gamble investing at the moment. Hmmm...
Neat work, customer must have been pleased. Has anyone mentioned you look like a young Piers Morgan?
james patrick Thanks! Not sure about the likeness 🤔
It's harsh but true.
We were all avoiding being so unkind 🤣
Good tip for earth rods is a driving nut on top then a large socket on a sds hammer drill goes in lovely 😁 great vid keep them coming 👍
Derek cross great tip thanks!
@M H You don't!.....
Also if the RA reading isn't good enough the thread isn't damaged and a 2nd rod can be connected
M H use a CAT 4+ scanner... best part of £800 but you can’t go wrong. Worth taking the guess work out before it all goes tits up
Exactly how ive been taught! Was about tk say the same and saw this!!
What cable would you use for a three phase 400V installation?
It really depends on the situation normally we use SWA 4 or 5 core but it would have to be designed correctly according to the circumstances
Artisan Electrics -Say for a 11 kw and 22kw charger 400V 3 phase. I have seen Webasto recommend 6mm2 and 10mm2, but wouldn’t 4 and 6 be enough?
Wicked video! cant beat the Wera Torque screwdriver !
Thanks!
I carry 80A & 100A main service fuses to upgrade from 60A or 80A depending upon the requirements, I have the requisite meter seals and correct tool to crimp them as well, I find the DNO's are not bothered about a registered sparky upgrading the main fuse as long as the seals are replaced.
You would need to register it with them though surely as they need to keep track of loading on all their cables.
what is the size of your drill bit for the rod?
10mm
That's no a very good earth box. I would at least rightly wrap the clamp connection in gas tape (Denso tape), otherwise it's likely to suffer heavy corrosion over the years.
doing my city and guilds EVC next month did that niceic one day course back in march
is the niceic one not a proper course then mate?
Nice one hope it goes well
James Forster it's just a introduction course really
So if it was already a tt system would you still need to do an earth stake or does it only apply on tns and tncs?
Only TNCS and TNS. You can also convert the whole installation to TT if it’s easier but usually that’s not a great option.
I would have started at the charging unit first outside, then done the inside work, I always work towards the mains supply then you would have needed to lock off the breaker, plus no danger of anything being live till you have finished.
Agree it's a good idea to work from load to supply, although in this case he said he didn't have the charger due to lead times, so had to come back to fit it.
Yes exactly thanks!
Thanks for your excellent explanation of your setup and particularly the earthing rod connections to avoid contact to the PME.
I am still a learner and was trying to get my head round this kind of EV charging installation and your video has helped a lot.
If a house is on a TNCS would you do a similar setup with an earthing rod if you were installing electricity to an outside metal shed in a garden that houses for example water pump and UV light filter, sockets, lighting etc? The metal shed is obviously an extraneous conductive part so it would have to be bonded to the earth rod. Would the shed MET and CU still have to be kept separated from the main house PME earthing system?
Thanks again Chris.
Did you have to buy the Rolec EV tester?
Yeah I did! Expensive bit of kit!
Can you use the Rolec tester for all makes of charger?
Yes you can
Great video very well explained
RK 180 thanks!
Thinking about taking the 2919 course myself! Do you find much work cumin your way for the chargers?
James Forster yeah it’s worth doing, I’m getting more and more of these jobs now.
Hello! Great video and a very neat job!
Seeking some advice if you don’t mind?
I’m considering buying an electric car in the next year or so but don’t know quite how I’d get the charger installed at home. I’m by no means an electrician so please bear with if I use half the wrong terms 😂
Does the cable leading to the charger need to come directly from the consumer unit or can it be run from other cabling via a spur/connection unit?
Sadly my off road parking is at the back of my garden which is quite a way from the consumer unit; and as far as I know I wouldn’t be able to trail the charging cable across any public path to the car for obvious reasons!
I already have outdoor sockets fitted with 2.5~mm 3 core armoured cable running close to the drive, however these are run off of an existing indoor circuit via a switched fused connection unit. To me, this would be the easiest option as the ideal location for the charger is close to this armoured cable, on the other side of a garden wall; but would this be viable?
Do you use 16mm earth when installing and earth rod
10mm is sufficient
@@artisanelectrics ok thanks. would you use 16mm if it was the main earth feeding the consumer unit on a tt system 👍
Definitely need a trowel and a decent mallet :) love your videos
Karl McClelland, 360Spaces yep! Thanks
Nice video Jordan ,I am attending the course on car charge points soon ,is the paperwork side as onerous as the mcs system for claiming customers grants back ?
Yes it’s a bit of a nightmare!
If you want to get OLEV credited its a long serious of whoops to jump through!
Great video Jordan. I also have those long 1m drills and invaluable ! I use the SDS on a large Hilti kit I have and nothing stops them! ( sorry - but Makita /DeWalt or Milwakee come nowhere close ! ). I use a old SuperRod red plastic tube to keep them stored in and brilliant use.
xylo66 Love Hilti tools I totally agree with you, I’m saving up for some!
Do you pay to be registered with Nic for the vehicle charging installs? I have thought about being registered. Last 2 enquiries I’ve had though as in today the car manufacturer offer free installation so no need for us. Have you came across this?
I’m not registered with NICEIC for this it’s part of my normal approved contractor status. I get lots of enquiries, you’re right about manufacturers but often customers want someone they can trust.
hi mate nice video. did you leave the earth cable from the swa loose in the charging box? because I heard you say you wanted to separate the two earth cables. also could you still have used a swa gland kit on the charging box instead of the stuffin gland.
Andy chara yeah I left the earth core taped up inside the box, so it’s accessible for testing but nobody can inadvertently touch it. I didn’t want to use an SWA gland as the brass gland would be an exposed conductive part connected to the TNS earthing system. No need to use proper armoured gland on both ends anyway as long as it’s earthed at one end it’s fine. Compression gland did the trick nicely. Taped up the armouring so it’s not exposed.
@@artisanelectrics ok brilliant. thanks for the reply back mate. good to know when I get the same job in. great video again. keep them coming.
Wow, working on a live consumer unit, and bodging around a live busbar with a screwdriver, the earth rod should not be covered over, and you should always connect the circuit at the CU AFTER the load end has been connected.
calm down super spark
Smithyy 😂
Oi I’m supersparks
Agree Paul Green, but thesedays you tend to get shot down by commenting on the proper safe working methods. Personally my thought is if its getting put out on a public forum, everthing must be done as per rules and regs.
Why the 3 core SWA when only needing 2 core? Dont say the CPC is there to protect the cable, because thats never been the job of a CPC.
Why the bodge of the SWA gland at the charge point - the reason given in the video is utter tosh!
Is part of thart earthing conductor directly buried? Cos if it is 10mm don't comply does it?
What was the reason for live testing on exposed end of the conductors? Isn't this what the dead testing is designed for?
PS i'm not perfect in any way, but if you're doing this stuff for the world to see, get it bang on right!
richard S Thanks I appreciate your support
Love all your videos. What sds drill size do you use before you put the earth rod in.
David thanks! I used a 10mm sds bit
Hi just wondering what's the cost for having a home car charger supplied and fitted???
Our average price is £1300
Another great video, we use the 1m drill bits and there great have 10mm, 16mm,25mm and 35mm there a must have, great job just wish the conduit went into the earth spike box, keep up the good work
Michael Boyes Thanks! Why would you take the conduit all the way into the earth spike box?
@@artisanelectrics just personal preference it's like I have OCD 😂
Spot on . Nice video 👍👍
Jon Dack thanks
Thanks for the video, my apprentice made me aware of your work. Please work safe 1. fitting MCBs to a live consumer unit. 2, drilling the side of a live consumer unit. 3. unconventional zs measurement.
Thanks!
Would the copper wire and earth rod corrode?
No copper does not corrode
Excellent installation video this will be very helpful for a young training student electricians
Stewart Bentham thanks glad it’s helpful!
Hi Can you install a 3phase EV charger domestically?
If they have a three phase supply you can
@@artisanelectrics yes they do, is this something you can do? The place is in London. Cable run about 20m. Ans how much roughly would it cost. I'm looking having the Zappi
You have any house domestic rewires coming up
Mick Singh no I’m afraid not! I’ve got to quote for one in the next week or so though so you never know.
Are you busy or not really
Mick Singh yes very busy, fully booked for the whole of June now
Thats great keep the videos coming.
Non RCD sockets on an Amm 3 board?
Great video enjoy watching them inpsires me to go solo. Had a question bout the service head as it looked like it's the old type where they fused the neutral too u less is been replaced with solid link. How would you normally go about this?
Thanks! There was no fuse on the neutral, only the live, but I recommended upgrade anyway and customer will deal with UKPN direct
Ok cool thanks for the response. I suppose as long as you've informed them, that s your part done. Do you add something with the certificate for them to sign as evidence? I ask as I'm figuring ways out for hopefully when I go solo as yourself.
Many thanks again. Love watching these vids on RUclips between and all the other guys too. I use your tip when straightening up existing cables when installing new db, works a treat
Hi Jordan
Question for you and all you other EV. charging point installers, how have you guys managed to carry out testing on the Rolec charging Pod, only asking because when I did my EV training we were told you need the Rolec testing adaptor (basically a £480 Martindale tester) which tells the charging pod there’s a car attached to the pod which lets you carry out the rcd and Zs test
Lee
Lee Butterworth yeah I’ve got the Rolec test unit I demonstrated its use in another video
There is a type 2to universal socket tester That makes the charger think it’s connected to the car I don’t think they are that sort of money.I install ev chargers for a living and have fitted in excess of 600
Nice comment thanks
You do things a little different than we do it in America. We both have one thing in common though we both do it right, neat and professional. Amen
Great comment thanks!
@@artisanelectrics Your Welcome. Have a great day a great day indeed.
Hi There , other great video 👍 . Was wondering if you could advise what size brill you use to pull Twin & earth 2.5 masonry ?
Appreciated thanks
Excellent video thanks
Thanks it’s a bit out of date now though so please watch some of my more recent videos for the latest updates on EV Charging regs
Is the earth stake required due to the charger being external
Tim Davison yes, it’s to avoid problems in the case of a PEN fault where the whole metalwork of the car could become live and if you’re standing on the ground you could potentially get a shock
My question would simply be approx how much for this installation should I allow before purchasing the new electric car.plus will this fully charge the car overnight, or is that just a few miles booster, thanks to great video.
You should probably allow about £1500-£2k for the charging point and installation depending on your situation, this charging point is 7kW so will charge your car fully overnight.
Great video. Wondering what will happen to earth connection inside rod box then it will be full of water?
As it's not an IP rated enclosure, water will just drain down into the earth, which isn't a bad thing as it will improve the impedance reading.
Probably not a lot really other improve the resistance a
Dean Little it’s all copper so no issues with corrosion anyway
@@artisanelectrics I didn't say it would affect corrosion 🤣
Although I don't think all earth rods are fully copper . I'm sure some are only copper coated suppose you would have to ask when buying.
Why do you recommend the customer gets a smart meter?
That looks like quite a hungry installation... What was the maximum demand, surely it's got to be more than 100A?
Not really they only had an electric cooker and a couple of rings in use so more like 50amps with diversity I would say.
@@artisanelectrics I counted 3x rings, 1x socket radial, 1x cooker and 1x water heater.... That's gotta be more than 50A even with diversity applied.
Water heater is only a backup immersion heater in case the boiler packs in. No diversity is allowed for the charging point though. Upgrade of main fuse to 100amp is in progress.
Do you do installs in London?
We don’t usually travel that far but depending on a customers needs we might make an exception. Feel free to email if you have a job for us.
Bollocks, TN-S may go to a TN-C-S? I ask because TN-S is the best return and TN-C-S is a cop out that can fail. PME is an overhead or underground supply that has multiple returns to source. What happens when a fault on the car is returned by the TN-S of the house with a person in the middle?
Apparently sometimes it looks like TN-S at the service head but they have replaced the underground cable somewhere down the road and PMEd it there, it happens quite a lot.
If that was a pme / TNCS system would you still need a earth rod For a car charger
Yeah you need it because it could potentially be turned into a PME system in the future, if you can guarantee it will stay as TNS then you don’t need an earth rod.
@@artisanelectrics Ok thanks for getting back to me.
Why use 3 core cable? The outer steel wire is earthed to protect the supply cable and provide ADS. You don't need a cpc to supply TT
equipement.
Great video, earned a subscriber today :)
taking the premature collapse thing a bit too serious sometimes, that cable would collapse about 1in being held both ends with a wall and metal dB, no one ever is going to get tangled up in that swa lol, not a dig at you just common sense dosnt seem to prevail a lot of the time.
Supersparks yeah I totally agree but I knew if I didn’t do it someone would slate me on RUclips for it! 😂
Well I’m slating you for doing it ❤️
Dont forget the dwarf firefighters though Super
I agree with Supersparks but... glad you fitted it, not expensive or time consuming and nods at the regulations with a reassuring wink. Good job.
Just watched this. Is there really a need for the metal fixing for a cable that is a couple foot off a floor and nowhere near a fire exit?
Great job, nice neat finish 👍
mark evans thank you mark
Is this electrode full copper? I cut one, and the core is iron. Is this allowed ? Thank you.
They are not usually full copper, but copper coated as you say, that’s perfectly normal.
Good idea to use a Rolex socket as you will get a job next year to replace it
Haha yeah although this was one of the early ones they were better quality.
Hi, pls help. Its not clear for me no matter how many times I read the 18th edition. Do you have to connect the PME earth to the earth rod as well or keep the PME earth separate from the earth rod, so the EV charger is connected only to the rod? Thanks
You have to keep them separate. The TT earth from the rod is for the charging point only.
@@artisanelectrics now I understand, the earth from the TNs is just floating if you like, but its there to trip the RCD to protect the cable running to the Rolec. But its the TT will protect the Rolec.
Nice job. But I’m not keen on the clamp connection to the electrode. You’d get a maintenance free connection by sweating the cable on. That is what the supply authorities do when installing an electrode when putting a replacement pme service which connects to an old pilc distributing main. They usually just leave the electrode lying in the trench, so it is buried fairly deeply. You were lucky to get a nice low reading from the electrode.
What do you mean by sweating the cable on?
I notice you've used a 40A breaker in the CU, however this will not grade with the RCBO in the Rolec. You should have instead used a 50A MCB at the CU to ensure proper discrimination
Can't use a 50A MCB when the cable can only carry 45...
@@Jon-em4kc a 6mm2 will carry 61A with that installation method. But it's pointless anyway as it'd never grade given the characteristics of the rcbo.
Not sure why you had such a big gland? I’ve just terminated a 3 core 10mm and only needed a 20mm hole.
It was not an SWA gland just a compression gland at the charging point end as I didn’t want simultaneous contact to be possible between the TNS earth and the TT earth system.
Without looking again I meant the dB end, looked like a 32mm hole?
Fantastic installation! Great to see start to finish.
Regarding the Rolec, was that a Type B RCD? I thought they only came with a Type A RCD?, If so, what did you do for the 6ma DC leakage?
Liam Wolstenholme thanks! They come with a type A RCD and internally they have a device which monitors DC residual current and switches off if it gets too high.
@@artisanelectrics super. Thanks for the reply. Great content, watched a few more of your videos yesterday and now subscribed 👍
Liam Wolstenholme great thanks!
Good video, it's easier to use hituff cable rather than SWA that way you don't need to worry about the armouring, would be ideal for that as it's all above ground, nice to see you installing a rod, I have been to loads of places and they have just connected them to the existing main earth. The thing that annoys me with charging points, is like with any renewables, it's treated as a special case, there is no difference installing circuits for these things as opposed to a cooker or shower, so why all the crap of going on courses and joining another scheme, all about getting extra money from the contractor.
The thing is that they pull a constant load rather than a cooker or something else which clicks on and off these will pull 30amps constantly for 4-8 hours while the car charges, so there’s a lot higher risk, also they are generally outside which makes a difference to safety especially with the issues around exporting PME
@@artisanelectrics that could be true, but its just a circuit and if you are an electrician you should know all this, whenever their is government money, theres always some red tape and additional cost totally pointless, as i said i have seen these points installed, by so called approved installers and they have not used an earth rod.
Anthony charles yeah there are a lot of cowboys out there cutting corners to do things cheaply unfortunately
Throw that do armour slice away and get a rothenbirger steel conduit cutter, the type that look similar to a plumber's pipe cutter. They are perfect for swa. I work in street lighting and work with swa all day, trust me it works a dream 🤙
Ben Jackson thanks for the tip! Will check it out
Can you send a link to the one you got Ben very interested! Thanks
@@fuzedtv www.screwfix.com/p/rothenberger-no-35-6-35mm-manual-multi-material-pipe-cutter/61463
@@artisanelectrics this is the one I use mate
Thanks
Amour slice only works well if you change the blade regularly, if you only get one tooth broken there crap. Also only tighten the knob up gently every turn then you good to go.
Thanks for the tip! I think I was over tightening it