Long cable to electric car - amps and gauge advice

[Wickcar]

Hello all. Advice appreciated on running a 22m to 25m single gang extension cable from a domestic socket indoors, to an outdoor electric vehicle's own official 5m charging cable (which ends in a three pin plug). Nothing noteworthy about the wiring in the house whilst the charging circuit interrupting device on the car's charging cable states 10amps and its plug is fused for 13amps. Is a 3 core 2.5mm 15amp fused extension cable overkill and would 1.5mm 13amp suffice?

 

[Octopus]

The only thing I would say is beware of foxes chewing your cables.

Not the ideal solution and note importantly what earthing requirements do the charger state they need?

 

[Pete999]

Hello all. Advice appreciated on running a 22m to 25m single gang extension cable from a domestic socket indoors, to an outdoor electric vehicle's own official 5m charging cable (which ends in a three pin plug). Nothing noteworthy about the wiring in the house whilst the charging circuit interrupting device on the car's charging cable states 10amps and its plug is fused for 13amps. Is a 3 core 2.5mm 15amp fused extension cable overkill and would 1.5mm 13amp suffice?

No not really. There are certain regulations governing car charging stations, running an extension lead isn't one of them, get a spaky in to install it properly.

 

[Wilko]

Hi Wickar and Welcome to the Forum !
The 3 pin plugs with a fuse are designed to fit 1.5mm2 cable max, as it has enough current carrying capacity for the 13A fuse. As Pete has advised, using one to charge your car overnight is not a good idea.

 

[Wickcar]

On the foxes front, good call. Would 20mm flexible steel conduit be ok as a fox cable protector in terms of overheating?

Regarding earthing this is the only thing from the instructions, quoted directly: "Connect only to properly grounding type socket"

Regarding regulations, to the best of my knowledge there are none to do with charging a car from a domestic plug. But I could always have missed something.

Regarding a sparky, had a qualified one on site yesterday. His only real objection was that my plan A (above) would do him out of a job installing an outdoor socket. Fair enough, but it's a rented house and I'm not allowed to alter it...

 

[Pete999]

On the foxes front, good call. Would 20mm flexible steel conduit be ok as a fox cable protector in terms of overheating?

Regarding earthing this is the only thing from the instructions, quoted directly: "Connect only to properly grounding type socket"

Regarding regulations, to the best of my knowledge there are none to do with charging a car from a domestic plug. But I could always have missed something.

Regarding a sparky, had a qualified one on site yesterday. His only real objection was that my plan A (above) would do him out of a job installing an outdoor socket. Fair enough, but it's a rented house and I'm not allowed to alter it...

There's a surprise, where did he stable his horse?

 

[Devonchris]

Out of curiosity, where is the car parked while charging, on a drive, in the street?

 

[Pete999]

Out of curiosity, where is the car parked while charging, on a drive, in the street?

Next to the Horse

 

[Wickcar]

On a drive opposite the house. The cable has to cross a very quiet private road to reach it (2-3 cars might drive along it at night when it would be charging)

 

[Wilko]

Sorry to rain on your electric dreams, but no extension cable can withstand traffic. No wiggle room on that one I'm afraid.

 

[Pete999]

Get yer wallet out mate and spend some of yer hard earned and do it proper like.

 

[Devonchris]

So the 13a socket at the end of your extension will be out in the road somewhere. Free leccy for anyone who wants it.

I don't know about the regs but the whole thing sounds dodgy to me. Think of the potential danger to anyone playing with it, or when it's raining.

Did you not consider how you were going to charge it when you bought it?

 

[Octopus]

On a drive opposite the house. The cable has to cross a very quiet private road to reach it (2-3 cars might drive along it at night when it would be charging)

Ok...So a rented property and crossing a track ... Your first call is to the landlord Of the house and then to the owner of the track .... A wayleave springs too mind

Good luck with that

 

[Devonchris]

I think this is a taste of things to come. Extension leads running all over the streets like knitting.

Probably be a requirement for street run extensions to be swa in the 19th edition. MK will have produced a pin protected 13a socket and Fluke will have a special tester available costing megger bucks.

 

[Wickcar]

Sorry to rain on your electric dreams, but no extension cable can withstand traffic. No wiggle room on that one I'm afraid.

I know you are right in safety theory but in practice 5 of my neighbours run their mower extension cables across the road regularly in the day with 5-6 cars per hour running over them. No deaths or knackered cables yet although yes, it could be the UK's least safe street. I in contrast have been looking at a low rubber ramp that the cable sits in that the makers allege is for that purpose

 

[Wickcar]

Get yer wallet out mate and spend some of yer hard earned and do it proper like.

I would if it was my house. Got no objection to paying for a professional and a safer solution. It's just that the one I invited in didn't have any safety objections to the extension idea. Maybe he should have

 

[Pete999]

I think this is a taste of things to come. Extension leads running all over the streets like knitting.

Probably be a requirement for street run extensions to be swa in the 19th edition. MK will have produced a pin protected 13a socket and Fluke will have a special tester available costing megger bucks.

Maga Bucks

 

[Pete999]

I think this is a taste of things to come. Extension leads running all over the streets like knitting.

Probably be a requirement for street run extensions to be swa in the 19th edition. MK will have produced a pin protected 13a socket and Fluke will have a special tester available costing megger bucks.

Mega Bucks, or are you being sarcastic?

 

[Wickcar]

So the 13a socket at the end of your extension will be out in the road somewhere. Free leccy for anyone who wants it.

I don't know about the regs but the whole thing sounds dodgy to me. Think of the potential danger to anyone playing with it, or when it's raining.

Did you not consider how you were going to charge it when you bought it?

The 13A socket and cable plug would be connected in a waterproof designed for purpose lockable box next to the car on the drive so no-one will have access. At this end there would be about as much danger as one of those public or even domestic charging stations that get rained on all the time. The pro electrician was even recommending one of those splash proof sockets on the one gang. I believe the box would be safer.

 

[Devonchris]

Mega Bucks, or are you being sarcastic?

Megger haven't got one yet. Poor product development. So ergo it's costing them.

Not really it was my mistake.