SWA protection to car charger query

[sydsparrow]

Qualified electrician has installed Zappi car charger outside house. Grid incoming goes to DNO cutout then to SPD then to meter then to henley block then to RCCB then to SWA cable out wall and to charger mounted on outside wall (about 4m length SWA). I just learnt that RCCB gives no overcurrent protection. It is a Lewden jobbie marked 'RCCB 40A'. There is no MCB.

My thinking is there is no overcurrent protection for the SWA cable leaving the building. Is that ok and within regs? Install was a couple of months ago. Photos below - RCCB is inside the grey box with the yellow label on it.

SWA is not metal glanded at either end and the armour is not connected at the house end (it might be at the charger, I haven't looked inside). SWA cable is Doncaster EV-Ultra (so has the ethernet cable). I am interested in whether the SWA armour needs to be a) connected to earth and b) connected at house end or just charger end. Grateful for your thoughts.

 

[loz2754]

You're right that the EV cable is not protected against overcurrent. Also that the swa cable should be properly terminated using an swa gland, at least at the supply end.
What you may not realise is the RCCB is a type AC, and should be a type A at least.

 

[sydsparrow]

You're right that the EV cable is not protected against overcurrent. Also that the swa cable should be properly terminated using an swa gland, at least at the supply end.
What you may not realise is the RCCB is a type AC, and should be a type A at least.

I thought AC RCD was ok with a Zappi as it has internal DC leakage capable RCD (along with PEN fault detection)?

I had assumed the SWA was earthed at Zappi end. Now doubting that. Sure enough, just looked inside Zappi, no connection at either end of SWA.


It really pees me off when I could have done this myself to regs but, no, I have to get a 'qualified' electrician to install it. Next electrician that says anything bad about an amateur I may punch in the face. (I know that there are some excellent and competent qualified electricians around.)

So, what recourse do I have now if the electrician that installed this refuses to come and correct his work to regulation standards? Are there actual regulations that state that:
a) An outside cable run should have overcurrent protection at source.
b) An outside SWA should have armour earthed adequately?

Should I also have been given some kind of certificate from the electrician who did the work?

 

[loz2754]

Regarding RCDs for EV charging equipment, regulation group 722.531.3 applies. RCD type shall be type A, type F, or type B.

Chapter 43 deals with overcurrent protection, 430.3 says a protective device shall be provided to break any overcurrent in the circuit conductors. As you point out, an RCCB does not provide this function. So the only overcurrent protection provided in this case is the main cutout fuse.

The correct way to install SWA cable connections is not specifically mentioned as such in the regulations. However, 134.1.1 talks about good workmanship, and taking into account the manufacturer's instructions.
Why bother using SWA in the first place if there is no intention of connecting the armour to earth?

 

[brianmoooore]

Should I also have been given some kind of certificate from the electrician who did the work?

Yes, but it would be either incorrectly filled out, or marked "unsatisfactory".
SWA should have overcurrent protection at source, and the armour should be earthed. It is only required to be earthed at either end, not both, when not used as the cpc, although it's good practice to earth at both ends, and if this is not possible, to provide the sole earthing at the source end.
RCD protection is not required for correctly installed SWA, so if the charge point has built a built in RCD and is suitable for connection to a TNC-S supply, the job can be made good by glanding the SWA properly an replacing the RCD at source with a SP + N MCB.

 

[James]

Qualified electrician has installed Zappi car charger outside house. Grid incoming goes to DNO cutout then to SPD then to meter then to henley block then to RCCB then to SWA cable out wall and to charger mounted on outside wall (about 4m length SWA). I just learnt that RCCB gives no overcurrent protection. It is a Lewden jobbie marked 'RCCB 40A'. There is no MCB.

My thinking is there is no overcurrent protection for the SWA cable leaving the building. Is that ok and within regs? Install was a couple of months ago. Photos below - RCCB is inside the grey box with the yellow label on it.

SWA is not metal glanded at either end and the armour is not connected at the house end (it might be at the charger, I haven't looked inside). SWA cable is Doncaster EV-Ultra (so has the ethernet cable). I am interested in whether the SWA armour needs to be a) connected to earth and b) connected at house end or just charger end. Grateful for your thoughts.



View attachment 103829
View attachment 103828

EV .Ultra is not swa, it has no armour. It is a tough sheaf cable.
therefore it can’t be earthed with a brass gland.

 

[brianmoooore]

EV .Ultra is not swa, it has no armour. It is a tough sheaf cable.
therefore it can’t be earthed with a brass gland.

The stuff in the zappi pic. appears to have the ends of trimmed off armour visible.

 

[James]

EV-Ultra Cable 6.0mm 3 core + CAT5E Data PVC Tuff-Sheathed - Cut to Length | DC (EV-ULTRA3C6.0CAT5)

defiantly no swa.

edit, after looking at pic again, that looks like it is swa.

 

[westward10]

The cable in that pic is SWA.

 

[James]

Looks like you can get it with swa

EV-Ultra SWA Cable 3 Core 4.0mm + Cat5 Enhanced | DC (EV-ULTRA3C4.0CAT5SWA)