Who has got their charger installed by BMW or British Gas?

[Gonville]

It's not good....nothing except a monitor that I put on....

 

[MikeS]

I assume that is the meter box onto outside of your wall. I meant the distribution box inside the house where the trips are.

 

[Gonville]

Unfortunately that is really dodgy....has a spare way but no circuit breakers. Picture in a mo.

 

[Gonville]

 

[BrianStanier]

Really should (must?) be updated to a modern consumer unit with an earth leakage circuit breaker. They're ridiculously cheap nowadays, it's just the installation cost.

 

[Gonville]

True. Is this week's task.


Without having to re-wire the whole house.

 

[BoMW]

I stand to be corrected but BG requirement is a modern consumer unit. I ordered my BG/Polar in November, fitted end of January, billed in March, paid in April :0

Gonville going back to the installation under the window, is it not feasible to put the unit inside the garage? If the cable doesn't slide under I would cut out a notch in the door.

 

[MikeS]

Yes, I really would get this upgraded to a modern unit with RCBs. However, you may find the electrician will need to do a bit more than just replace the unit as he will have to certificate the installation. Then you may as well get an isolator fired at the same time!

 

[Gonville]

Gonville going back to the installation under the window, is it not feasible to put the unit inside the garage? If the cable doesn't slide under I would cut out a notch in the door.

My first though was to have it in the garage. Nosey parking would mean inside charging. Must go back and measure. I made assumption that a 330Ci is bigger than an i3.

Just future sharing and on drive charging just marginally seems like outside is better.

Just thinking about it as I type this I am veering towards inside....

 

[pastyboy]

Gonville

Yes, the 330 is about 450-500mm longer, judging by the space left at the front of my garage when we swapped my 330Ci for an i3 for a night. The i3 is about the same length as our Mk4 GTi but a lot taller and a fraction wider.

 

[ChrisRayner]

Our i3 was due for delivery at the end of April. We postponed delivery until last Wednesday, when they came to install the BMW charger. We could have got it done more cheaply from one of the other suppliers, but we like the design of the BMW unit. It is slightly slimmer than the others, and space is always at a premium in a garage I find.

We were told they would be coming in the morning between 8 and 10, but would ring an hour before they arrived. They didn't. They rang the bell at 7:45, and were gone with the job done at 1:30. During this period they discovered that the electrician who connected my workshop to the grid had omitted to include the meter in the circuit, so I've been using all my machinery without paying for electricity for a couple of years.

Quite reasonably they insisted on connecting it up correctly, so that was done as well as the installation of the charger. The standard lead on the charger is 4m long, which sounds reasonable, but it's none too generous. After much deliberation the charger was sited where it will reach to the car's charging socket both nose in and reversed in. The distance from the meter to the garage is longer than usual, so they had to run a cable along the house wall and in through the soffit into the garage roof. The installation is neat and convenient, a big RCD breaker has gone into the meter box (just) and in addition to the BMW charger there is a big red isolator switch and a separate meter next to the charger.

No doubt the job could have been done more cheaply, but we are satisfied that it has been well done, and it looks good on the garage wall.

 

[MikeS]

Glad the installation went well. Surprised you think the BMW EVSE is slimmer!

 

[Gonville]

Total replacement of consumer unit planned. Followed by British Gas. I think we might have it in the garage. At the front so can stretch outside if needs be...still undecided on socket?

 

[MikeS]

Well that’s all to the good. Will your electrician fit a 100a breaker between the meter and the new consumer unit so the BG installer can do his work?

What are you trying to decide about the socket?

 

[Gonville]

He did think the breaker was necessary. I think he thinks BG will put one in and run it straight off the board. I have a second opinion Monday that might differ and be more expensive but better.

Socket question was whether to have a socket or cable. I feel a socket might be more future proof but miss out on the 'free' cable.

 

[MikeS]

The BG installer will not work on a live board and he told me they want to take the feed before the consumer unit as they have had problems in the past when taking their feed from the CU. A 100A breaker before the CU at some point with easy access and where BG can get the cable from to go to the garage means he can isolate the supple and fit the extra trips.

I had the tethered version of the EVSE once I discovered the untethered did not supply the cable.

Hope it all goes well.

 

[Gonville]

OK. That's useful. I'll get my leccy to add that to the quote. There is room on the board. BG just phoned for the second time to postpone the installation for another two weeks. At this rate they might not be ready before the leather turns up..... :lol:

....I hear they lost 180,000 customers since last quarter.

 

[uktechie]

I used chargemaster, waited about 3-4 weeks and they turned up as promised no problem. I am well in advance of my car since I thought just order it in case of delay but all good.

 

[Gonville]

Final result and two chargers accomplished so it will show something on the stats.