Home Charger - Where to Install

[LukeTim]

I'm finally getting around to ordering a Home Charger. I've decided upon the Ohme Home Pro as it allows me to use the OVO/Octopus special rates (currently an OVO customer) and the convenience of the tethered cable seemed good.

However, I am not sure whether to place the unit on the inside or the outside of my garage. I was quite sure I'd go for the inside, but then I was chatting to some others at work the other day, who have EVs, about home chargers and they expressed concern about the fire risk, suggesting that outside would be safer. So, now I am not sure.

Has anyone else gone for a charger inside the garage? How comfortable are you with it? I know the risk is low, but it's still concerning and once it's there that's pretty much it so don't want to make the wrong decision.

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

Surely it's more to do with where you park the car?

I mean, if you religiously garage it all the time then the answers obvious.

Oh and my charger is outside, purely because I rarely garage the car and nothing to do with fire risk.

 

[Bam Bam]

I'm finally getting around to ordering a Home Charger. I've decided upon the Ohme Home Pro as it allows me to use the OVO/Octopus special rates (currently an OVO customer) and the convenience of the tethered cable seemed good.

However, I am not sure whether to place the unit on the inside or the outside of my garage. I was quite sure I'd go for the inside, but then I was chatting to some others at work the other day, who have EVs, about home chargers and they expressed concern about the fire risk, suggesting that outside would be safer. So, now I am not sure.

Has anyone else gone for a charger inside the garage? How comfortable are you with it? I know the risk is low, but it's still concerning and once it's there that's pretty much it so don't want to make the wrong decision.

I've got a battery in my garage, which is surely more of a fire risk.

It didn't even occur to me that they were a fire risk.

Put it where you park the car. I've seen people add mini-doors into their garage door to get the cable through which is a bit extreme.

 

[Seajays]

I always park my car in my garage, therefore my charger is in my garage.

Having the charger there is also likely to prolong the life of the charger as it won't be exposed to the elements as it would be outside!

 

[Wil Tryharder]

We also always park in the garage. So that’s where we put the charger. And now there’s no fumes coming out the back, I reverse in. Mrs Tryharder dose not ?. So we bought a cable long enough to reach either end of the car ?. And planning ahead for the soon to be available EV Ute parked on the other side of the garage. The long cable will reach it too. A good ‘Cable tidy’ is worth it. If it has V2L capabilities, plan around that too ?

 

[Ian Key]

There's probably a greater fire risk from your toaster, washing machine etc. than a properly installed EV wall charger.

If you always park the car in your garage and can get to the charging port easily then put it in your garage.

 

[FrancisM]

Mine is inside the garage whilst I park outside. The cable passes under the up and over door. I checked for that first. Better weather protection. However the RCD was housed in a box next to the outside meters.

 

[siteguru]

I've never parked my car in the garage so there was no point whatsoever in considering having the charge point installed inside. In fact by the time I got the charge point the garage was no more - it is now living space.

The charge point is on the gable end of the house, and that side is mostly sheltered from the prevailing elements. You can just see it in this photo.

http://www.siteguru.co.uk/MG4/Offside_Front.jpg

 

[Rolfe]

What fire risk, for goodness sake?

I've had mine installed in the garage. It means the thing is away from prying eyes, and sheltered from the elements. It's easy to charge the car in the garage if the weather is horrible, and better for both of us, but at the same time the cable is long enough that I can still charge when it's parked on the drive if I want to.

If you weren't worried about parking an ICE car full of inflammable fuel in your garage, why would you be worried about an EV in your garage? Charging or not.

 

[Bam Bam]

I've never parked my car in the garage so there was no point whatsoever in considering having the charge point installed inside. In fact by the time I got the charge point the garage was no more - it is now living space.

The charge point is on the gable end of the house, and that side is mostly sheltered from the prevailing elements. You can just see it in this photo.

http://www.siteguru.co.uk/MG4/Offside_Front.jpg

FYI @siteguru : My antivirus doesn't trust your security certificate

 

[siteguru]

FYI @siteguru : My antivirus doesn't trust your security certificate

I don't have a security certificate ... it's an http link directly to an image. Here's a snip:

 

[LukeTim]

I think I was hugely overthinking it (got to stop doing that). Thanks for all your replies. I've asked for it to be installed in the Garage. DNO notification already sent out so looking forward to having it installed soon.

 

[Edd Beesley]

What fire risk, for goodness sake?

I've had mine installed in the garage. It means the thing is away from prying eyes, and sheltered from the elements. It's easy to charge the car in the garage if the weather is horrible, and better for both of us, but at the same time the cable is long enough that I can still charge when it's parked on the drive if I want to.

If you weren't worried about parking an ICE car full of inflammable fuel in your garage, why would you be worried about an EV in your garage? Charging or not.

This kind of fire risk. Installed and working fine for 6 years, then melts itself one night without warning.

 

[Rolfe]

And did that set anything on fire?

 

[Alb]

My garage has been occupied by another car since I got the MG so it seemed sensible to site the EVSE outside. Had that not been the case I'd have probably sited it inside although I did also think about the possibility of two connections via a COS.

 

[Martinonline]

That image smacks of an improperly tightened connection that use has heated over time and finally failed.