UK 3 PIN plug charger… waterproof?

[jayD]

Hi Everyone,

I have a long range ZS EV. In our household we have two electric cars and only one fitted wall charger.

My car came with a 3 pin plug which I am considering using whilst the other car is using the wall charger.

I have an outdoor plug socket that I can use but unsure if the supplied 3 pin charger is waterproof? Or does the converter part need to be kept dry and inside?

The distance from the socket to the car means I will likely need to use a suitable extension.

Any advice welcome.

Many thanks

Jay

 

[Gadget Geek]

Hi Jay. Make sure your outdoor socket and any extension lead is rated for 10 amps continuous load. You can get weatherproof extension leads, or what I do is put the charger and extension lead socket in a durable, plastic storage box which fits under the front of the car.

Alan.

 

[Ruislip Resident]

When using the granny, although it is waterproof, I still always locate it under the car on the odd occasions I use it. Screw Fix sell decent extension cables that have waterproof sockets and and are robust enough to use with the granny.

 

[Spinynorman]

There is room under the bonnet to put the granny charger unit, whilst running both cables through the equipment to the ground beneath - then just make sure the cables don’t run on the ground (rats & other animals may bite them plus if it does rain they’re dry). I wouldn’t put anything on the ground especially something that may have to run for 10-20 hours…

 

[Staffex]

For what it's worth, I made up a granny extension lead for use when staying at a remote guest house in Cornwall using the products listed below. I'm always careful to remove all the cable from the drum and have never experienced any heating problems in any of the items during a charge from 22% to 100%. They may probably available at a lower price from other retailers but time was at a premium when I made the extension lead.

Waterproof 13A trailing socket:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Masterplug-Rewireable-Waterproof-Outdoor-Inline-Orange/dp/B006X09WDW?th=1

13A RCD circuit breaker mains plug:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brennenstuhl-1290633-Circuit-breaker-adapter/dp/B00HW0AIJE

13A plug-in power meter (so I know how much to pay the landlady - I currently give her 40p/kWh):

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B085S7Q1T4?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

Rubber cable:

1.5mm 3 Core Tough Flex Cable Black 50m Drum 3183TRS

This 1.5mm² 3 Core Tough Flex Cable has a black rubber sheath that is more durable than standard PVC. The 3183TRS cable is ideal as a flexible domestic wiring cable in fixed installations. It comes in a 50m drum. Key Features Resistant to oil, water and mechanical damage Greater durability than...

www.builderdepot.co.uk

Lightweight cable drum (holds up to 25 metres of above cable):

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B008OTE8DY?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

 

[Guru]

Yes, the granny charger can be used outside and they're designed for just that. We used ours for the first 6 months of owning an EV without a problem and it lived outside all that time, we didn't even bring it in when it wasn't charging! Try to avoid leaving it on the ground though especially where puddles can form around it.