If you have recently bought an electric vehicle, or you are planning to, one of the first things you should consider is having an EV home charger installed. However, before you get your new home charger installed, a site survey will need to be done. In this blog, we will go through what occurs during a site survey and why it is so important before having a charger installed. We will also go through what you as a customer, can expect when a professional visits your property to do the site survey.
Why a Site Survey Matters?
When having an EV home charger installed, it isn’t as simple as just plugging in a new appliance. There are many factors to take into consideration, which is why a site survey is a very important step in having an EV charger installed for your home. A site survey ensures that everything is safe, compliant and tailored to your needs. As well as, avoiding any delays of the installation and making sure that the installation goes smoothly. When installing an EV home charger, it involves your home’s electrical system, your driveway or garage layout, and sometimes, depending on your housing situation, you may need permissions from the council before installation. A site survey will allow you to consider all of these factors and try and get the installation done as efficiently as possible.
Booking The Survey
When you contact us, we will send you a booking link via Email and SMS so you can schedule a date and time for your Technical Site Survey. On the day of the survey, one of our qualified engineers will visit your home, and they will explain everything that they are going to do in terms of where and how your home EV charger would be fitted. This is a perfect chance for you to discuss where your preferred location of the charger would be, and you can gain an understanding of whether or not any additional work needs to be done.
Assessing the Electrical Supply
One of the main factors that the surveyor will be looking at is your existing electrical system. They will look at your fuse box (consumer unit) to see if it is capable of handling the extra load of an EV home charger. They will also look at your main supply, to see what capacity your home currently has and if it is sufficient enough to support the installation and use of an EV home charger. As well as this, they will check the distance between your meter and the proposed charger location. If any upgrades are needed to be made to your electrical supply, our engineer will explain this to you, so you can arrange for them to be made before the installation of your home EV charger.
Cable Route and Charging Location
The next step is for the surveyor to then walk around your property and plan the cable routing for your home EV charger. They will try and consider the shortest and neatest path to your fuse box. They will also look at whether or not the cable needs to go through walls, under floors or along any external walls, as well as if the cable can be protected by any poor weather or accidental damage. This is a very important step as it affects both the cost and the appearance of the installation.
As the customer, you may have already chosen where you would like the EV charger to be installed. However, during the site survey, you can discuss this with our engineer, and they will suggest where they would install the charger. Ideally, your home EV charger would be installed on your driveway or in your garage and be close to where you park your vehicle. During the survey, they will check:
- If there is enough space on the wall for the installation of an EV charger
- If the location is practical for plugging the cable into your vehicle
It is also worth thinking about the future. You may buy a second electric vehicle in the future and will need space for a second EV home charger, or you may need it installed in a place with enough room for two parked vehicles.
Checking Wi-Fi and Smart Features
Many modern EV home chargers come with many smart features available. This includes apps that allow you to schedule charging and monitor the charge to see how much energy you are using. For these features to work, the EV charger often needs a stable Wi-Fi connection. The surveyor will check the connectivity of the chosen charger location and see if it has a strong signal, or they may suggest moving the charger location so you can access all of our chargers’ smart features.
Conclusion
Overall, a site survey may seem like a simple and small step, but it is the foundation to a successful installation. A site survey ensures that your home is suitable for the installation of our home EV charger and that it will be installed in the best location possible, relevant to where your vehicle is parked and any cable routing. After the site survey is completed, you will feel more confident and prepared for home charging.
If you are looking to buy an EV home charger, take into consideration all the things we have discussed in this blog and make the right choice.
If you wish to purchase an EV home charger, please look at our website where you can find all the information you need about our 7kW smart home EV charger.
https://evhomechargeruk.co.uk/product/7kw-smart-home-ev-charger/
Go directly to our Website and Press Buy Now, order your charger directly inclusive of Free Delivery and Site Installation Survey.
You will be then sent a comprehensive installation fixed price quotation, and we will then take care of DNO requirements and Building Regulation sign off compliant paperwork on successful completion of Installation. Guarantees: 3 years EV Charger Only. 5 years EV Charger and us fitting.
