Ground Fault ..... How?

[BritManToo]

So I just received a new EV charger from China, adjustable charge current.

As my existing EV charger is 16a with no options for less current.

 

Plug it into the newly installed car port socket and it says, ground fault and doesn't work.

 

But hang on, its a schuko plug, and every other appliance I own with schuko plugs work with no earth connection?

 

And the car port socket is  ....... So there's no earth connection.

 

My original charger works without problem (apart from the fixed 16a charge) but has a 3 pin plug.

[carlyai]

Connect a ground where it is supposed to go and see what happens.

As is the wet season, could be those little red ants cause funny problems.

But I'm not an electrician. 🙂

[UWEB]

The third pin for the Schuko Plug is missing, usual it's a threaded one you screw into the thread above the fixed two pins.

[BritManToo]

12 minutes ago, carlyai said:

Connect a ground where it is supposed to go and see what happens.

As is the wet season, could be those little red ants cause funny problems.

But I'm not an electrician. 🙂

So I should have my entire house rewired?

Easier to return at no cost to me, and a refund on the item.

 

Most of my house grid wiring only has live and neutral wires connected as is the standard in Thailand. All my other devices with schuko plugs work in my house sockets.

My house solar inverter doesn't even use an earth on its o/p, and earthing the neutral output is not allowed.

 

Quite frankly, there's no reason for a car charger to detect any fault on the incoming power line (beyond 220-240v). It's not even plugged into the car when fault is showing. No metal parts on the charger either.

 

[BritManToo]

6 minutes ago, UWEB said:

The third pin for the Schuko Plug is missing, usual it's a threaded one you screw into the thread above the fixed two pins.

Never seen one ever, on my fridge, microwave, toaster, air fryer, oven, computer, rice cooker. All schuko with no earth pins. When I buy an electrical item, I expect it to work on my standard Thai wiring, or not be sold to the Thai market.

[UWEB]

8 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Never seen one ever, on my fridge, microwave, toaster, air fryer, oven, computer, rice cooker. All schuko with no earth pins. When I buy an electrical item, I expect it to work on my standard Thai wiring, or not be sold to the Thai market.

Then they all have no grounding unless you have a Schuko Socket.

 

[carlyai]

10 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

So I should have my entire house rewired?

Easier to return at no cost to me, and a refund on the item.

 

Most of my house grid wiring only has live and neutral wires connected as is the standard in Thailand. All my other devices with schuko plugs work in my house sockets.

My house solar inverter doesn't even use an earth on its o/p, and earthing the neutral output is not allowed.

 

Quite frankly, there's no reason for a car charger to detect any fault on the incoming power line (beyond 220-240v). It's not even plugged into the car when fault is showing. No metal parts on the charger either.

 

No, just bung an earth stake in with a wire and see what happens.

My Chinese one works well, but wired with an earth.

But I'm just guessing. I know a bit difficult but do the instructions say provide an earth?

[BritManToo]

6 minutes ago, carlyai said:

No, just bung an earth stake in with a wire and see what happens.

My Chinese one works well, but wired with an earth.

But I'm just guessing. I know a bit difficult but do the instructions say provide an earth?

Nope, not on advert, not on instruction leaflet.

[BritManToo]

9 minutes ago, UWEB said:

Then they all have no grounding unless you have a Schuko Socket.

 

Yes, no grounding and they all work, apart from this EV charger.

[UWEB]

[Schoggibueb]

Connect a PE as already mentioned above. PE and Neutral normally have the same potential. Maybe the EV Charger checks that internally

[carlyai]

Tomorrow (if the man in Cairo doesn't answer) I'll pull my earth off and see what happens.

 

 

[Bill97]

30 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

When I buy an electrical item, I expect it to work on my standard Thai wiring, or not be sold to the Thai market.

Sorry wrong expectation 

[transam]

Buy a 3 pin plug on Lazada, cut that one off, connect the 3 pin plug, easy peasy.......

What you bought was destined for Europe.....🤭

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/pdp-i4319634292-s17201402993.html

[tomazbodner]

@BritManToo

 

I use these - you just put it over the EU plug and it directs ground to the pin that fits the Thai socket.

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/pdp-i450738902-s832814839.html

 

https://shopee.co.th/product/86966041/7419911804

 

Sorry, googled it up. Bought them a while back at HomePro from brand Toshino.

 

 

[carlyai]

5 minutes ago, transam said:

Buy a 3 pin plug on Lazada, cut that one off, connect the 3 pin plug, easy peasy.......

What you bought was destined for Europe.....🤭

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/pdp-i4319634292-s17201402993.html?c=&channelLpJumpArgs=&clickTrackInfo=query%3A3%2Bpin%2Bpower%2Bplug%3Bnid%3A4319634292%3Bsrc%3ALazadaMainSrp%3Brn%3A512ae24911e89f09a22fa15146f4589d%3Bregion%3Ath%3Bsku%3A4319634292_TH%3Bprice%3A31.22%3Bclient%3Adesktop%3Bsupplier_id%3A1000012907%3Bbiz_source%3Ah5_hp%3Bslot%3A1%3Butlog_bucket_id%3A470687%3Basc_category_id%3A12093%3Bitem_id%3A4319634292%3Bsku_id%3A17201402993%3Bshop_id%3A258877%3BtemplateInfo%3A107882_D_E%231103_L%23-1_A3_C%23&freeshipping=1&fs_ab=2&fuse_fs=&lang=en&location=China&price=31.22&priceCompare=skuId%3A17201402993%3Bsource%3Alazada-search-voucher%3Bsn%3A512ae24911e89f09a22fa15146f4589d%3BoriginPrice%3A3122%3BdisplayPrice%3A3122%3BsinglePromotionId%3A-1%3BsingleToolCode%3AmockedSalePrice%3BvoucherPricePlugin%3A0%3Btimestamp%3A1753174092162&ratingscore=4.966480446927374&request_id=512ae24911e89f09a22fa15146f4589d&review=222&sale=1368&search=1&source=search&spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.1&stock=1

Think you are missing the fact that there is no ground wire

 The 3 pin plug, the 3rd pin will plug into air.

[transam]

Just now, carlyai said:

Think you are missing the fact that there is no ground wire

 The 3 pin plug, the 3rd pin will plug into air.

The cable has 3 cores in it, one being an earth wire, which you connect in the replacement plug. ...🤗

I have changed many plugs where the appliance came with the Euro plug..

[BritManToo]

Thanks guys, I'm just returning it, if they're selling to the Thai market, they should have fitted a Thai 3 pin plug or provided the adapter.

 

Or mentioned it in the advert.

[transam]

3 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Thanks guys, I'm just returning it, if they're selling to the Thai market, they should have fitted a Thai 3 pin plug or provided the adapter.

 

Or mentioned it in the advert.

Go look in any big store, you will be surprised at the number of electrical goods having Euro plugs, which were probably bought in bulk at low prices.

 

Many Thai houses still use unearthed sockets, these Euro plugs fit in them, nobody ever thinks of the safety thingy....🤕

[impulse]

12 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Thanks guys, I'm just returning it, if they're selling to the Thai market, they should have fitted a Thai 3 pin plug or provided the adapter.

 

Or mentioned it in the advert.

 

I wonder who would return more, the customers that get that 3rd pin and don't have a 3 pin socket at home, or the ones that get the 2 pin plug and wish they had a 3rd pin?

 

That's the issue with Thailand.  (One of them any way).  There are too many "standard" socket types.  Which leads to too many plug types.  I don't fault the manufacturers.  I just suck it up and buy adapters.  That way, I'm ready for whatever I find in my hotel room.

 

[NanLaew]

9 minutes ago, transam said:

13 minutes ago, carlyai said:

Think you are missing the fact that there is no ground wire

 The 3 pin plug, the 3rd pin will plug into air.

The cable has 3 cores in it, one being an earth wire, which you connect in the replacement plug. ...🤗

I have changed many plugs where the appliance came with the Euro plug..

 

Yes, but that doesn't help @BritManToo whose EV power socket only has live and neutral connections and no ground.

 

Moot point anyway, since...

 

8 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Thanks guys, I'm just returning it, if they're selling to the Thai market, they should have fitted a Thai 3 pin plug or provided the adapter.

 

Or mentioned it in the advert.

 

For peace of mind and personal safety, you do not need to rewire your house but, I would recommend getting a dedicated ground rod installed, and the ground wiring run to your 3-pin EV charging outlet.

 

[Bill97]

59 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Most of my house grid wiring only has live and neutral wires connected as is the standard in Thailand

 

22 minutes ago, transam said:

Buy a 3 pin plug on Lazada, cut that one off, connect the 3 pin plug, easy peasy..

 

22 minutes ago, transam said:

 

3 pin plug won’t help with a 2 wire socket will it?

[NanLaew]

24 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

@BritManToo

 

I use these - you just put it over the EU plug and it directs ground to the pin that fits the Thai socket.

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/pdp-i450738902-s832814839.html

 

https://shopee.co.th/product/86966041/7419911804

 

Sorry, googled it up. Bought them a while back at HomePro from brand Toshino.

 

 

 

Yes, I have a couple of these and have one in my work travel grab kit, just in case I ever need to plug in a cheap, Chinese-made EV charger.

[transam]

1 minute ago, Bill97 said:

 

 

3 pin plug won’t help with a 2 wire socket will it?

No, that has to be dealt with, but it seems the unit ordered needs an earth, perhaps not double insulated...

[BritManToo]

Just now, transam said:

Go look in any big store, you will be surprised at the number of electrical goods having Euro plugs, which were probably bought in bulk at low prices.

 

Many Thai houses still use unearthed sockets, these Euro plugs fit in them, nobody ever thinks of the safety thingy....🤕

1. As neutral is connected to the earth in the home fuse box, I don't see where any improved safety exists.

 

2. As my solar inverter monitors current exiting on live matches current returning on neutral, and detects a fault and switches off before any other device detects fault. I don't see where any improved safety exists.

 

Same for electrical trunking,

Cables in plastic trunking carry 30% less current than cables in air. My walls are poured concrete, the only flammable materials in the walls is the plastic safety trunking. I'd prefer the 30% more current safety factor.

[UWEB]

17 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Thanks guys, I'm just returning it, if they're selling to the Thai market, they should have fitted a Thai 3 pin plug or provided the adapter.

 

Or mentioned it in the advert.

May be you should have checked in advance what you are ordering. I have a doubt that you will find a Charger without Grounding.

[Crossy]

Why not just buy a Schuko outlet and install a local ground rod?

 

99.9% of EVSE units need a ground to work, it's a safety thing.

[TronxII]

The car charger measures the resistance between car and GND somehow. You will need to ground your charger somewhere anyway if you wanna charge your car. 

[BritManToo]

Just now, Crossy said:

Why not just buy a Schuko outlet and install a local ground rod?

 

I just paid an electrician, to fix my wiring, and install the car port sockets. Can't be bothered to pay anything more.

 

Many more urgent house jobs to do, that I neglected during the past two years hit and run recovery period.

 

Next is outside kitchen for wife, started yesterday.

 

Then repairing termite damage in bathroom ceilings (they've eaten the plasterboard) and plastic floor and skirtings and two door frames.

 

And then .......... Enclosing downstairs patio, roofing upstairs patio.

[Crossy]

9 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I just paid an electrician, to fix my wiring, and install the car port sockets. Can't be bothered to pay anything more.

 

Many more urgent house jobs to do, that I neglected during the past two years hit and run recovery period.

 

Next is outside kitchen for wife, started yesterday.

 

Then repairing termite damage in bathroom ceilings (they've eaten the plasterboard) and plastic floor and skirtings and two door frames.

 

And then .......... Enclosing downstairs patio, roofing upstairs patio.

 

And, and, and ...

 

Tell me about it, the list is getting longer whilst I'm stuck here in sunny (and dusty) Egypt earning the $$$ to pay for the jobs.

 

EDIT - Please do not fall off the roof!!