Do you use a surge protector on your lev1 EVSE chargers?

[toasty]

Do you use a surge protector on your lev1 EVSE chargers?

I was thinking of using one, when I plug in (in the wild to random outlets).



If so what brand/model/price/specs?

 

[ERG4ALL]

Sounds like a good idea, but I wouldn't be surprised if the L1 unit that came with the car already has one. Perhaps some engineer out there can enlighten us. I've never used one and for six months out of the year the L1 is all I've ever used and have had no problem, although I must admit the far majority of that charging is at my home where the utility put some sort of surge protector at the main panel many years ago.

 

[westom]

I've never used one and for six months out of the year the L1 is all I've ever used and have had no problem, although I must admit the far majority of that charging is at my home where the utility put some sort of surge protector at the main panel many years ago.

Any protection on the power cord is already done better inside the appliance. Your concern is a rare anomaly, maybe once every seven years, that can overwhelm that internal protection.

A lightning strike far down to the street to AC utility wires is a direct strike incoming to every household appliance. Is everything damaged? Of course not. Electricity means that current must have both an incoming path and an outgoing path to earth. Only damaged are the items that make that best connection to earth.

Nothing stops or blocks such surges. Especially not protectors. If a surge is hunting for earth ground, then connect it to earth ground BEFORE it can enter the building.

Two completely different devices exist. Both are called protectors. One on the power cord can only stop or absorb a destructive surge. The other completely different device is located at the service entrance with a low impedance (ie 'less than 10 foot') connection to single point earth ground. Only the latter solution connects destructive surges harmlessly to earth. Then hundreds of thousands of joules dissipate harmlessly in earth. Then a surge current is not inside hunting for earth ground via appliances or a Leaf.

So how many joules does that APC unit claim to absorb? Hundreds? How does it absorb hundreds of thousands of joules? It doesn't. How does it two centimeter protector part stop what three miles of sky could not? It doesn't. It claims to protect from anomalies that typically cause no damage.

But it is called a protector. Therefore it must do protection? Such claims exist when consumers ignore all numbers. It is a surge protector ... that does near zero protection.

Your concern is a rare anomaly that occurs maybe once every seven years. Lightning is simply one of many possible sources. And often used as the classic example of why surges damage household appliances.

These concepts have been well understood for over 100 years. Were even demonstrated by Franklin in 1752. Did his lightning rod do protection? Of course not. His lightning rod protected a structure because if connected to what did protection - an earthing electrode.

Franklin's rod is for protection of the structure. Proper earthing connected only by a wire or via a 'whole house' protector is protection for appliances inside that structure. But in every case, neither a rod nor protector does protection. Protection is always defined by where hundreds of thousands of joules dissipate.

The most critical component in Leaf protection is the single point earth ground. A 'whole house' protector and lightning rods are simple science. Most all questions should address the "art" of protection - the earthing electrode and the connection to it. A protector is only as effective as its earth ground.

 

[KillaWhat]

Nothing stops or blocks such surges. Especially not protectors. If a surge is hunting for earth ground, then connect it to earth ground BEFORE it can enter the building.

About a year ago, I had a direct hit lightning strike (I have a copper roof, It was pretty dramatic)
I had just plugged Leafy in to my Nissan Labelled AV L2 EVSE, and walked in the front door, and WHAM/FLASH I was on the floor.

I had panel protection on the Main, and 3 sub-panels; 1 per phase.
7 out of 8 surge cans were destroyed.
We found things that were damaged for months.

My AV EVSE was UNDAMAGED in any way, even though it was actively charging when we were hit, and the light bulb 3 feet away shattered.
Leafy however, had to get a new OBC.
(I still maintain it was a coincidence :evil: )

My conclusion is, say what you will about how expensive those AV EVSE are.... there is a lot of engineering history in that company.
Ironically, my primary EVSE is now an EV project "Size of my House" Blink, cause.... it was Free.
What was I going to do... say No?

Most all questions should address the "art" of protection - the earthing electrode and the connection to it.
A protector is only as effective as its earth ground.

Truer words never spoken.
Most people have really crappy "cheapest when the house was built" grounding, and nobody ever thinks about it again.

Engineering 101:
"It always turns out to be because of a bad ground"

 

[westom]

I had panel protection on the Main, and 3 sub-panels; 1 per phase.
7 out of 8 surge cans were destroyed.
We found things that were damaged for months.

First, the ground that meets code is often woefully insufficient for earthing a surge. For example, if the ground wire goes up over the foundation and down to an earthed electrode, then it may meet code. And be insufficient for earthing a surge. Wire is too long. Has sharp bends going over the foundation. Is not separated from other non-grounding wires. Many if not most electricians do not understand these concepts.

The ground wire is better run through the foundation and down to the earthing electrode.

Second, sounds like those protectors were undersized. A minimally sized protector is 50,000 amps. Because lightning is typically 20,000 amps. Protection means a protector must not fail catastrophically.

Protectors have a failure indicator light. If that light reports failure, then that protector was grossly undersized. Did not do effective protection. And should be replaced by one that is significantly larger. For example, a failed 50,000 amp 'whole house' protector should be replaced by one rated at 100,000 amps.

That failure light only reports one type of failure - that must never happen. Other 'more acceptable' type failures are not reported by that light. That light on any protector says the protector was grossly undersized. In some rare cases, may have even been a potential house fire.

 

[KillaWhat]

Protectors have a failure indicator light.

These were at least 15 years old.
Commercial Product, about the size of a soda can, installed on the outside of the panels, through a 3/4" knockout, wires inside.
I assure you, these were too old to have "Indicator Lights"

However, I have reason to believe that 7 of them may have "LIT UP" as they failed; dramatically and only once :lol: