One of the biggest changes in intensive electrician courses in the 2020s is the increasing sophistication and safety requirements of electrical devices which rely on increasingly powerful and potentially dangerous supplies of electricity.
The biggest example of this is found with electric vehicle charging stations. Many businesses and homeowners alike are interested in setting up a charging point for a new wave of electric cars, but the powerful electrical currents required create a new wave of potential safety hazards.
Thankfully, most EV charging points are subject to regulation, which requires them to meet certain standards for safety to help protect users and owners alike from damage or injury in normal operation.
However, this also highlights the exceptional importance of regular maintenance, inspection and safety checks in order to ensure that the myriad of implemented safety systems are properly maintained. Here are some of the most important early signs to watch out for.
Indicators And Displays
Whilst most electricians will check the displays first for any notable error messages, it is still beneficial to check if there are any warning lights or issues that may cause a light to not appear.
A working display will point you in the right direction of any error. A display or set of lights that are not visibly working will highlight that there is potentially a more serious problem, even if the charger technically works.
Broken Connectors
Even more so than conventional plug adaptors in your home, an EV connector needs to connect to your charging station in a particular, fixed way, involving latches and locking mechanisms.
If any of them have failed or broken, or if the pins themselves have become bent or contaminated due to unacceptable exposure to the elements, this could create a potential risk of electric shock.
Checking the connectors will form part of an electrician’s testing and maintenance protocol regardless of outwardly visible issues, but it provides a clear warning sign that something is amiss.
Check the housings as well for potential damage or loose components, as they could potentially be a sign of a structural weakness.
Frayed Cables
Similarly, if your charger has a charging cable fitted to the station itself, it needs to be checked across the entire length for any kinks, scrapes, cuts and fraying wires.
Any exposed wiring is bad, but given that EV charging stations are often significantly more powerful than a typical electrical socket, it could potentially cause an electric shock.
Failed Circuit Breakers
EV chargers have a range of safety features, including a dedicated circuit breaker, grounding, and either a residual current device (RCD) or a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI), which potentially save lives by cutting power in abnormal circumstances.
Test the circuit breakers to make sure that they work within operational parameters; if they are too sensitive, they will cause power trips in normal use, but if they allow too much leeway, they could allow fatal electric shocks before deactivating the power.
Strange Noises
In general, charging stations should not hum or make any noise when in operation. If they are, it is often a sign that there is an internal issue with the charger.