Trickle Charging

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raymulligan
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2018 6:38 am

Post by raymulligan »

Hello All, I am new here; I have a questions about trickle charging. Is it OK to regularly charge up the Niro using the trickle charger and a normal plug socket, or is there a reason why this should not be done? Thanks in advance.

Brianh
Posts: 26
Joined: Thu Feb 01, 2018 11:22 am

Post by Brianh »

Hi - by trickle charger I assume you mean the 13A mains charger that is supplied with the Niro PHEV. Officially it is not recommended for everyday use but many people do. I used it regularly before I had my charger fitted and it worked fine although took about an hour longer than my Chargemaster charge point. I am fortunate, however, that I have a covered car port with an external 13A mains point so I was less concerned about weather or using extension leads.

The main objections to using the 13A 'granny' charger are down to health & safety and particularly if you need to use an extension lead as prolonged use can cause the cables/plugs to overheat and there are threads on other forums with various horror stories. The granny charger draws 10A and if you have it on the same circuit as other high use equipment - cooker/induction hob/tumble dryer etc - you could end up overloading things. If you need to use an extension lead it needs to be correctly rated and fully unwound at all times. It's also better to have an external, weatherproof, mains socket as having to leave windows open could be bit of a problem especially in cold/wet weather.

Other than that i dont believe it would have any detrimental effect on the car itself.

Hope that helps
raymulligan
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2018 6:38 am

Post by raymulligan »

Hello,

That is a great help, thank you very much.
raymulligan
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2018 6:38 am

Post by raymulligan »

Brianh wrote: Thu Jun 21, 2018 12:44 pm Hi - by trickle charger I assume you mean the 13A mains charger that is supplied with the Niro PHEV. Officially it is not recommended for everyday use but many people do. I used it regularly before I had my charger fitted and it worked fine although took about an hour longer than my Chargemaster charge point. I am fortunate, however, that I have a covered car port with an external 13A mains point so I was less concerned about weather or using extension leads.

The main objections to using the 13A 'granny' charger are down to health & safety and particularly if you need to use an extension lead as prolonged use can cause the cables/plugs to overheat and there are threads on other forums with various horror stories. The granny charger draws 10A and if you have it on the same circuit as other high use equipment - cooker/induction hob/tumble dryer etc - you could end up overloading things. If you need to use an extension lead it needs to be correctly rated and fully unwound at all times. It's also better to have an external, weatherproof, mains socket as having to leave windows open could be bit of a problem especially in cold/wet weather.

Other than that i dont believe it would have any detrimental effect on the car itself.

Hope that helps
That is a great help, thank you very much.
derson
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri Jun 08, 2018 5:53 pm

Post by derson »

Because I don't have Niro yet.
I have question is that brick charger fully weather proof? (My external socket is)?
Brianh
Posts: 26
Joined: Thu Feb 01, 2018 11:22 am

Post by Brianh »

Yes it is weatherproof, to what extent I'm not sure (standards etc) but is protected against water ingress from rain etc.
tonybkent
Posts: 35
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2018 8:02 pm

Post by tonybkent »

My dealer told me under no circumstances should I use the 3 pin charger with an extension cable.
Fred_Bristol
Posts: 29
Joined: Sun Jul 16, 2017 6:10 pm

Post by Fred_Bristol »

We have been using an extension cable to connect the 13 Amp 3-pin plug "granny cable" charging cables of our Zoe and now our Leaf since 2015 without problems. BUT the extension cable is rated for 13A, is a heavy duty Arctic type 16 Amp cable and is not on a reel so cannot be used wound up. The cable and plug stay cool and there is no heating of the socket either. So done right with quality components it is both safe and successful.

I would not advise using a typical wind up extension reel. They tend to be rated for short term use, and an enclosed cable will have a lower rating than one of the same nominal rating in open air conditions. (The same is true of the cables used for house wiring)

Something which surprised me when I read the specification of a 13A double socket is that it is only rated for a total of 20A, not 26A.

In summary: Avoid using an extension lead if possible, but if it is unavoidable use a good quality one not on a reel and make sure it is not covered up. If in doubt consult a qualified electrician.

Hope that helps

Fred
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