Surge Protection Safety For Your EV and Charger

Electric vehicles are increasingly becoming a way of life in so many households - sales of purely electric vehicles in America have increased by over 50% in the last year. In the UK several towns and cities have begun to introduce congestion charges for non-electric vehicles in an attempt to improve air quality in busy areas and encourage car owners to become more conscious of looking after the environment. There are many different reasons for choosing to purchase an electric car, but whatever the reason it’s important to do proper research in order to protect yourself, your home and your vehicle.

With sales of electric vehicles increasing so dramatically the demand for chargers on the road is very much outstripping the availability of them, so it’s important to install your own charger at home. Installing a charger for an electric vehicle isn’t without risk - EV chargers are sensitive and need to be installed with a surge protection device.

The Importance of Surge Protection

There are many reasons for installing a surge protection device for your EV charger, but without a doubt one of the biggest is to not void the warranty on your new car. Due to the sensitive nature of EV chargers most manufacturers suggest installing a surge protection device with your EV charger, but some even go so far as to state that not having one will void the warranty on your new electric vehicle. This means that should you have any issues with your car, not just related to power, the manufacturer will not honour the guarantee and you’ll be forced to pay out of your own pocket.

One of the biggest considerations when thinking about installing an EV charger is absolutely going to be safety. There are relatively few documented cases of issues arising from EV chargers, but it’s not to say that it doesn’t happen. Incorrectly installed chargers, or chargers installed without a surge protection device, come with the very real risk of causing serious injury or even loss of life. Electricity is dangerous if handled incorrectly and it needs to be treated with the care it deserves. Installing a surge protector with your charger will help to minimise the risk as much as possible, meaning that you can sleep easily at night knowing that your house, family and car are safe.

‍Making Sure Your Home and Family Are Safe

As well as being concerned about safety and wanting to look after your home and family, installing a surge protection device is important to protect your assets. Electric cars are a huge investment but come with the reward of no fuel bills and knowing that you’re being a positive influence on the environment. However, when spending so much money on an electric vehicle there’s an expectation that your new car is going to be with you for many years to come. This is obviously a fair expectation, but only if you look after it.

When you spend £1000 on a brand new phone, you wouldn’t then decide to only spend £1 on a case for it because you want to look after it so it lasts longer- the exact same can be said about buying a surge protector for an electric vehicle charger. As well as protecting your valuable property from upstream electrical power surges, a surge protector will also guard against the risks posed by thunder storms. Your EV charger will live outside and during a storm the sensitive circuitry that handles the controls and communications can be especially vulnerable to lightning strikes, which could then be passed back into the circuitry of your home and cause damage to the wiring. Having a surge protection device will help to minimise these risks.

Having An EV Charger Installed

When buying a charger and surge protection device for your electric vehicle it’s important to hire a professional to install it for you. Installing an EV charger is not something you can do yourself. Incorrectly installed chargers can risk causing damage to your new car, to the charger itself or even to your home’s electrical system, which could result in a bill for thousands of pounds.

You need to make sure you do all of the necessary back ground checks to ensure that you’re hiring a reputable company before you hand over any money. When looking for a company to install your EV charger, look at how many years they’ve been in business, look for reviews on social media, testimonials on their website and any memberships to professional bodies or qualifications/accreditations from an official body. If the company has most of these then you know you should be safe to hire them.

There are many reasons that you need to buy a surge protector for your EV charger. Even though it’s an optional product, the manufacturer isn’t just trying to make some extra money off of you by recommending that you buy a surge protector with your car. When making an investment as large as an electric vehicle you need to ensure that you’ve protected your investment and not unknowingly set yourself up for a large bill in the future when you find out your warranty isn’t valid.

Equally, owning an electric car is only going to be a positive experience if you know that your home and family are fully protected so you have nothing to worry about. Electric cars are becoming part of modern life in a really big way - they’re going to become more common place in the very near future so it’s important to set yourself up ready for things to come. By being an early adopter of an electric vehicle you’re able to pick from a wide variety of car manufacturers and EV charger installation companies to ensure you find the perfect car that you’ll truly enjoy using for years to come.

If you want to know more about EV charging and the need for surge protection then please get in touch. Our friendly and knowledgeable team are on hand to answer any questions you have.

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