in this q a video we're going to answer the
question can I use a bsEN60309 socket outlet to charge my ev
this question relates to a few videos we've made on the subject of the proxima range
of industrial sockets from scami so please go and check those out after watching this video
so what's prompted this question in short linkedin a while back someone created the post suggesting
a life hack that could save you tons of money by installing a bscn60309 socket outlet to use
as an ev charge point now this is not about battering the guy who posted it he
genuinely thought he'd found a loophole and just wanted to share it with others
having said that i don't go on social media and give out advice about property investment so
maybe there's something in that anyway it generated a lot of feedback some of which
made some fairly massive assumptions about the earthing arrangements of the supply the protective
devices and where the socket was located all of which would need addressing if you were doing
the install and actually i think the post has been deleted since all my search skills are not
what they need to be but it is a good question can we just use one of these as a dedicated ev
charge point the answer unsurprisingly is it depends let's turn to section 722 of bs7671 which
covers ev installations we find the guidance for the connecting outlet in regulation 722.55.101.0
which is a bit of a mouthful it reads each ac charging point shall incorporate
one one socket outlet complying with bs 1363-2 marked ev on its rear and except where there is
no possibility of confusion a label should be provided on the front face or adjacent
to the socket outlet or its enclosure stating suitable for electric vehicle charging or two
one socket outlet or connector complying with bscn60309-2 which is interlocked and classified
to clause 6.1.5 of bsn60309-1 to prevent the socket contact being live when accessible
or three one socket outlet or connector complying with bsen60309 which is part of an interlocked
self-contained product complying with bsen 60309-4 and classified to clauses 6.1.101 and 6.1.102
to prevent the socket contacts being live when accessible and we're going to stop reading
that there as the rest of the options relate to dedicated ev charge points so we can use a special
ev 1362 square pin socket outlet to charge up an ev although it's the most painfully slow option of
all or there's options two and three there socket outlets complying with bsn 60309-2 so it seems
that these are acceptable now there may be a few very well-informed people watching this
even now limbering up their typing fingers to point out regulation 553.1.201 which states
every socket outlet for household and similar use shall be of the shuttered type
and for an ac installation shall preferably be of a type complying with bs 1363 so it seems that the
socket outlet complying with bsen60309 cannot in fact be installed in a domestic setting because
it doesn't have that shuttering however let's look at the statement at the beginning of part 7 which
contains general information for this section it states the particular requirements for each
section special installation or location in part 7 supplement or modify the general requirements
contained in other parts of bs7601 so we're back to it being okay because the general requirement
for a socket outlet in a domestic setting is modified in this case or is it reading
on the absence of reference to the exclusion of a part a chapter a section or a regulation
means that the corresponding general regulations are applicable so because the regulation on ev
charge point connectors doesn't specifically exclude regulation 553.1.201 then it must be
applicable to a bscn 60309 socket outlet isn't acceptable gag which is it well in the absence of
any explicitly stated information on this subject we're efix look at it this way it's one of those
times to look at the intent behind a regulation regulation 553.1.201 as we can't use sockets in
domestic installations that aren't shuttered why well it's to stop people who don't know any better
from sticking knitting needles or scissors into socket outlets and receiving a potentially fatal
shock the shutter prevents the live terminals from being accessed until a plug is connected to the
socket so with that intent in mind and bearing in mind that the regulations in part seven modify the
regs for particular settings or installations it does allow for bscn60309 outlets to be installed
you could take this to mean only on non-domestic installations or you could look at regulation
722.55.101.0.201.1 again and notice that it states that bscn60309 socket outlets
must be interlocked why to prevent the contact being live when accessible
so is it fair to say that the spirit of regulation 553.1.201 has been met with interlocks instead of
shutters what do you think would you be happy to install a bscn60309 interlocked socket outlet on
a domestic property for a dedicated ev charge point or do you think it would be non-compliant
do you think it's a viable option bearing in mind you may well need to also provide pen fault
protection either a type b rcd or a type a or frcd with a residual direct current detecting device
let us know what you think so you can use a bsen 60309 socket outlet as an ev charge point although
it's a bit of a gray area in domestic settings and some judgment will be needed if you found
this video helpful then please check out these videos here and thank you very much for watching