How to avoid burning fuse At Home During EV Charging

Many Malaysians face the issue of a fuse being blown out due to negligence on the installer’s part as evident by the post below, but many fail to recognize what are the causes that leads to failure. Inside this article is written the list of possible reasons as to why and how to avoid burning fuse whilst charging your EV at home.

How can you identify a blown fuse?

• For visual observation that a fuse is blown out, it’ll usually be indicated by charring on the area around the fuse with brown ashy spots splotched around it.
• Consecutively, another sign would be your household electricity losing power as the circuit breaker trips to avoid further damage to other electrical appliances within the electrical circuit.
• For the NH fuse, there will also be an indicator on its ceramic casing that indicates that the fuse element has blown.
• Listen for audio cues of crackling or arcing of electricity near the fuse, this is dangerous as it may implode at any time. Call TNB immediately if you happen to hear this.

How EnergiElite helps avoid this issue.

About Energielite.

We specialize in EV charger installations across Malaysia catering to all types of property – be it landed homes or high rise residential. Our commitment is providing quality installation that spells safety to customers.

Let us save you the hassle. We prioritize safety over quantity and never compromise on the quality of equipments use, certified by SIRIM and Suruhanjaya Tenaga. Our site assessment prior to installation eliminates the possibility of a fuse burning with proper calculation according to your housing’s electrical system which is then used to choose the correct specification of components and corrective checks for the voltage including the amperage.

Never worry again for your Tesla, BYD, BMW, Kia EV, Mini Copper, Proton e.Mas and Audi chargers as we’ve done them all and won’t have a problem doing them again.

What is an NH fuse, and how does it function to protect your electrical circuit?

An NH fuse (knife blade fuse) is essentially a protective component that relays the surge of electricity that ought to damage your electrical appliances. The fuse has a ceramic rectangular body that extends metal blades on each end of the terminal. If the current exceeds the rated labelled current on the exterior, the copper conductor inside will break off and discontinue the continuity.

Aspects that lead to and how to avoid burning fuse.

Corrosion of wiring due to moisture build-up

Wiring should be inspected periodically, but it is common for a fault to arise before the supposed inspection period. The average lifespan of an electrical system in a household is up to 50 years, but it can be short-lived due to wrongly done installation. Over time, it could lead to potential issues due to degradation plus the added exposure to certain elements, such as moisture, if there is no mechanical protection to act as a barrier.

Proper insulation and protection with the material of the conduit

• Locate the fuse near the metered unit
• Observe visually the wiring if there is any form of corrosion to the insulation or if there is any damage to the conduits along the pathway towards the main DB.
• Check that the wiring endpoints are terminated at the fuse and that there isn’t any indication that it is loose.
• If problem persist call an electrician to schedule a assessment towards the wiring.

The fuse rating is counterfeited or incorrect.

If the fuse pulls more than the stated rated amps, the element within the fuse will break. But that is if the rating on the fuse itself is correctly labeled. Counterfeit fuses try to pass as higher quality fuses by slapping a rated limit that’s way above what it can handle and a fake approval from SIRIM. For this case scenario, the best way to tell is to visually inspect the interior of the fuse casing to check for:

• The ceramic body is much ‘whiter’ than the bodies of authentic fuses – compare the two
• The thickness of the body of the fuse is not uniform as per the authentic fuse
• The weight of the fuse is much lighter than similarly rated fuses
• The fuse blades have a different coating than the usual tin plating.

Authentic Quality NH Fuses

There’s also the issue of whether the fuse has started to wear from age. The insulation could become brittle, requiring immediate replacement with a newer fuse. The heat from extra current flowing through the EV’s constant charging could also contribute to this.

• Remedy this issue by installing a larger-rated fuse that can withstand the current load and checking to see if its brand is relatively renowned for its quality rather than buying cheaper alternatives to cut expenses.
• Before replacing the fuse, check for continuity from end to end of the fuse using a multimeter.

Overloading of EVSE installation circuit

Ensure that none of the existing circuits is installed in tandem with the EVSE. As stated under ST guidelines, anything above 3kW is supposed to be installed as a sub-circuit, meaning that it is isolated from the existing circuit.

Balancing of Electrical Load

The basis of load balancing is, as the name portrays it to be, dividing the power drawn to its respective circuit so that it remains relatively consistent between each other. For an educated example, a certified electrician would associate a higher draw electrical installation in a sub-circuit so that it does not disturb the other circuit’s power draw.

• Don’t overload a single circuit- during installation, have your installer install it in a sub-circuit so that it doesn’t interfere with the existing power draw of other electrical appliances.
• Ensure the cut-out fuse is within the nominal range for an EV charger installation at 60A-100A.
• Refrain from using high current draw electrical appliances such as a water heater or air-conditioning whilst charging the EV vehicle with the EV Charger.

Intelligent charging features -EVSE

Smart charging allows the EVSE to control the load demand from the user’s side, optimizing how much power is delivered to your EV while actively charging. The feature’s power distribution allows the electrical circuit in your home not to be overloaded if installed within an existing circuit with other electrical appliances.

Protective components are included in the EV Energielite installation of EVSE.

-EVSE equipment, such as the Feyree and E1 charger, has an application that allows constant monitoring when charging the EV. The application will alert the user of any irregularity that arises from charging.

-Concurrently, for Energielite customers, installing EVSE units from us includes an Isolator that acts as an on/off switch that discontinues the circuit.

Ground fault or short circuit.

Both can happen in tandem if working with the electrical panel isn’t completely isolated from the electricity supply. The bare wires within the DB can inevitably contact each other and cause possible shocks if they aren’t correctly seated to terminate.

• Short circuit is when the excess electrical flow strays from the intended circuit and causes the fuse to blow or breaker to trip
• Ground fault is when the live wire contacts the ground connection that naturally creates an unintended pathway of least resistance to earth. This is dangerous as the flow of electricity is then redirected towards you when in contact, and it finds your body to have the least resistance towards the earth.

There is no enclosure for the fuse panel or installation of electrical installation

 Some specks of dust might not cause an issue with your electrical panel or installation; however, given time, they will eventually build up, causing the electrical components to clog and the heat within to be unable to dissipate properly.

Proper selection of fuse and electrical installation design.

Electrical installations such as an EVSE, proposed to be installed outdoors, should be equipped to handle the elements of the weather. IP rating for an EVSE is essential as it is a form of certification that indicates how well the enclosure prevents entry of certain liquids and solid particles such as dust. Among the other counters to mitigate the issue of build-up are:

• Selection of quality and dust-resilient electrical components that cover the aspects of low operating temperatures, smooth surfaces, and constructed of robust materials.
• Regular cleaning and maintenance utilizing the correct tools and methods that don’t coincide with affecting the electrical components within the installation or fuse panel. Wipe the debris off the charger’s shell and ensure no chemicals are used, as they may damage the ports.
• By design, the IP-rated components should have no gaps throughout the seams. Avoid adding protrusions into the enclosure, which will diminish the IP rating.

What would happen if the NH fuse weren’t replaced and bypassed?

 It’s imperative that a blown-out fuse is replaced or measures to prevent it are in place. The entire electrical system will be tripped or interrupted if the fuse isn’t replaced. Bypassing a fuse is one of the other dangerous things that some attempt to rectify. Still, it poses an imminent danger to the downstream wiring and components as it bypasses, as there is potential for the start of an electrical fire hazard. This stems from random installers who don’t know what they’re doing and are chasing profit margins; this kind of installation service should not be endorsed as it ultimately links to customers’ safety.

Conclusion

Suppose you suspect that it’s a blown fuse and have visual confirmation of the condition of the fuse itself. Delegate the issue to a certified electrician through TNB at their hotline, 15454, as the problem could potentially harm you and your family if anything serious, leading to a more significant issue in your household. Ultimately, you shouldn’t cheap out on such components that lead to safeguarding your home’s electrical appliances. Make the best choice by combining the advice to ensure your electrical system has quality components.

About Energielite.

We specialize in EV charger installations across Malaysia catering to all types of property – be it landed homes or high rise residential. Our commitment is providing quality installation that spells safety to customers.

Let us save you the hassle. We prioritize safety over quantity and never compromise on the quality of equipments use, certified by SIRIM and Suruhanjaya Tenaga.

Never worry again for your Tesla, BYD, BMW, Kia EV, Mini Copper, Proton e.Mas and Audi chargers as we’ve done them all and won’t have a problem doing them again.