camelot-forum.co.uk

nowty wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 3:00 pm

Pat wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 2:39 pm But neither of those refers to adding a socket. Indeed my PV is connected upstream of the consumer unit (using a connection block) in parallel with the main supply.

So's mine and its probably against MCS rules to use a plug and socket anyway.

But I suspect the electrical regs will in time change to allow low powered solar plug in devices if these things become mainstream, especially if they are legal in some western European countries. In a similar way that you used to need an earth rod for an EV charger but now chargers have become safer and the latest regs had to have an amendment so you don't need one in certain circumstances.

AMENDMENT 1 TO THE 18TH EDITION ON ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGER INSTALLATIONS
The regulations have changed around the earthing of electrical charging equipment at electric vehicle charging points, making the installation of EV charging equipment safer, easier and quicker and will reduce the cost of installations for both the consumer and the installer. This is due to advances in technology that weren’t available when BS 7671:2018 was first published.

But I suspect the electrical regs will in time change to allow low powered solar plug in devices if these things become mainstream, especially if they are legal in some western European countries. In a similar way that you used to need an earth rod for an EV charger but now chargers have become safer and the latest regs had to have an amendment so you don't need one in certain circumstances.

Pat wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 4:27 pm

But I suspect the electrical regs will in time change to allow low powered solar plug in devices if these things become mainstream, especially if they are legal in some western European countries. In a similar way that you used to need an earth rod for an EV charger but now chargers have become safer and the latest regs had to have an amendment so you don't need one in certain circumstances.

I can't for the life of me see any reason to change the regulations to allow plugs with live pins. I doubt that this is legal anywhere in Europe, whatever the vendors may say*. It is just so easy to wire it in properly.

* Quotations from other countries wiring regulations eagerly awaited!

Pat wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 4:58 pm It takes time for the inverter to detect loss of mains (and that's when it doesn't have a fault in the detection circuitry). Some UK specs allowed 5 seconds for the detection, others may differ. So for a certain time the pins of the plug will, of course, be live. It turns out that this live period coincides with the time just after your child has pulled out the plug and started touching the pins.

Pat wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 5:42 pm Feel free to take the risk and hope it remains in good order. I was just trying to explain that it is against the wiring regulations, and for a good reason. It won't get much faster because it takes a certain number of ac cycles to detect that it isn't there. I would still like to see evidence that other countries are using different rules!

Stinsy wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 6:29 pm

Pat wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 5:42 pm Feel free to take the risk and hope it remains in good order. I was just trying to explain that it is against the wiring regulations, and for a good reason. It won't get much faster because it takes a certain number of ac cycles to detect that it isn't there. I would still like to see evidence that other countries are using different rules!

Nope not against the wiring regs to use a plug. You can use one so long as it is a dedicated circuit.

You can use one so long as it is a dedicated circuit.