How do I use the 3 pin charger

[TerryTuscanUltimate]

hi

I have a 3 pin charger that came with my Tuscan plug in.
When I plug it into the mains it shows 6a.
If I press the button, nothing happens.
If I press and hold the button it starts flashing.
I can then press it twice and it goes 8 then 10. It will not go any higher.
But when it stops flashing it reverts to 6.
I have tried it with several different sockets around my house.
Does this mean my sockets are not up to standard, or is there a fault with charger?
As at 6a it takes 11 hours to charge.

Can anyone tell me their experiences with theirs please.

Thanks Terry

[dylan2910]

a standard 3 pin socket is not designed to take max amps for long periods of time, a separate EV specific socke t should be used. There are several items on the internet relating to this

Are 13amp EV chargers any good?

Typical 13A sockets, as described in Mode 1 charging earlier, are very useful in the home or the office. But if used to charge an EV for around ten or more hours, they can become damaged. They're simply not designed to work at full capacity for these prolonged periods

https://ev-extras.com/products/uk-13-am ... bs-1363-ev

[TerryTuscanUltimate]

Hi Dylan
Thank you for the info.
I don't want to be charging for 11 hours, I just won't bother. If I could set it to charge to10a, it would only take 6 hours. I would then gladly buy the special socket.

[Berty]

I had a quick look at my OEM charger and I can confirm that if you hold the button down you can change it from 6,8 to 10(as you already did). When I did nothing it went back to whatever it was set at before.

In order for me to force it from 10(which it was for me) to 6 I held the button until it flashed, clicked it to change it to 6 and then held the button again until the flashed quickly again. Then it stayed on 6, I turned the socket off/on and it stayed on 6.

Also, I don't think you'll get as quick as 6 hours out of it, you probably will when the car is around 25% but from really low it would be around 2-2.2kw per hour / 14.8 kw battery so around 7 - 7.5 hours

[TerryTuscanUltimate]

Hi Berty

yes that worked, thank you very much. it now says 2.1kw and fully charged in 7 hours. Much better.

[KevinBattle]

Hi TerryTuscanUltimate Tuscan? Surely Tucson
I'd suggest you get an electrician to confirm your 13amp socket isn't overloaded.
Can you get your electricity supplier to provide any Off Peak tariff?
Octopus and OVO do, might be worth switching supplier, as Octopus give 5 hours from 00.30 to 05.30 at a low off peak rate, so just charging for 5 hours each night should keep your PHEV topped up.
Your electrician might also be able to fit a timer to your socket.
As you've just joined, I'm assuming you've just got your PHEV - enjoy!