5 ms·

Reliable and safe should be the priorities for ev charging not low cost

bastawhiz 2y ago
My first thought was that this could destroy both your car and your home in ways that insurance might not cover. Simply do not.
- ceejayoz 2y ago
  Your car, your home, and maybe you.
- scotty79 2y ago
  I don't think its way more dangerous than scented candle lit on a coffee table.
- kuchenbecker 2y ago
  Insurance covers being stupid.
  - itishappy 2y ago
    It often does not. I'd check your policy before doing DIY electrical work.
    - itishappy 2y ago
      I can no longer edit, but I've learned my comment is somewhat misleading. Home insurance policies (in the US) often cover negligence including faulty electrical work. If it's in your contract, they will pay. Insurance companies will then do their job, which is to find someone liable and send them the bill (subrogation). If you did the work, you're the responsible party. TL;DR: Burning your house down is probably covered by insurance, but that doesn't mean you're not liable.
  - ceejayoz 2y ago
    Not in all cases, contracts, and jurisdictions. For example, DIYing electrical work in Australia is illegal. https://www.electricalsafety.qld.gov.au/electrical-safety-home/dont-do-your-own-electrical-work https://www.electricalsafety.qld.gov.au/electrical-safety-ho... > Not only is it breaking the law, but you could also jeopardise your insurance! > Changing powerpoints or light switches might seem simple, but unless you are trained and qualified, there are lots of risks you just won’t know about. Never attempt to do your own electrical work – you could kill or injure yourself or your family, or start a fire. Always use a licensed electrician.
    - gambiting 2y ago
      I think we can all agree that Australia is taking it waaaaay too far, and requiring a licenced electrician to change your own light switches is just dumb, and it has nothing to do with safety but making sure that electricians have a steady source of bread doing work that anyone should be able to do with a screwdriver. Unless Australia has a much lower rate of home electrical accidents than rest of the world, I refuse to believe that this is a good thing. Sorry, a bit offtopic but that partiular thing really grinds my gears, especially since it covers any cabling that goes inside your wall, so even just running an HDMI cable inside your wall requires a certified electrician to sign off on it.
      - ceejayoz 2y ago
        I mean, when I moved into my house in the US there were ground wires in the outlet boxes, but none of them were actually hooked onto the outlets. I'd agree Australia's restrictions are too far, but "DIY all you like with things that could kill the next person" has its issues too.
        Nextgrid 2y ago
        Unless there's mandatory, regular and thorough inspections of licensed work, making said work require licensing isn't actually going to increase quality. I've seen absolutely terrible, dodgy and unsafe stuff left behind by trained, licensed & well-paid professionals that only "worked" due to a combination of luck & safety margins.
  - bastawhiz 2y ago
    This is absolutely entirely untrue. Read the fine print on your policy.
- Spivak 2y ago
  A smart electrical switch is going to destroy my home? Guess I've been living on borrowed time with my smart outlets.
  - marcosdumay 2y ago
    I'm always at loss if the fragility comments like the GP imply are really experienced by the commenter or if it comes from ignoring all the safety around things plugged on the mains power. Because yes, some homes are really vulnerable to electrical problems. And no, you can't trust any device (high-branded, non-name, DIY, whatever) on such homes. You can't even trust them to handle electricity being available, without any device consuming it.
  - 1970-01-01 2y ago
    If it overheats the PLA box and catches fire, very yes.
  - itishappy 2y ago
    Most electrical fires are caused by faulty wiring and outlets, so yes, DIYing your own wiring and outlets can easily destroy you home... A 10A outdoor charger probably also deserves it's own breaker.
    - bluGill 2y ago
      It isn't hard to DIY this right. You need to be careful and understand the NEC (or whatever your area uses), but the work isn't hard. I've seen professionals do some really bad work.
      - itishappy 2y ago
        Sure, but it's easy to fuck up too and the consequences are high. You're gambling with your home and most insurance won't cover DIY electrical work.
        fr0sty 2y ago
brk 2y ago
As the post explains, the Reliable and Safe bit are really handled by the car, not the charger. This is a neat project, but it is also another example of an Arduino being a bit overkill for what is going on here.
- 1970-01-01 2y ago
  Safety is the electrician's duty. Local electric codes, ampacity charts, properly doing load calculations, pulling permits, etc. will all fall on the electrician's shoulders.
  - brk 2y ago
    Yes, but the "electrician" can also be an individual homeowner. I've done my own electrical work at times, including permitted and inspected work. One of my last projects was wiring a 50A 240A subpanel, on a dock, over saltwater. 105' of wire underground, appropriate GFCI's, etc. Not exactly a simple job, but all the requirements are clearly documented if you take the time to read through things. There is no reason a smart/competent person can't install an EV charger, or create an interface to the power delivery with appropriate components.
    - lnsru 2y ago
      The bad thing is that short sighted and mentally limited persons still think about themselves as brilliant geniuses. That’s why you have complex electrician’s certification with theoretical and practical parts in Germany to sort out these brilliant geniuses. Edit: my buddy is ex-googler. IQ is twice his weight. I wouldn’t trust him any electrical cable. He can work on ground breaking theories, but breaks everything what he touches with his hands.
      - dkjaudyeqooe 2y ago
        Arguably, the idiots of this world done have far too much to nobble freedom in so many different fields. Those people cannot be helped and keep on creating problems no matter what, so why should you restrict the freedoms of those who are smart, capable and resourceful? Certain professionals should be licensed, because people need to know they are safe, but within your personal domain you should have a lot more freedom.

My first thought was that this could destroy both your car and your home in ways that insurance might not cover. Simply do not.

ceejayoz 2y ago
Your car, your home, and maybe you.
scotty79 2y ago
I don't think its way more dangerous than scented candle lit on a coffee table.
kuchenbecker 2y ago
Insurance covers being stupid.
- itishappy 2y ago
  It often does not. I'd check your policy before doing DIY electrical work.
  - itishappy 2y ago
    I can no longer edit, but I've learned my comment is somewhat misleading. Home insurance policies (in the US) often cover negligence including faulty electrical work. If it's in your contract, they will pay. Insurance companies will then do their job, which is to find someone liable and send them the bill (subrogation). If you did the work, you're the responsible party. TL;DR: Burning your house down is probably covered by insurance, but that doesn't mean you're not liable.
- ceejayoz 2y ago
  Not in all cases, contracts, and jurisdictions. For example, DIYing electrical work in Australia is illegal. https://www.electricalsafety.qld.gov.au/electrical-safety-home/dont-do-your-own-electrical-work https://www.electricalsafety.qld.gov.au/electrical-safety-ho... > Not only is it breaking the law, but you could also jeopardise your insurance! > Changing powerpoints or light switches might seem simple, but unless you are trained and qualified, there are lots of risks you just won’t know about. Never attempt to do your own electrical work – you could kill or injure yourself or your family, or start a fire. Always use a licensed electrician.
  - gambiting 2y ago
    I think we can all agree that Australia is taking it waaaaay too far, and requiring a licenced electrician to change your own light switches is just dumb, and it has nothing to do with safety but making sure that electricians have a steady source of bread doing work that anyone should be able to do with a screwdriver. Unless Australia has a much lower rate of home electrical accidents than rest of the world, I refuse to believe that this is a good thing. Sorry, a bit offtopic but that partiular thing really grinds my gears, especially since it covers any cabling that goes inside your wall, so even just running an HDMI cable inside your wall requires a certified electrician to sign off on it.
    - ceejayoz 2y ago
      I mean, when I moved into my house in the US there were ground wires in the outlet boxes, but none of them were actually hooked onto the outlets. I'd agree Australia's restrictions are too far, but "DIY all you like with things that could kill the next person" has its issues too.
      - Nextgrid 2y ago
        Unless there's mandatory, regular and thorough inspections of licensed work, making said work require licensing isn't actually going to increase quality. I've seen absolutely terrible, dodgy and unsafe stuff left behind by trained, licensed & well-paid professionals that only "worked" due to a combination of luck & safety margins.
- bastawhiz 2y ago
  This is absolutely entirely untrue. Read the fine print on your policy.
Spivak 2y ago
A smart electrical switch is going to destroy my home? Guess I've been living on borrowed time with my smart outlets.
- marcosdumay 2y ago
  I'm always at loss if the fragility comments like the GP imply are really experienced by the commenter or if it comes from ignoring all the safety around things plugged on the mains power. Because yes, some homes are really vulnerable to electrical problems. And no, you can't trust any device (high-branded, non-name, DIY, whatever) on such homes. You can't even trust them to handle electricity being available, without any device consuming it.
- 1970-01-01 2y ago
  If it overheats the PLA box and catches fire, very yes.
- itishappy 2y ago
  Most electrical fires are caused by faulty wiring and outlets, so yes, DIYing your own wiring and outlets can easily destroy you home... A 10A outdoor charger probably also deserves it's own breaker.
  - bluGill 2y ago
    It isn't hard to DIY this right. You need to be careful and understand the NEC (or whatever your area uses), but the work isn't hard. I've seen professionals do some really bad work.
    - itishappy 2y ago
      Sure, but it's easy to fuck up too and the consequences are high. You're gambling with your home and most insurance won't cover DIY electrical work.
      - fr0sty 2y ago

brk 2y ago

As the post explains, the Reliable and Safe bit are really handled by the car, not the charger. This is a neat project, but it is also another example of an Arduino being a bit overkill for what is going on here.

1970-01-01 2y ago
Safety is the electrician's duty. Local electric codes, ampacity charts, properly doing load calculations, pulling permits, etc. will all fall on the electrician's shoulders.
- brk 2y ago
  Yes, but the "electrician" can also be an individual homeowner. I've done my own electrical work at times, including permitted and inspected work. One of my last projects was wiring a 50A 240A subpanel, on a dock, over saltwater. 105' of wire underground, appropriate GFCI's, etc. Not exactly a simple job, but all the requirements are clearly documented if you take the time to read through things. There is no reason a smart/competent person can't install an EV charger, or create an interface to the power delivery with appropriate components.
  - lnsru 2y ago
    The bad thing is that short sighted and mentally limited persons still think about themselves as brilliant geniuses. That’s why you have complex electrician’s certification with theoretical and practical parts in Germany to sort out these brilliant geniuses. Edit: my buddy is ex-googler. IQ is twice his weight. I wouldn’t trust him any electrical cable. He can work on ground breaking theories, but breaks everything what he touches with his hands.
    - dkjaudyeqooe 2y ago
      Arguably, the idiots of this world done have far too much to nobble freedom in so many different fields. Those people cannot be helped and keep on creating problems no matter what, so why should you restrict the freedoms of those who are smart, capable and resourceful? Certain professionals should be licensed, because people need to know they are safe, but within your personal domain you should have a lot more freedom.