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[Watch] EV Charging Scare: What Caused The Electric Box To Start Smoking & Can It Be Prevented?

[Watch] EV Charging Scare: What Caused The Electric Box To Start Smoking & Can It Be Prevented?

An electric car owner, Kenneth, recently discovered his electric box at home started smoking after plugging in to charge the vehicle.

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The number of people taking up electric vehicles is gradually picking up and some have started installing EV chargers at home to make things easier.

If you’re a new EV owner with plans to install an EV charger at home, remember to make sure it’s all set up properly.

Instagram user Kenneth (@kenneththm) recently shared how there was almost a fire after two weeks of installing an EV charger in his home.

After plugging in to charge the car, he noticed the electric box on the wall (DB box) started to emit smoke.

He first suspected that the EV charger had caused an overload as his house uses the single phase.

A single-phase home can generally support up to 7kW, and Kenneth only used about 3 to 4kW or 16A to charge the car. He wondered if he needed to upgrade to a three-phase as recommended by a friend.

To be safe, he reported the matter to his charger installer and they came over to take a look. They discovered that the solar PV fuse and wiring in the electric box was the cause of the smoking and burning.

There was also loose wiring which started to burn when the extra load from the new charger increased the heat.

Kenneth shared that it could have easily caused an electrical fire and was glad it didn’t happen while he was asleep.

He also explained that the fire didn’t trip the circuit breaker because it wasn’t a load issue.

Finding the root cause

After pinpointing the cause, he replaced the wiring, used a thicker cable, and changed to a new breaker.

Kenneth ended the video by saying everything seems to be working smoothly so far after the changes.

Netizens wondered whether the fault was a human error since the cable wasn’t installed properly. They advised Kenneth to consult an electrician to ensure everything at home has been installed well.

Meanwhile, another person shared that the cable should be tightened periodically as maintenance because it could be loosened over time. As always, if you’re unsure, it’s best to get an electrician to do it.

Since it’s still a potential fire hazard, there was also a suggestion to install a smart home smoke detector in case the electric box starts to heat up again.


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