Installing a Hypervolt Home 3 EV charger: what the job involves

Video reference. "How to Install a Hypervolt Home Electric Vehicle Charging Point" is a real-job walkthrough by Jordan Farley of Artisan Electrics, posted on the Electrician Life channel. Artisan Electrics is based in Cambridge and is one of the UK's most widely followed electrical contractor YouTube channels, covering domestic installations to BS 7671 standards. The video shows the full installation process on a live domestic job.

1. Assessing the supply and available load

The first step at any EV charger installation is to check the consumer unit for a spare way and assess the available load. The Hypervolt Home 3 can draw up to 32A (7.3 kW) continuously during a charge session. Most modern UK homes on a 100A single-phase supply can accommodate this alongside typical evening loads without any issue, but older properties with a 60A or 80A cut-out fuse deserve a measured check with a clamp meter before anything is ordered.

If the consumer unit has no spare way, the installer has two options: fit a twin RCBO in place of an existing single-width device to free up a slot, or recommend a board upgrade if the board is old or running out of practical ways.

2. Confirming the earthing arrangement

The earthing arrangement determines what protective device is needed at the consumer unit. Most UK homes use PME (Protective Multiple Earthing, also called TN-C-S), where the neutral and earth are combined on the supply cable from the street and separated at the cut-out. On a PME supply, BS 7671 requires a Type B RCD on the EV charger circuit.

The reason for Type B is technical but important: EV on-board chargers can produce a smooth (DC) residual current in a fault condition. A standard Type A RCD will not detect smooth DC fault currents above 6 mA, meaning it will not trip to protect the circuit. A Type B device detects both AC and DC residual currents and provides the protection BS 7671 requires. The Hypervolt Home 3 does not include its own Type B protection internally, unlike some other brands, so the external Type B RCBO in the consumer unit is mandatory rather than optional.

3. Choosing where to mount the charger

The Hypervolt Home 3 is IP55 rated, so it can go on an outside wall, inside a garage or in a covered car port. The practical choice is the wall closest to where the car parks, at a height that makes plugging in comfortable -- between 0.8 m and 1.2 m from the ground covers most drivers.

The best position is also influenced by the cable route from the consumer unit. For an outside wall of the house or an attached garage, the cable often runs through the cavity or under the floor. For a detached garage, the cable either goes overhead through the loft void or underground as armoured SWA cable. Underground cable must be at least 450 mm deep and in conduit wherever it crosses a driveway or vehicle crossing.

4. Running the supply cable and mounting the unit

Standard installations use 6 mm two-core and earth for runs up to around 15 m from the consumer unit. Longer runs, cable routed through warm roof voids, or buried cable without free-air cooling may need 10 mm cable to stay within BS 7671's volt-drop limits. Your installer calculates this before ordering materials rather than after.

Cable must follow BS 7671 cable safe zones throughout, or be in conduit or trunking wherever it runs across surfaces. The Hypervolt Home 3 backplate is fixed level to the wall, the cable is routed in and terminated, and the unit is clipped onto the backplate. All connections are checked for polarity and continuity before the cover is fitted.

5. Connecting at the consumer unit

The other end of the supply cable connects to a 32A Type B RCBO in the consumer unit. Every terminal screw is torqued to the manufacturer's specification -- a loose connection on a 32A circuit running for six or more hours overnight is a potential fire risk. The installer checks polarity, earth continuity and insulation resistance before energising the circuit.

With the circuit live, the installer performs a dead-zone test to confirm the charger communicates correctly with the car before completing the installation paperwork.

6. Commissioning the Hypervolt app and completing Part P notification

Once wiring is complete and tested, the installer pairs the Hypervolt Home 3 to your home Wi-Fi using the Hypervolt app. You can then set charging schedules, view energy use, and link to smart energy tariffs. The Hypervolt integrates with Octopus Intelligent Go, which automatically schedules charging to run during the cheapest overnight periods without any manual intervention.

A test charge session confirms the unit is working before the installer notifies the installation to their Part P competent person scheme. You should receive a building compliance certificate and an Electrical Installation Certificate within a few days. Keep both with your property documents: they are evidence that the circuit was installed and tested correctly, and they will be requested when you sell.

When to call us

Richard is an OZEV-approved EV charger installer covering Sandwich, Deal, Dover, Ramsgate and Canterbury. We install Hypervolt Home 3, Ohme Home Pro, Pod Point Solo 3S, Zappi and other home chargers, completing Part P notification and providing the full certificate pack on the day of installation.