5. Regular Maintenance

It is recommended to perform a visual check and test of the protection elements at least once per year if local regulations do not state otherwise. It is possible that the requirement is to check more often, e.g., every three months, or every month. The check should also be documented.

No other specific services are needed apart from recommended regular maintenance protocol which takes approximately from 60 to 90 minutes onsite, per one charging station.

Tools

Before maintenance or troubleshoot the charging station, check the appropriate tools to properly maintain charging station:

Sharp knife,
hand screwdriver PH1,
hand screwdriver PH2,
hand screwdriver hexagon 2.5 mm,
tweezers,
unlock keys.

Figure 43: Equipment used for the installation of charging station

General Inspection of the Station

The charging infrastructure operator should perform regular inspections of the charging stations (preventive maintenance). Public charging stations are often exposed to harsh climate conditions and mechanical damage. Critical damage of the casing or other components of the charging station can affect user safety.

The duty of the maintenance service is to:

Examine every socket for potential damage. Access to the sockets must always be enabled and any foreign objects that might be lodged in must be removed as soon as possible.

Examine the casing of the charging station for potential damage. The internal components of the charging station can be examined by unlocking and opening the service doors of the station. The maintenance staff should look for mechanical damage of individual components and examine the interior for potential presence of water or moisture. The equipment installed in the upper part of the station (LCD, RFID) is the most delicate and should be examined thoroughly.

Examine the functioning of ground protection of each socket, by using the »test« button on the protection.

Examine the operation of the charging station following the specified sequence:

Plug the cable into socket 1.
Perform identification to start the charging (RFID, SMS, or via App).
To conduct an optimal test, some energy consumption should be induced. Amount of energy consumed is shown on the LCD display.
Log off with the RFID card.
Charging should stop.
Repeat the procedure for socket 2.

For testing purposes, the maintenance staff should use a test cable with an IEC 62196-2 Type 2 plug, where a connection with an IEC 61851 standard vehicle can be simulated.

The service doors of the station can be opened by lifting unlocked doors and slightly opening them at the same time, then slightly lifting them once more and opening them completely. The handle next to the lock should be used to lift the doors.

Check the Protection Elements

Protection elements can be part of charging station or they can be installed in the upstream installation. They should be regularly checked no matter the location.

Overcurrent Protection

Check the overcurrent protection once a year for any visible damages on the surface. If the overcurrent protection is tripped and the switches cannot return to the active position something is wrong with the protection and needs to be changed by maintenance crew.

Surge and Overvoltage Protection

Check the surge and overvoltage protection (if installed) once a year for any visible damages on the surface. If the surge and overvoltage protection is tripped it needs to be changed by the maintenance crew.

RCD

The regulations require that residual current protective device (RCD) is tested regularly, and an audit log should also be kept. The test button on the RCD unit allows user to verify the correct operation of the device by passing a small current through the RCD unit. This simulates a fault by creating an imbalance in the sense coil. If the RCD does not trip when this button is pressed, then the device must be replaced by licensed electrician.

The device must be changed also when the RCD was tripped but the switch cannot be moved back into active position.

Figure 44: RCD test buttons

Recommended Regular Maintenance Protocol

Recommended service interval is once per year, starting one year after the installation of the station. The service protocol is performed as specified in the following checklist.

Checklist

1	Measuring the voltage on all phases and between neutral and earth wires.
2	Measuring resistance between grounding and housing / door of the station.
3	Test of RCD protection 1 with the test button (in case of failure, change of RCD is required or removal of charging station from operation).
4	Test of RCD protection 2 with the test button (in case of failure, change of RCD is required or removal of charging station from operation).
5	Performance check: switch off all the main fuses and reboot of charging station.
6	Check-up of pins in socket 1 (no corrosion should be visible).
7	Check-up of pins in socket 2 (no corrosion should be visible).
8	Checking the socket 1 (socket should be free of dirt and foreign objects).
9	Checking the socket 2 (socket should be free of dirt and foreign objects).
10	Login with RFID card (if RFID authorization is enabled and online check is made).
11	Login with SMS (if SMS authorization is enabled and online check is made).
12	Login with mobile- app (if APP authorization is enabled and online check is made).
13	Start charging on socket 1 with a load (with EV or tester + load).
14	Display of power consumption on LCD display of the charging station for socket 1 (for this step approx. 5 minutes is needed).
15	Stop charging at socket 1.
16	Logout and re-login.
17	Start charging on socket 2 with a load (with EV or tester + load).
18	Display of power consumption on the screen for socket 2 (for this step approx. 5 minutes is needed).
19	Stop charging at socket 2.
20	Check-up of the mechanical condition of the housing and optional labels.
21	Check-up of the condition of LCD display (mechanical or other defects).
22	Verifying that the latest version of SW is loaded on the charger
23	Optional update if it is part of the product offer. (It can be implemented by Etrel locally or it can be done remotely from client’s back end).

EV Solutions Knowledge Centre

INCH DUO Regular Maintenance

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