Do you unplug your Mach E during a thunderstorm?

Sneezy

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I'm in the middle of a storm now and my Mach E is charging.

Do you unplug yours during a storm or tell it to stop charging? I have unplugged mine for each storm.

We have lost power 4 times since I have gotten mine (waiting on my generator to be hooked up) and each time the power has cut in and out repeatedly and then just died.

I did not RTFM!
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JohnnyForensic

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I'm in the middle of a storm now and my Mach E is charging.

Do you unplug yours during a storm or tell it to stop charging? I have unplugged mine for each storm.

We have lost power 4 times since I have gotten mine (waiting on my generator to be hooked up) and each time the power has cut in and out repeatedly and then just died.

I did not RTFM!
I've wondered this same thing. Even though I don't have it yet, I think I'm gonna go with "yes."

I know things are better and more protected these days, but 14 year old me remembers sitting in his house, being online with a Coleco ADAM computer that had the plastic encased modem card in it and hearing a BAM! when lightning struck outside. The computer shut down, and the modem card's plastic housing had MELTED into the rest of the motherboard.

After that, I usually unplug really important stuff during a close thunderstorm. The MME would qualify.
 

Garbone

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Yes.
 

phidauex

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Probably not a bad idea to unplug. I'm sure the car has a transient surge suppressor on the input to the DC charger, but better to not stress such features.

For anyone handy, a good potential solution is to use Delta surge arrestors - they are a silicon oxide varistor that shorts to ground when exposed to a high voltage surge. They are very fast, fail clear so you can keep using your power system (they don't "trip"), and they are inexpensive. I've seen a number of them take a sacrificial lightning strike and save the rest of the electronics in the system.

https://www.altestore.com/store/enc...-lightning-arrestor-single-phase-3-wire-p472/

They basically just mount to your load center or first disconnect after the meter, and get wired in parallel with the two hots and neutral. Totally passive device and easy to install. There are fancier electronic and resettable TVSS systems out there too, but for $40 the Deltas are reliable, inexpensive and easy to install.
 

methorian

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Probably not a bad idea to unplug. I'm sure the car has a transient surge suppressor on the input to the DC charger, but better to not stress such features.

For anyone handy, a good potential solution is to use Delta surge arrestors - they are a silicon oxide varistor that shorts to ground when exposed to a high voltage surge. They are very fast, fail clear so you can keep using your power system (they don't "trip"), and they are inexpensive. I've seen a number of them take a sacrificial lightning strike and save the rest of the electronics in the system.

https://www.altestore.com/store/enc...-lightning-arrestor-single-phase-3-wire-p472/

They basically just mount to your load center or first disconnect after the meter, and get wired in parallel with the two hots and neutral. Totally passive device and easy to install. There are fancier electronic and resettable TVSS systems out there too, but for $40 the Deltas are reliable, inexpensive and easy to install.
I agree here - if you're in an area prone to lightning strikes and/or have had issues with surges in the past, invest in a whole home surge suppressor.

Perfect time to do it is when installing your EVSE. I personally use the Schneider Electric version in my panel, but any reputable brand should all work the same.
 


JCHLi

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I have in the past, if I think of it. I also have a full panel surge protection device, so that gives me a little more peace of mind.
 

David-HC

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Hi @Sneezy

Here in the UK I can answer "Yes" - I was going to charge my car overnight yesterday, but we had thunderstorms forecast (there have been for the last few days) so I decided not to !

I've got various anti-surge devices on sensitive equipment in the house, but nothing for the MME.

Better safe than sorry ?

Hope everything is good with you,
David
 

Gullwingdmc

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Yes. If I know there are going to be storms rolling through I preemptively unplug. Not worth the risk to me. One night I woke up to the power flickering on and off, I ran downstairs and unplugged the car.
 

JamieGeek

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Nope, not at all.

Been driving plug-ins since 2013 and they all survived just fine in thunderstorms and even power outages while plugged in.
 

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Hijacking to ask what's the standby draw for the mobile charger? As in plugged into the wall but not the car.
 

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I have whole-house surge protectors being installed tomorrow on both of my 200 Amp panels. I assume that, in the event of inclement weather and lightning, I can count of the new surge protectors to keep my MME safe, right?
 

Mach-Lee

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I have whole-house surge protectors being installed tomorrow on both of my 200 Amp panels. I assume that, in the event of inclement weather and lightning, I can count of the new surge protectors to keep my MME safe, right?
Lol, did we just scare you into doing that today?

I think that will be fine. I've never heard of an EV getting fried from a thunderstorm before so I think it's rare to nonexistent.
 

phidauex

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True, I don’t mean to scare folks, it really depends on your area. If there is an actual lightning strike on or very near your house while you are plugged in it is possible that some of the electronics could be damaged, and it is possible that a surge suppressor or lightning arrestor would mitigate that risk.

However, huge swaths of the country almost never have strikes. If you can’t drive around your neighborhood and point out the three trees that have been struck by lightning in recent memory then I wouldn’t worry about it. Just being stormy outside doesn’t matter, you’d need an actual close strike to risk hurting anything.

I work on literally hundreds of large scale PV systems across the country and have only had a few strikes in the last decade. Yes, they did do some damage, but the chances are still very rare, and hey, that is what homeowner’s insurance is for.

I live in a moderately lightning-prone area, and if it is like SERIOUSLY BOOMING outside my house I’d probably unplug just to be diligent, but I’m not going to stress about it.
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