Have they tried to use 221s for 6mm²?

 

221s are for terminate conductors from 0.5 to 6mm

WAGO 221 3 Way Compact Lever Connectors

A three-way compact splicing connector with handy lever for quick and hassle-free installations. Use this pack of reusable Wago 221 connectors for solid, stranded and flexible cables.These connectors couldn't be easier to use - simply pull the lever up, insert a stripped conductor and push the...

www.toolstation.com

 

Toolstation say that, but the Wago site says 4mm...221 Inline Splicing Connector | WAGO GB

 

I think they are 4mm

I cannot remember if the installer (recommended by Ohme) bought his own or if it was all provided by Ohme. I believe it’s the latter.

 

Looks like these are rated at 30A - on the Wago website, they say 32A. Presumably different versions, but 30A certainly isn't enough for a 32A 7kw chargepoint.

 

Thanks for this. If Ohme provided this and it was installed by their recommended electrician I’m unsure who is (most) at fault and therefore liable for rectifying.

 

It looks as though the Wago connectors might have been used in addition to a ferrule crimped on the ends of those thick cables. Is that a recommended or sensible conbination? From what I've read of the design of Wago and similar connectors, they are intended for use on bare copper wires, either solid or stranded, and don't need ferrules. Might the ferrule-to-wire contact perhaps be the cause of the overheating? Alternatively, I may be imagining the remains of little metal sleeves over the ends of the cables.

According to the Screwfix web site, there are Wago 221 series connectors rated for 41 amps, as well as the usual 32 A type. They look much the same except for different markings on the side.

The responsibility to @Pokerron belongs to whoever you paid for the installation, though both Ohme and Wago ought to get excited about the near-disaster.

 

I’ll get a better picture in the morning.

 

Update: the Wago web site for item 221-613 shows JET 30A/300V on one side and 450V/41A on the other side. That's the model range inteded for 6 mm² copper cable.Their explanation is that these are applicable to different national standards, the larger rating matching the EN 60664 relevant to Britain and the EU. Tests by Jeremy Harris before he retired from these forums suggested Wago connectors when used right could carry rather more than their rated current before the plastic part melted, and even then the spring connector kept its jaw firmly clamped on the cable.

 

The wiring on our charger was joined with 60amp terminal blocks 60A 12-Terminal Strips 10 Pack - Screwfix

 

Same here with ferrules. Car can only pull 16A though, lol.

 

Where to those CAT5 twisted cables go to in the box?

 

There are two sizes of 221, one does upto 4mm and the other does upto 6mm.

221-413 vs 221-613 for the 3 way for instance.

 

And do we think the procurement guy went for the cheaper one because the model number was close enough?

 

6mm cable won't fit in the 4mm wagos without serious effort and would fail sooner than this has if it was( the cable would be blatantly loose). The wagos in the picture look too big to be the 4mm version(happy to be corrected on that)

 

A quick skim through sees a few things mentioned.
The thing is, is your cable 4 or 6mm CSA are the Wagos used 4mm or 6mm? The toolstation link shows a picture where you can see a 4 then a square next to it, that means 4mm cross sectional area.

It looks like it was a mess before it caught light but someone mentioned crimps.

If any of the wires which was in a Wago has a crimp on it then it goes against the permitted use for the Wago, bare wires only.

The post you referred to was not unfortunately concluded to a point of rectification. We took things to a private chat where I got Wago involved but the OP never reported back once things were resolved.
Back then it seemed clear that the installer was an idiot.

The thing to do is make sure it's off at the feed then get some good pictures, show what size Wago, what size cable, if crimps were used and where all those loose strands are from.

Documenting things before the installer tries to cover things up (which happened before) will give you a much better position if people start to be awkward.

One assumes the chargepoint itself is unaffected or was that damaged in some way too?

Gaz

 

The wago at the top of the shot connecting the cat5 looks to have 4[] on it?

The main power ones are all oriented such that we cannot see the size.

 

The cat 5 is almost certainly connected using the 2 way wagos included with the charger. They are 4mm rated wagos

 

Size/rating for both 6mm and 4mm capable wagos if anyone needs to check them, smaller one is the 4mm wago, larger is the 6mm.

 

Thank you all for the replies and input!

Today someone from the installation company came to our house and said we were very lucky not to have had a fire and that the connections that are supplied by Ohme are not fit for purpose and the wires can come loose.

I’ll send an updated picture in the morning.

I’m not going to leave it at this and will be taking this further with Ohme, given what could have happened.

 

I'd agree that you were lucky not to have a fire but unless ohme supply their installers with other connectors the only ones that come in the box are the 2 way wagos for the ct clamp wires.the melted connectors would have been supplied by the Installer.

 

so the installer says the supplied connectors are not fit for purpose but they go ahead anyway and fit them!

cheers for that installer.

 

Ha! it was a different installer but from same company so the point holds!

 

Just had a look at the original post. That earth with the ferrule doesn’t look to be correctly inserted. If the Neutral was similarly installed then you’ve got your culprit.

 

Just had a look at the original post. That earth with the ferrule doesn’t look to be correctly inserted. If the Neutral was similarly installed then you’ve got your culprit.

View attachment 187142

That definitely is a ferrule then.
Several people now think it is.
The OP needs to gather that up as evidence.

My guess is it might be too late, last time the company cut everthing back before any proper evidence or decent pictures could be taken.

Even thoughbthey might srgue that iscwas only the earth there us no valid reason gor putting a ferrule on that and not msling the same stupid mistake on the line abd neutral.

Looks like the old smoking gun is right there for all to see.

The clmoany respindinke need to come forward admit they are employing an idiot abd udentify if they ate responsible gor telling their fitters how to do things and then give 50k to a charity of our choosing.

Clearly, they akdi beed to revisit every single installation they gave done in at least the last 2 years and confirm thst things are IK and they have used the connector as per the instructions rsther than explicitly how the instructions say NOT to use them.

People beed to also report the buggers to everyone they can as they are a friggin danger.

Wish I knew who they were, give me an excuse to pull out the old Supergrass CD and rip the bugger.

Ohme need to wise up to this too, don't they have an account on here?

Gaz

 

I would urge anyone who has had an Ohme fitted by the company Ohme recommended to take precautions, isolate then whip the front off the whiska box and check everything looks as new and intact.

Adding to this, try tugging on the cables to check that they are secure in the wago. From my experience wagos are either secure or loose there is no middle ground. Worth checking this as you might not be at the point of visually melting connectors just yet.

Edit to be very clear. Make sure the power is totally isolated before doing this

 

Think the culprit used to fix TVs...

It all went to pot when coffee and energy drinks replaced a nice cuppa. The fitters and such like are far too busy pissing about with their phones and necking giant cans of Bone Energy Juice or whatever to actually concentrate on what they are doing let alone follow any kind of instructions.

Let's all pray to the gods that the next incident of this BS is a report from someone who checked their install before it went up in smoke.

It just makes me angry that so many morons drift about barely doing what they are paid to do then get all uppity if they get called out on an issue, immediately blaming everyone else.

Gaz