PME, RCBO, RCD and SPD: four separate buying checks

Choose protection for the chargepoint and supply circuit, not simply the car badge. A Tesla Model Y connected to a Hypervolt has different chargepoint documentation from a Tesla Wall Connector charging the same car.

For more detail, read RCBO vs MCB vs RCD and PME and PEN fault protection.

Charger-by-charger protection comparison

This table is a starting point for the named models, not an automatic compatibility certificate. Read the model notes below before selecting a WCED variant.

Tesla Wall Connector: do I need PME protection?

For Gen 3 installations on a UK TN-C-S supply, Tesla’s UK manual describes the need for external PEN fault detection and isolation in most scenarios. Its earth-monitoring function should not be treated as an equivalent open-PEN solution. Ask your installer to specify the earthing arrangement and required external protection.

Compare indoor WCED PME units and IP65 WCED PME units for single-phase installations, or use our Tesla Wall Connector protection guide for three-phase and multi-charger options. Tesla Gen 3 UK manual: earthing application note.

Does a Zappi need an external RCBO or PME unit?

myenergi distinguishes UK -G versions with PEN fault protection from other versions. It also publishes model-specific residual-current information and a statement explaining why older “no upstream RCD needed” advice should not be used as a universal rule. Identify the generation, full model suffix and relevant manual before buying.

If the installed model provides suitable PEN protection, the remaining purchase may be the specified RCBO and surge-protection assembly. Do not assume an older zappi document also covers zappi GLO. See myenergi: zappi versions and PEN fault detection, myenergi: statement on upstream RCDs and myenergi: model-specific document downloads.

Ohme Home Pro and ePod: what protection is still needed?

The UK 7.4kW installation guide lists built-in PEN detection, but separate overcurrent protection. It recommends a 40A B-curve MCB and says an upstream RCD, where required, must be at least Type A 30mA. An installer may specify a suitable RCBO assembly to combine the required functions. Here “B curve” describes overcurrent operation, not a Type B residual-current device.

Start with the installer’s specification, then compare IP65 plastic RCBO + SPD units or IP65 metal EV consumer units. Check curve, pole switching and residual-current characteristics rather than ordering on the 40A label alone. Source: Ohme Home Pro and ePod: UK/IE installation guide.

Hypervolt Home 3 Pro: RCBO and surge protection

Hypervolt documents built-in PEN protection and requires external RCD protection. Its installation guide specifies an individual, double-pole device of at least Type A and asks installers to consider the appropriate SPD type. The complete supply circuit still needs overcurrent protection.

Compare IP65 plastic RCBO + SPD units or IP65 metal EV consumer units once the installer has selected the current rating and curve. Built-in PEN protection is a reason to check whether a separate PME unit would duplicate an existing function. Source: Hypervolt Home 3 Pro: installation guide.

Easee One versus Charge Up: avoid mixing specifications

Easee One is a 7.4kW single-phase model advertised with open-PEN protection. Charge Up is a different product: its installer guide describes integrated AC/DC residual-current detection and conditions concerning external RCDs. A general international manual does not, by itself, establish that every proposed UK installation can omit an external device.

Get the exact UK model, country documentation and installation design confirmed before selecting a WCED unit. Sources: Easee One: UK single-phase model and Easee Charge Up: installer documents.

Wallbox Pulsar Max: check the UK O-PEN option

The UK Pulsar Max datasheet separates model options and identifies UK O-PEN protection in its part-number structure. It also lists 6mA DC detection and an external Type A RCCB requirement subject to local regulations. Do not treat all Pulsar Max, Pulsar Plus and Pulsar Pro units as identical.

Use the actual label and matching installation manual to determine PEN provision, phase arrangement, protective-device rating and curve. An RCCB also needs coordinated overcurrent protection. Source: Wallbox Pulsar Max: UK datasheet and part-number options.

Andersen A3: built-in PEN does not remove upstream protection

The A3 installer manual documents PEN detection and recommends a 40A RCBO, or a Type A RCCB with 40A B-curve MCB. That gives an installer a protection specification to check against a complete WCED assembly. Confirm environmental suitability and surge protection separately.

A2 and Quartz have their own manuals; do not assume that every Andersen generation uses the A3 specification. Source: Andersen: A2, A3 and Quartz installer manuals.

7kW, 11kW, 22kW and multiple chargers

At typical UK nominal voltages, 7.4kW charging is approximately 32A on one phase; 11kW is approximately 16A per phase and 22kW approximately 32A per phase on a three-phase supply. These are charging-current examples, not automatic breaker selections. The installer must account for the actual configured output and circuit design.

A 22kW charger does not become a 22kW installation on a single-phase supply, and the vehicle’s AC charging limit can reduce the delivered rate. For several chargers, establish each outgoing circuit, total supply capacity and load management. A TPN board’s main switch and SPD do not provide every charger’s individual residual-current or PEN protection.

Read WCED TPN board selection and compare multi-charger PEN protection assemblies.

WCED buying routes: indoor, IP65, single- and three-phase

Use these links after the protection specification is established. They open catalogue options, not a claim that every option fits every charger above. Current price and availability appear on the product page.

IP65 addresses dust and water ingress under specified installation conditions. It does not guarantee suitability for every exposed location. An indoor IP30/IP40 unit has no water-ingress protection rating. See IP40 vs IP65 enclosures.

How installers use these WCED units

These accounts were supplied to EcoHarmony and are published with permission. They describe the installers’ product choices; the protection for each job still depends on the exact charger, supply and installation design.

For your own project, match the exact charger model and installation requirements to the selected devices. An installer’s experience with one configuration does not establish compatibility with every model from that charger brand.

Buying questions