Installing a charging station yourself
In this article, we explain what’s involved in installing a charging station yourself. We list what you can do on your own and when you need an electrician. We cover the pros and cons of DIY installation and include a detailed step-by-step guide for installing a home charging station so you know exactly what to expect.
Always check our full installation manual before you start the installation process.
- Is installing a charging station yourself a good idea?
- When is DIY installation a good idea?
- Install a home charging station yourself in 6 steps
- About BlueBird Power
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Is installing a charging station yourself a good idea?
Whether installing a charging station yourself is a good idea depends on your home situation. In many cases it’s attractive: it saves money and time, and you stay in control. Below are the key pros and cons of installing a home charging station yourself.
Advantages of DIY installation
- Installing a charging station yourself is cheaper.
- Installing a BlueBird Power charging point is straightforward, even if you’re not technical.
- DIY is often faster because you’re not dependent on an installer’s schedule.
Disadvantages of DIY installation
- Your distribution board (consumer unit) must be suitable for a charging point. If modifications are required, they must always be performed by a certified electrician. The required changes are described in detail in the step-by-step plan later in this article.
- Running a power cable to your charging point can be a chore. Sometimes you’ll need to dig a trench or go into the crawl space. Note that not all installers will do excavation work, so in some cases you’ll need an alternative anyway.
How easy it is to install a charging point yourself also depends on your current situation.
When is DIY installation a good idea?
Whether you can install a charging station entirely by yourself depends on your situation. Here are three common scenarios:
Scenario 1: You already have a charging station but want to replace it
This is the easiest scenario to do everything yourself. Your distribution board should already have been prepared when the old charger was installed, and a power cable is already in place. In this scenario, it definitely makes sense to install the new charging station yourself.
Scenario 2: You don’t have a charging point yet, but the preparatory work is done
This is also attractive for DIY. Your distribution board is ready and a power cable runs to the right spot. That means the complicated work is done. You can easily mount and configure the charger yourself using our app.
Scenario 3: Your distribution board is not yet suitable
In this case, a certified electrician must come to make the board suitable for a charging point. It may be convenient to have the installer do the full installation. In most cases, however, it’s still more expensive to have the installer do everything than to have them only upgrade the distribution board.
Unsure whether the BlueBird Power charger suits your situation?
Not sure if our charger fits your connection or home setup? Feel free to contact us. We’re happy to take a look and give honest advice. If needed, we’ll put you in touch with an installer who can assess your situation. That way you can be sure you’re making the right choice.
Install a home charging station yourself in 6 steps
Want to install a home charging station yourself? With BlueBird Power chargers this is very doable. Below we explain step by step how it works, from grid connection to app configuration. You can also download our installation manual in which we guide you through the installation step by step.
- Make sure your distribution board is suitable
- Decide on wall or pole mounting
- Run a power cable (and optionally ethernet) to the right spot
- Fix the mounting plate
- Hang the charger and connect it
- Configure the charger in the app
1. Make sure your distribution board is suitable (grid operator + electrician)
Check your grid connection
Check whether you have a single-phase or three-phase connection. You can often find this in your grid operator’s online portal (e.g., Stedin, Alliander or Enexis), but the quickest way is on the smart meter in your distribution board.
If your smart meter says “3 x 230 V”, you have a three-phase connection. If it only says “230 V” without “3 x”, it’s single-phase. The position of this info varies by meter; in the example below it’s at the top right.
In principle, you can also install a charging station with a single-phase connection. Keep in mind you’ll charge more slowly (max. 7.4 kW at 32 A) and this capacity is shared with your other household devices.
With a 3×25 A connection you have more than twice the charging power compared to a 1×35 A connection, while the annual network fees remain the same. You pay a one-off fee for an upgrade, usually a few hundred euros. Check your grid operator for costs, availability and lead times.
Dedicated circuit and Type A RCD
Once you have the right grid connection, a certified electrician can prepare your distribution board. This includes:
- A dedicated circuit in the board
Every charging station must be connected to its own circuit, reserved exclusively for the charger.
- A Type A RCD (residual current device)
Our charger already includes integrated DC protection, so a more expensive Type B RCD is not required in the board. That saves cost.
- Circuit breakers sized to the charger’s load
Breakers must have enough margin versus the charger’s maximum current draw. We recommend a safe 20% buffer.
Recommendation by charger type:
- For a 3-phase charger drawing 16 A per phase → use 20 A breakers
- For a single-phase charger drawing 32 A → use 40 A breakers
The electrician will install these components correctly according to applicable standards. Once that’s done, you can proceed with mounting and connecting the charger yourself.
2. Decide on wall or pole mounting
Want to mount the charger on a wall? That’s easy with our mounting plate, which is supplied as standard. Prefer a pole mount? We offer several solutions for that too.
Already have an existing mounting pole? We supply adapter plates so you can easily replace your old charging station.
3. Run a power cable (and optionally ethernet) to the right spot
Before you start, switch off power to the circuit that will feed the charging point. Then run a suitable power cable from the distribution board to the location where the charging station will be mounted.
Which cable you need depends on the distance and charger type. Use the following guidelines:
- 3-phase charger, distance < 12 metres: 5×2.5 mm²
- 3-phase charger, distance > 12 metres: 5×4 mm²
- 1-phase 32 A charger, distance < 5 metres: 3×4 mm²
- 1-phase 32 A charger, distance > 5 metres: 3×6 mm²
In many cases people use 6 mm² for a three-phase charger, but for most home situations that’s oversized and unnecessary.
Is Wi-Fi signal weak where the charger will be? Then we recommend pulling an ethernet cable as well. You can easily test signal strength with an app like Fing. If signal is better than –70 dBm (e.g., –50 dBm), coverage is fine. At worse values (e.g., –90 dBm) the signal is too weak for reliable communication. In that case, choose a:
- Wi-Fi extender
- Wired ethernet connection
4. Fix the mounting plate
Wall mounting
Mounting on a wall is simple. Use the centre hole at the top to hang the plate level. Then drill or mark the four corner holes.
Recommended screw length: 40 mm
Plug size: 5 mm
Mounting on wood? Don’t overtighten the screws. Leave a little play so the back of the charger slides properly behind the plate.
Pole mounting
For a pole mount, it matters whether you’re placing a new pole from BlueBird Power or retrofitting an existing pole. If you’re retrofitting, the adapter to the BlueBird Power charger depends on the pole you currently have. For certainty, contact info@bluebirdpower.com and we’ll help you choose the best option.
5. Hang the charger and connect it
Make sure the power to the relevant circuit is switched off.
Our charger is very simple to connect. Open the installation cover with a screwdriver and connect the power cables and, if applicable, the ethernet cable according to the steps in the app. Check that the cables are secure by gently pulling at the orange tabs.
Once done, screw the installation cover back on.
6. Configure the charger via the app
Switch the power back on by turning the relevant breaker back up in the distribution board and reopen the BlueBird app. Follow the steps in the app to configure your charger. This only takes a few minutes.
Costs of DIY installation vs having it installed
This varies greatly by situation, especially by the cable run from the distribution board to the charger location. In the best case — for example when your board is already prepared for a charging point — you can install the charger yourself at no additional cost. Sometimes you’ll only spend a few tens of euros for a suitable ground cable.
If you have an installer do all the work and there’s a long cable run with, for example, excavation, a total of around €1,000 is not unusual.
For an accurate estimate, request multiple quotes from installers. You can also contact us at info@bluebirdpower.com — we’re happy to think along.
BlueBird Power
We are BlueBird Power. We were founded to accelerate the energy transition and to develop the best products.
We are a compact, experienced and highly driven team based in Amsterdam. We’ve been part of the e-mobility industry from the start and have seen it all: the first breakthroughs, growing pains, success stories and failures. Our team includes former CEOs and innovation leaders with broad experience — from charge-point manufacturers and car makers to grid operators and energy suppliers. We have a deep, end-to-end understanding of the entire ecosystem.
We’ve combined that deep industry knowledge to develop the most advanced and complete home-charging solution — without compromise. From installation and hardware to embedded software, cloud and mobile apps, we’ve designed every part with care. Designed and manufactured in the Netherlands, because we only accept the highest quality standards.
Contact us at info@bluebirdpower.com if you’d like to know more about us.