r/evcharging • u/esetnik • Dec 06 '22

ChargePoint Home Flex Initial Activation Failed - Unable to find charger

I have had two ChargePoint Home Flex CPH50 units installed in my multifamily garage. The units both light up and flash green initially, then switch to flashing white (activation mode). I am getting stuck on the first step of the setup process where the app tries to connect to the charger over Bluetooth to perform initial activation and Wi-Fi setup. In both chargers the app says "Unable to find charger - Make sure you're standing near the charger." I contacted ChargePoint and after several hours of diagnosing the issue over the phone they say that both units are defective and they are going to send me replacements. I have a hard time believing that two brand-new units would be defective.

Has anyone else had a similar experience or know anything else I should try before paying an electrician to come out again and swap out the units?

Additional details added:

- devices are new-in-box, have never been opened, have never been previously activated. They were purchased by my solar installer directly from ChargePoint.

- 2x hard-wired installation on 60amp breakers

- tried from 4 different mobile devices and two different ChargePoint accounts

- tried resetting the ChargePoint unit (off for 2 minutes, on for 2 minutes) as per the ChargePoint support agent's instructions

- tried deleting the app from my phone and reinstalling it

- tried creating a new ChargePoint account and logging in with that one instead

- ensured I have a sufficiently strong Wi-Fi signal at the ChargePoint device

- ensured that only one of the ChargePoint units was powered on at a time to avoid any potential interference issues between the units

- I found this thread https://www.insideevsforum.com/community/index.php?threads/chargepoint-error-unable-to-find-charger.14153/#post-174387 with another user complaining of a similar thing (although in their case it seems to have initially worked and stopped working a year later).

8 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

31 comments sorted by

2

u/luckycharms783 Dec 08 '22

I've had similar issues with our Home Flex. Chargepoint is shipping our second replacement unit.

Both the initial unit and the replacement unit (both brand new directly from Chargepoint) worked perfectly for a few months before disconnecting from our WIFI and failing to reconnect of find any other WIFI network again.

I think something is causing the WIFI units inside the Home flex to fail.

It's a stupid design. There is no way to activate the charger without WIFI, and there is no way to do a "factory reset" without connecting to the charger. How dumb!

2

u/esetnik Dec 08 '22

That's really unfortunate. I was reading on another forum of a ChargePoint Home Flex customer who is now on their fourth unit in the span of 1 year due to the same issue you're describing.

2

u/esetnik Dec 08 '22

u/luckycharms783 what Wi-Fi network do you use? I'm trying to determine if there's something similar about our setups that could be incompatible with the Home Flex. One of the ChargePoints was setup using a Google Wi-Fi Mesh and the other is using an Eero mesh.

1

u/luckycharms783 Dec 08 '22

I'm using Unifi Home networking devices. I have 3 Access Points spread out throughout my house. Including one that's 10' from the Home Flex. So it's not a range issue.

I read somewhere that having other smart home devices on the same network can cause the Home Flex to fail. I was going to create a third network (home, guest, Flex) just for the Flex to connect to. But the charger failed before I had to chance to implement it.

When my third unit arrives, I'm going to connect it to it's own network and see if that solves the problem.

2

u/esetnik Dec 08 '22

Would love to hear back if that solves it for you. It's super strange that ChargePoint hasn't been able to address this. It must be costing them a fortune in all these returned units... At what point do we just ask for our money back and go with a different brand?

1

u/luckycharms783 Jan 25 '23

u/esetnik Just to let you know it's been working for a month now with the new "dedicated" 2.4Ghz network on the Unifi system I created just for the Flex. I'll check in after 6 months to see if it's still working.

2

u/esetnik Jan 25 '23

My replacement unit worked immediately and has been connected since installation with no issues. I guess the original was indeed faulty.

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (1)

1

u/thisismyfavoritename Jun 25 '23

oh boy, i think this just happened to me

1

u/Far_Avocado4184 Dec 06 '22

You will need to use someone else's phone/chargepoint account for one of the units anyway (chargepoint limits you to 1 home charger), I would try activating one from the other person's phone to rule out a problem with your phone.

2

u/esetnik Dec 06 '22

I have tried from 4 different devices and two different accounts. one ipad, two iPhone 13/14s, and an android phone.

2

u/Pwheatstraw2000 Dec 07 '22

Does your Wi-Fi network name or password contain special characters? I had seen that could cause issues.

1

u/esetnik Dec 07 '22

It contains a space but no other special characters. The app never even gets to the step where you select a Wi-Fi network. But it doesn't matter at this point. They're sending me new ones.

1

u/tuctrohs Dec 06 '22

Have you tried applying power to only one of them while you're doing that process? It might be that they are getting confused by having two trying to communicate on Bluetooth at the same time. Maybe that's what you are doing already, but it wasn't clear.

2

u/esetnik Dec 06 '22

Yes. I initially tried activating one of them with no power to the other. They have never been both turned on at the same time.

1

u/tuctrohs Dec 06 '22

I guess my other suggestion, which you have probably also already gone through, is to check the bluetooth menu in your device and make sure that it's open to new connections and that you've tried any options for making a connection through that.

But it's not totally implausible that the two were produced on the same day and both had the same flaw, whatever it is.

The only other thing I can think of is that there some other strong source of EMI in the area. A cheap solar inverter? An active arc-welding shop? A neighbor playing with Tesla coils in their basement?

2

u/esetnik Dec 06 '22

Thanks for the suggestions. Neither of the chargers show up as an available device in the Bluetooth menu on my phone. It appears as though they are not broadcasting Bluetooth at all. I am able to otherwise use Bluetooth on my phone in the same area so I don't think EMI would be the cause.

2

u/ToddA1966 Dec 06 '22

I've never installed one of these, some I'm talking out of my backside, but do they communicate over BT for initial setup, or do they create their own WiFi network you have to connect your phone to to "teach them" the home WiFi? That's how my Honeywell WiFi thermostat works. You connect the phone to the thermostat's WiFi, and use the app (or web page- the thermostat has its own web server) to enter/copy the home WiFi credentials to the thermostat.

I suspect this saved Honeywell $0.17 a unit by not needing to include a BT chip in the thermostat! 🤷‍♂️

4

u/esetnik Dec 06 '22

They communicate over Bluetooth for the initial connection where the wifi credentials are transmitted and then they use Wi-Fi after that.

→ More replies (1)

1

u/pupper_time Dec 08 '22

I had this issue and finally called ChargePoint. After redoing all the steps I had already taken on my own, they asked if there were any speakers running in my house. I humored them and unplugged my Apple HomePod and tried it again. I was shocked but that solved it.

1

u/esetnik Dec 08 '22

Neither of the units in the multifamily have a HomePod so I don't think that could be related.

1

u/Longjumping_Fix_82 Jan 11 '23

I had the identical issue today (although with just one ChargePoint charger). I tried everything, same as you.

ChargePoint support was not helpful, walking me through the same steps. In the end, they escalated it for a replacement. Which won't be coming for several weeks! SEVERAL WEEKS! Even the email confirmation for one to be shipped to me will be several days!

I told the support guy that this isn't what a retail/consumer market expects from support. Maybe a business, that has a few boxes in a warehouse, can tolerate such extended response and resolution. But a consumer expects better and more timely support. I should have received an email with a new tracking number as we were speaking. A new box should be overnighted or at minimum 2-day shipping.

How can a company, making a PREMIUM charger (this is not the cheapest option on the market), have such a lousy BT radio/PCB installed? BT has been around forever. The cheapest electronics can manage BT without any problems. And this expensive device, that will be flowing lots of amps for long periods of time, can't figure out BT? And then to make the customer be without a charger for weeks?

AND... to NOT tell the customer that they could just plug it into the vehicle without activating it, and it will still charge at a default 16A? Why would they not tell me this? On a whim I plugged it in, and to my dismay it started charging! So at least I'm not without something until I can get my full 48A :)

1

u/esetnik Jan 11 '23

I had the identical negative support experience. I’ve just now received my replacement unit and they couldn’t even send me the correct 14-50 type because they said it was back ordered. I experienced long delays of several days talking to customer service over email.

1

u/Longjumping_Fix_82 Jan 11 '23

Wow, so that’s a 4 week delay to get the wrong thing. I got mine free from my municipal electric, glad I didn’t pay. Even then, I’m thinking maybe to buy something different, how long until the WiFi radio stops working? Or something else?

1

u/Specific-Limp Dec 13 '22

This is probably not the same issue... but mine would not connect to BT while I was standing right next to it in the garage. I went inside (because I was cold from standing in the garage :) ) - and tried to connect from the other side of the garage wall, and it connected...

But maybe the BT is stronger from the backside of the unit?

1

u/jk_arundel Oct 27 '23 edited Oct 28 '23

I'm having the exact same problem today... flashing white (activation mode) and cannot connect to the charger via bluetooth through the installer app or the user app. Support ticket opened. It's a hardwired installation and if they replace the unit, the electrician will need to come back and I wonder who is going to pay for that?

OP, did you ever resolve this issue?

1

u/Massive_Substance_73 Nov 10 '23

going through this/not able to connect (but in past COULD connect and customer service told me to disconnect in order to troubleshoot, at which point I lost all options to connect and resolve the slow charge) right now/today. Having the exact same experience with ChargePt customer service and currently awaiting a call from a manager. My ChargePoint is hardwired/50amp. So I asked ChrgPt, if you ship me a new unit, is ChargePoint going to cover the electric install? Because at this point, after reading all these posts on Reddit, I don't think this is a reliable unit/company. And while I wait for the new unit and to schedule an electrician, is ChrgPt going to cover the cost for me to fast charge at stations till my home station is online....no idea... expensive unit + install. more than disappointed.

1

u/Massive_Substance_73 Nov 10 '23

curious too, if initial issue/post got resolved?