Home EV charging

[OldShooter]

My 50 amp breaker is a GFIC so you might want to factor that in. Also, have the voltage drop calculated for the 100 foot run of #6 copper to see if a heavier gauge is required for the amperage you want to charge at. ...

I think romex is not right. I had a 50 or 60 foot run and it used THHN (might have the letters wrong) inside a metal conduit.

There is an excellent little book called "Wiring Simplified" that is updated as the code changes. I have purchased several copies over the years. From Home Depot: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Wiring-...lectrical-Installation-Guide-ERB-WS/100085271 Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Wiring-Simplified-Based-National-Electrical/dp/0997905328 I buy and check the current edition any time I am doing wiring that is more than trivial. I see they are up to its 46th edition.

Among other things it will help you calculate wire sizes for various ampere and wire length situations. It also lays out when conduit vs Romex is required*. It should also tell you when GFCI and/or Arc Faul breakers are required, though I would still run that one by the local inspector.

* I think conduit or Greenfield is required for wires that are exposed to mechanical damage but Romex is acceptable where there is low damage risk. I have a 60amp sub-panel in the garage and the connection is Romex run through bored holes in the main level floor joists.

 

[aja8888]

I'm not sure one can get 6/4 Romex (for 240 volt). Usually, it's in a cable wrap.

 

[Ronstar]

Thanks everyone for your help. I may not need to run the circuit and put in a charger yet because we don't have an EV. But when DW decides she wants to get rid of her 2012 Acura, and when she decides that she wants a Tesla like her friend, then I need to be ready. And an EV would be perfect for her. She never drives more than 200 miles a day and her car spends every night at home.

 

[MatatuPuncher]

No sharing here either. I have 50 amp breaker dedicated in the panel, #6 copper wire for the run (in 1 1/4" steel conduit) and a Hubbell 14-50 wall connector in the garage.

[/ATTACH]

That is making my eyes hurt. Why did they install in like that?

 

[RetMD21]

I am looking at having the receptacle or charger on the back wall of the garage and backing in with the Tesla. That minimizes the distance to the basement panel and would work well for charging a second EV if it comes to that.

I didn't know about the GFCI breakers. They are expensive but I understand that standard breakers suffice if you have a hardwired EVSE with built in GFCI.

I appreciate all the insights.

 

[Midpack]

I am looking at having the receptacle or charger on the back wall of the garage and backing in with the Tesla. That minimizes the distance to the basement panel and would work well for charging a second EV if it comes to that.

I didn't know about the GFCI breakers. They are expensive but I understand that standard breakers suffice if you have a hardwired EVSE with built in GFCI.

I appreciate all the insights.

For hardwired, see post below.

There will be building codes that specify whether or not you need a GFCI circuit for EV charging with a receptacle. The electrician I used knows the local inspector and just asked him directly, you may want to do the same. Some states/counties follow NEC codes others may not. Here’s a long discussion, but I defer to others with more expertise. https://diy.stackexchange.com/quest...ging-circuit-call-for-gfci-or-afci-protection

 

[audreyh1]

I am looking at having the receptacle or charger on the back wall of the garage and backing in with the Tesla. That minimizes the distance to the basement panel and would work well for charging a second EV if it comes to that.

I didn't know about the GFCI breakers. They are expensive but I understand that standard breakers suffice if you have a hardwired EVSE with built in GFCI.

I appreciate all the insights.

If you are using a Tesla Wall Charger that takes care of GFCI. You don’t need it at the breaker.

 

[aja8888]

That is making my eyes hurt. Why did they install in like that?

Sorry, but I don't understand what you mean? The conduit is going from the box into the attic and the run ends up in my garage wall. That's where the car lives and I can easily insert the charger from that location. The charger is meant to be installed like I have it with a bit of slack in the cable where it plugs into the 15-40 receptacle.

Maybe you need to put on your sunglasses?

 

[OldShooter]

I'm not sure one can get 6/4 Romex (for 240 volt). Usually, it's in a cable wrap.

Sloppy nomenclature on my part maybe. I tend to call any un-armored cable "Romex."

 

[Ronstar]

I'm not sure one can get 6/4 Romex (for 240 volt). Usually, it's in a cable wrap.

Home Depot has it in romex. 3 conductors insulated with a bare ground.

 

[homestead]

I think for high current you get better cooling in conduit with individual wires rather than using romex.

 

[OldShooter]

I think for high current you get better cooling in conduit with individual wires rather than using romex.

Wire sizes are calculated for long runs based on voltage drop and for all runs based on keeping temperatures very safe. Heating is not a material factor in an installation that meets code.

The THHN designation indicates high temp wire insulation. This wire is used both in conduit and in NM/aka Romex.

 

[homestead]

Wire sizes are calculated for long runs based on voltage drop and for all runs based on keeping temperatures very safe. Heating is not a material factor in an installation that meets code.

The THHN designation indicates high temp wire insulation. This wire is used both in conduit and in NM/aka Romex.

Not disputing what you say.
Voltage drop increases with wire temperature, at approx 0.4% per °C.

 

[aja8888]

Home Depot has it in romex. 3 conductors insulated with a bare ground.

For a 240 volt line, you will need 4 conductor. I have not seen that in Romex, but maybe it's out there somewhere.

 

[Ronstar]

For a 240 volt line, you will need 4 conductor. I have not seen that in Romex, but maybe it's out there somewhere.

Yes Home Depot, Menards etc. 2 hots, a neutral, and a bare ground in romex.

 

[ncbill]

Last circuit I added (120VAC) went from an outside-mounted breaker box in back up to the attic, across the attic, and back down an interior wall on the front.

That required outdoor-rated Romex.

 

[GaryInCO]

I have a Tesla model Y, and I don’t usually drive a lot of miles per day. I just use a Tesla mobile charger, plugged into a normal 110 V outlet. That’s slow, but it adds about 100 miles per day. I just plug in the car once every week or so.

As @Midpack said, charging at home is almost always much cheaper than using Superchargers or other public networks. I was quite PO’d when I realized Superchargers cost about 3x my home charger. It will be even worse when my solar array goes online…

 

[audreyh1]

Yeah, superchargers are much more expensive than charging at home, but they are expensive to build out and install. Something has to pay for the infrastructure to let us travel long distances cross country. I don’t mind 2.5x to 3x on the road, I never expected it to be cheap. I only pay for this a few weeks out of the year, so no big deal.

 

[MatatuPuncher]

Sorry, but I don't understand what you mean? The conduit is going from the box into the attic and the run ends up in my garage wall. That's where the car lives and I can easily insert the charger from that location. The charger is meant to be installed like I have it with a bit of slack in the cable where it plugs into the 15-40 receptacle.

Maybe you need to put on your sunglasses?

I mean it's just bad visual craftsmanship with symetrics. I'd find it hard to believe if a licensed electrician did the install. If this is the quality of outside facing work you may have a fire hazard behind the walls where you can't see it.

It wouldn't hurt to have another electrician inspect the work.

 

[RetMD21]

I have a Tesla model Y, and I don’t usually drive a lot of miles per day. I just use a Tesla mobile charger, plugged into a normal 110 V outlet. That’s slow, but it adds about 100 miles per day. I just plug in the car once every week or so.

As @Midpack said, charging at home is almost always much cheaper than using Superchargers or other public networks. I was quite PO’d when I realized Superchargers cost about 3x my home charger. It will be even worse when my solar array goes online…

Same, although it may not be my ultimate solution, 5 days into ownership 110 is working fine for me.

 

[RobLJ]

We had solar installed before buying the Bolt, but an EV was definitely on the agenda, so the Solaredge inverter had an EV charger; I think it cost about 1100 more than without, but they were having to do the wiring for the inverter anyway, so it made sense to pay the extra for the inverter/charger. It's located on the wall about a 1/3 in the garage, so we charge the RAV PHEV in the garage and the Bolt parked just outside the garage, since the charger cord is sufficiently long to charge the Bolt outside. The fuse box is conveniently located close outside the garage on the wall, so I don't think they had to run the wire very far to the inverter.

 

[winyaz]

We put in a 30 amp 220 outlet for our Tesla Model 3 long range. It charges over 20 miles per hour which is plenty for us. It cost under $1k to install and much of that cost was running the wire through the walls and attic from one side of the garage to the other. I use the cable the car came with and bought the 30 amp adapter from Tesla.

 

[ERD50]

I mean it's just bad visual craftsmanship with symetrics. I'd find it hard to believe if a licensed electrician did the install. If this is the quality of outside facing work you may have a fire hazard behind the walls where you can't see it.

It wouldn't hurt to have another electrician inspect the work.

What specifically is the problem? I don't see it.

What is " bad visual craftsmanship with symetrics"? Does the NEC cover that?

-ERD50

 

[Mr Gadget]

I installed a NeoCharge Smart Splitter 240V on the Dryer plug in the laundry room that is next to the garage. I limited it to 24 Amps on a 30 amp circuit. It also self monitors so I have dual protection from it and the original Circuit Breaker. My plug in charger (A Wallbox, and just completed my utilities rebate for half its cost) is also limited to 24 Amps as well. So far so good. 2 hours to charge my PHEV vice the 12 hours it used to take using the cars original 115V/15Amp charger for 33 miles of range. In total, its a lot less than running a new dedicated circuit, since my panel is on the opposite side on the house as my garage.

 

[aja8888]

I mean it's just bad visual craftsmanship with symetrics. I'd find it hard to believe if a licensed electrician did the install. If this is the quality of outside facing work you may have a fire hazard behind the walls where you can't see it.

It wouldn't hurt to have another electrician inspect the work.

The power install is up to code and it's within the walls in 1/14' steel conduit. The charger (Emporia), which I installed, now has the 24' feed cable mounted on a reel next to the car charge port. It's very clean looking and professional.