Preparing for Mach-E charging at home - preparation and installing charger

dbsb3233

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I watched that yesterday on YouTube. (Actually, this one looks a bit different. Seems like he edited it.)

Those Amazon costs were ridiculous. I know I won;t be paying anything like that. Pretty sure I'll just install it myself. I've done enough 120v wiring - even installing a few breakers - to feel comfortable with that. I've never done 240v but I watched some videos and it looks just as easy (a bit simpler, actually).
 
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pbojanoski

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I watched that yesterday on YouTube. (Actually, this one looks a bit different. Seems like he edited it.)

Those Amazon costs were ridiculous. I know I won;t be paying anything like that. Pretty sure I'll just install it myself. I've done enough 120v wiring - even installing a few breakers - to feel comfortable with that. I've never done 240v but I watched some videos and it looks just as easy (a bit simpler, actually).
Yeah, if you can do 120 volt circuits, 240 volt circuits are nothing special. Definitely should be comfortable with the process though. Don't want anybody getting electrocuted while preparing for a great Mach E! ?
 

JamieGeek

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You still may want to contact your electric company: My initial wiring + EVSE install cost me $100 due to tax breaks they were getting (The invoice showed $2600 minus $2500 in tax breaks/credits/etc. and my total was $100). All that included the EVSE.

Sure you can do it yourself but if you can get some freebie's out of it (and a city inspector to approve it) why not? Even better: you can sit back and have a cocktail while watching it be installed ;)

It could be as easy as a phone call..
 


dbsb3233

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Yeah, if you can do 120 volt circuits, 240 volt circuits are nothing special. Definitely should be comfortable with the process though. Don't want anybody getting electrocuted while preparing for a great Mach E! ?
I'm still not even 100% sure I'll put in 240v at all. We're pretty low-usage drivers (retired). 120v will add 40-50 miles/day, which is more than we usually drive in an average day. And at least 2 or 3 days/week we don't even leave the house, where it can charge 40+ hours straight.

I'll have the luxury of getting the car first and using 120v before deciding whether to install 240v. That is, if we buy the car at all (have to see how/when the economy and the stock market recovers).
 

dbsb3233

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You still may want to contact your electric company: My initial wiring + EVSE install cost me $100 due to tax breaks they were getting (The invoice showed $2600 minus $2500 in tax breaks/credits/etc. and my total was $100). All that included the EVSE.

Sure you can do it yourself but if you can get some freebie's out of it (and a city inspector to approve it) why not? Even better: you can sit back and have a cocktail while watching it be installed ;)

It could be as easy as a phone call..
Good point. I'll have to check out what subsidies they're offering (that my tax dollars are already paying for). ?
 

Nak

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I've installed two 240v wall mounted chargers. No, it's not difficult if you know what you're doing. IF. There are a number of code issues that need to be followed. Following code is important if you don't want to burn down your house or electrocute somebody. If you do it yourself, get a permit and get it inspected. Most jurisdictions allow you to do your own electrical work. The inspection is a cheap way of insuring you did everything right. ***IMPORTANT*** If you make an error in the installation and your house burns down, insurance WILL NOT cover your loss!!!!

Most houses these days the electrical service panel (circuit breaker panel) is in the garage. That usually makes it pretty easy to install a charger. The first thing you need to do is determine if your service can handle the extra load that your charger will require. I am not going to describe how to do this; if you're going to attempt this it's important you research this fully. Second, you need to see if your panel has room for an additional 240v breaker. (They're double wide breakers.) Even if you don't see any empty spaces, don't give up hope. Most panels allow a certain number of tandem circuit breakers. (A standard width breaker with two breakers instead of one.)

Next you have to decide if you are going to run conduit or run the wires in wall. Believe it or not, it's usually easier to cut out drywall and then use the cut piece to patch the wall after installation. Drywall work isn't really that hard. Plan your run. How many chargers? Are you sure you want just one? If might ever get a second EV, it's a lot easier doing all the wiring at once. Even if you don't want to buy a second charger, you could always just install a 240v outlet in it's place. Then down the road it would be easy to install that second charger. This will make your life a lot easier if you ever do get a second EV, and it will add value to your house.

Before you start, do your research. What are code requirements for securing the wire? How big does the conduit need to be? Will you run 2 or 3 conductor romex? What gauge will you use? how will you transition into and out of the conduit, the outlet boxes, the charger, the service panel? what are the grounding requirements for your install? These are all questions you need to not just know the answers to, you need to know why. Common sense does not cut it. Code does. For instance, my two Tesla wall chargers require a network cable run between them so they can talk to each other. No big deal right? It's a low voltage application, any comm cable will work, right? FAIL. You just burned your house down. Communications cable run in the same conduit as power cable MUST have the same insulation rating as the power cable, usually 600v. Finding 600v rated comm cable is very difficult; I could only find it in two online shops. (Amazon was not one of them.)

Long story short, every detail of your installation is covered by code. Every. Tiny. Detail. Do your research. Get a permit. Get your install inspected. Don't burn your house down or electrocute somebody.

EDITED TO ADD: I just posted this as a separate thread because I think it's pretty important.
 

Sweetwater

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Being a retired Electrican I have repaired many homeowner's work. It is not
difficult to install but it is dangerous. One yes one loose connection will cause
a fire. Do not treat this as simple because you watched a video. Good luck
to all of you and yes many of you will succeed.
 

Ponypower50

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Hi everyone,
My question: Is a 240 line connected directly to the breaker box? Is this 240 line the same as for an electric dryer? Can I run the conduit and have a electrician wire it to the box and outlet? Thanks
 
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pbojanoski

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Hi everyone,
My question: Is a 240 line connected directly to the breaker box? Is this 240 line the same as for an electric dryer? Can I run the conduit and have a electrician wire it to the box and outlet? Thanks
240 volt would come from your breaker box, but have two "hot" wires. It would be similar to an electric dryer, but may have a different amp rating. I'm not sure if conduit is required, that would be according to your local code requirements. You may need a local inspection for the work and unless you are skilled and comfortable, an electrician is your best bet for designing and installing the wiring, etc.

The two above videos that started this thread should answer your basic questions.
 

Sweetwater

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I would not attempt any wiring until you have your wall charger specs.
And to pre wire I would install 4 wire run. 2 hots 1 neutral 1 ground.

Wire Gauge Size60°C (140°F)
NM-B, UF-B
75°C (167°F)
THW, THWN,
SE, USE, XHHW
90°C (194°F)
THWN-2, THHN,
XHHW-2, USE-2
14152025
12202530
10303540
8405055
6556575
470

 
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mamejunkie

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Is there a difference between 'hardware' versus 240v outlet? Was thinking of having a electrician install the outlet in the garage. Cost around $400-500 here.

I know the video says the hardware will support more amps and charge faster. But is it because of the charger model or the connection limitation?
 
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ab13

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Is there a difference between 'hardware' versus 240v outlet? Was thinking of having a electrician install the outlet in the garage. Cost around $400-500 here.

I know the video says the hardware will support more amps and charge faster. But is it because of the charger model or the connection limitation?
The NEMA 14-50 outlet can only supply up to 80% of its rated capacity continuously, so 40 amps. The hardwire install equipment mentioned can draw 48 amps, that's beyond the allowable continuous rating for the NEMA 14-50.

One thing I didn't notice in the videos, unless I missed it was that the conduit size wasn't really defined. The wire gauge cross sectional area is one of the things that drives the conduit size, not just whether the wires "fit" inside or not.


There are IRS tax credits for install, plus any local credits depending on your region.
https://www.clippercreek.com/tax-credits/
Sponsored

 
 




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