Did the electrician discuss the option of installing a smaller breaker to avoid a panel upgrade? It’s doesn’t have to be a 60A breaker. It could be a smaller 30A breaker if that keeps you under limits.
It's good we can amuse!
I think I asked if there were alternatives but he seemed dead set on the panel upgrade and said anything else will "risk his license" which he wasnt going to do and not something I was asking him to do.
That's a form of load sharing or load switching. I think what Mach-Lee meant is that many (most? all?) level 2 chargers let you set a maximum current to match the available limits. You can look at page 15 of https://content.fordpro.com/content...-Station-Pro-Install-and-QuickStart-Guide.pdf for an example.
Yea my charger (before I returned it) let me set the amps up to 60, but from his POV whats stopping me from changing it from 15 to 60 and burning down the house and blaming him? So he didnt want to do it unless it was a full panel upgrade.
I think you misunderstood?
well i dont want this thread to devolve into panel discussion but I was quoted 7k for just the panel and then additional to run lines and setup the box for the charger. seems the panel is right over the gas line which is not allowed in current standards and he would also need to move the panel a foot to the right, drill a hole in the roof for a new service mast. This also requires PG&E to come and inspect and do their thing which was a 2-4 month wait. With the charger it would have been <10k for all that and it maths out to be cheaper to just supercharge every week.
I’d get another electrician for a second opinion. The EVSE can be set to a lower amperage and that’s not a code violation or unsafe. Controls on the max amperage setting are required that cannot be easily changed by the consumer. It’s a dial inside the unit. If some dumbass homeowner changes that after the electrician set it and burns down their house, it would be their fault, not the electricians’. He’s not going to lose his license.
As an FYI, adding to this, my Emporia Smart Charger adjusts the charge amperage in the app, with a security passcode, so it can't be cranked up by just anyone. In situations like being discussed, this is a nice safety feature.
yeah, i think people not in PGE's territory don't quite understand what a hassle PGE itself is. there are tons of horror stories on the tesla energy forum about PGE refusing to sign off on completed work because their standards have changed mid-project. and their bureaucracy is a total nightmare.
Yikes! I guess I’m now kind of happy?
just remove the gas lines(utility company will do it BUT for an unreasonably high price to consumer[to remove THEIR gas line]- I know, I did it. No gas line to house/on property)
