240 Volt Charger in old Oven Circuit Breaker

[DBC]

Just want to thank everyone again for their assistance! Had the electrician out the other day. We are going have a separate EV meter installed with a 100amp panel. I will also have a Clipper Creek HCS-50 installed. This should provide plenty of charge but also give the wife and I more space in both electrical boxes for different home improvement options that we want to do in the future for the house.

Good call adding the separate meter. Easier to just do it and not have to worry every time you want to install something else.

I would strongly urge you to get the HCS-50P rather than the HCS-50. The cost difference is minor and the operation is the same. However, you can more easily move a plug version, it's easier to replace a plug version if it needs replacing, and in some jurisdictions code requires permitting -- more time and money -- for hardwired EVSE (but not plug-in EVSE).

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[jdmrc93]

I knew getting one would be fun and some electric would have to be added to the house, but my goodness, the costs add up quick!!

I’m at about $6000 so far for my new 320Amp underground service. But I’m also putting in a pool in the spring, so I’m putting in a separate panel for the pool/hot tub, as well as a panel in the garage. So that’s all contributing. lol

 

[tomterky]

I’m at about $6000 so far for my new 320Amp underground service. But I’m also putting in a pool in the spring, so I’m putting in a separate panel for the pool/hot tub, as well as a panel in the garage. So that’s all contributing. lol

In all, mine will be about $3900...however getting it done before end of year you get 30% tax refund off cost of installation. And with the cost of what it takes to fill my 28 gallon 04 Expedition for a year, I'm actually saving money by getting the Mach E and upgrading my home electrical. In the future I will also only be charging in non-peak hours and for only $33 a month. Special ev charge price for MN Xcel. You can fill up with however much of a charge every night 9pm to 9am and weekends/holiday for one monthly price! Helluva deal!

 

[timbop]

In the future I will also only be charging in non-peak hours and for only $33 a month. Special ev charge price for MN Xcel. You can fill up with however much of a charge every night 9pm to 9am and weekends/holiday for one monthly price! Helluva deal!

Damn, that is pretty amazing!

 

[dbsb3233]

In the future I will also only be charging in non-peak hours and for only $33 a month.

That's about what I'd be paying too if I drove an average # of miles (~1000/mo). That should be ~300 kWh, and our normal rate is a low $0.10/kWh (so $30/mo). We do get a demand charge tacked on for the highest 15-minute block of the month, but that's always late afternoon for us. The overnight EVSE draw isn't nearly high enough to surpass our normal highest demand period.

Since we're retired now, we usually don't even drive 1000 miles most months, so many months will be just $10-$20. I've calculated ours works out to about 1/3 the cost of gas. Savings that helps justify the much higher purchase price of the BEV.

 

[imstriker]

So just for some anecdotal evidence. I have a 200amp panel and my current EVSE lives on a 40amp breaker. My home energy meter shows about a 30 amp usage when the Leaf charges overnight. Fortunately for most of us, our cars will charge opposite our peak usage. I didn't pay attention last summer to what the numbers look like when the A/C ran at night as well.

In the end I think a 40amp EVSE is going to be plenty for just about anyone. You are going to get a full recharge overnight. I do not think there are many cases for 60 amp service really being necessary.

 

[ClaudeMach-E]

And a really big thank you to you personally for all of the updates from Mexico and your knowledge!! I've been following your information for quite some time

Normally an electric range run on a 40 Amp circuit, so plenty for a 32 Amp charger which can be enough for your needs. If you want to go with more capacity charger like 40 Amp you'll need a 50 Amp breaker instead and you might still have enough capacity for that but for the 48 Amp Ford charger that needs a 60 Amp breaker , IMO I don't think your panel has the capacity for it specially if you have AC or other high consuming elements. But fhe best way is to have an electrician evaluate your panel and needs.

 

[tomterky]

Normally an electric range run on a 40 Amp circuit, so plenty for a 32 Amp charger which can be enough for your needs. If you want to go with more capacity charger like 40 Amp you'll need a 50 Amp breaker instead and you might still have enough capacity for that but for the 48 Amp Ford charger that needs a 60 Amp breaker , IMO I don't think your panel has the capacity for it specially if you have AC or other high consuming elements. But fhe best way is to have an electrician evaluate your panel and needs.

had posted this earlier and appreciate your help!!

Just want to thank everyone again for their assistance! Had the electrician out the other day. We are going have a separate EV meter installed with a 100amp panel. I will also have a Clipper Creek HCS-50 installed. This should provide plenty of charge but also give the wife and I more space in both electrical boxes for different home improvement options that we want to do in the future for the house.

In all, mine will be about $3900...however getting it done before end of year you get 30% tax refund off cost of installation. And with the cost of what it takes to fill my 28 gallon 04 Expedition for a year, I'm actually saving money by getting the Mach E and upgrading my home electrical. In the future I will also only be charging in non-peak hours and for only $33 a month. Special ev charge price for MN Xcel. You can fill up with however much of a charge every night 9pm to 9am and weekends/holiday for one monthly price! Helluva deal!

 

[dbsb3233]

In the end I think a 40amp EVSE is going to be plenty for just about anyone. You are going to get a full recharge overnight. I do not think there are many cases for 60 amp service really being necessary.

Exactly. I put in a 50A circuit only because we have 200A service and it was about the same cost as adding a 30A or 40A circuit, but even 30A (24A charger) would have been plenty. A 24A charger would add about 15 miles each hour overnight. That's 180 miles in 12 hours. Most people don't even drive a fraction of that most days. Even with a rare 200 mile day, it would be easy to catch up in 2 nights. And if really desperate, there's usually DCFC nearby as a last resort.

I'd have zero problem living with a 30A circuit if it was difficult to add more. Even sharing it with a dryer via smart switch if needed.

 

[ClaudeMach-E]

I have a variation on this theme.

How do you determine if your panel has the capacity for a 60 amp circuit? We have 200 amp service, (our home is “newer“ construction - 1997)and there is plenty of room in the panel for another breaker. The only high draw circuits we have are for the dryer and the AC. Our home is not huge, just average size (2,300 sq ft - 3 BR, 2.5 bath)
I have wired other additional circuits myself, so I know how to do it. I installed an additional outlet in the garage for our Fusion Energi. My breaker panel is a very short run to my garage (it is in the basement, on the same side of the house as the garage).
The other question I have is how do you determine the wiring that is needed for a 60 amp circuit? What is the code or rating if I go to Home Depot to buy it? I already know what breakers I need and where to get them.
I’m trying to decide if I do have an electrician come in, or if I do it all myself. The only things I am a bit nervous about is making sure the panel has the capacity, and the wiring. All the other wiring circuits in my basement are just run along and/or through the floor joists, with no special shielding or conduit - including the AC and the Dryer circuits.
I may have an electrician give me an estimate and then decide.

There is one thing that I don't know how to determine is the actual reel capacity use of a panel. It is not because you have spare spaces in there that you have the capacity, it all comes to the amount of BREAKER AMPS capacity installed. Because if you calculate the total amount of breaker amps in the panel it will likely surpass the capacity of the main breaker. The only thing I know is that they figure out that some breaker needs are considered "PERMANENT" like maybe a dryer and others "TEMPORARY' like maybe a light circuit. How they do total it up, I don't know so call in an electrtician.

 

[dbsb3233]

There is one thing that I don't know how to determine is the actual reel capacity use of a panel. It is not because you have spare spaces in there that you have the capacity, it all comes to the amount of BREAKER AMPS capacity installed. Because if you calculate the total amount of breaker amps in the panel it will likely surpass the capacity of the main breaker. The only thing I know is that they figure out that some breaker needs are considered "PERMANENT" like maybe a dryer and others "TEMPORARY' like maybe a light circuit. How they do total it up, I don't know so call in an electrtician.

There are some guidelines to help estimate (a google search will find some), but they're all just estimates based on assumptions of what you might use concurrently, plus fudge factors. The homeowner probably has a better idea of what 240V appliances he might use at the same time. Like when to run the oven's self-cleaning cycle so it doesn't overlap with the A/C and dryer and EVSE all at the same time.

And even then, the worse that should happen is it all adds up to enough to pop the main breaker.

 

[macchiaz-o]

I'll be charging from an existing 250V, 20A circuit in my garage. That'll net me maybe 10 miles of range per hour, which will probably be fine.

My only heartache is that Ford doesn't seem to be offering additional adapters for the included mobile charger. So I'll be buying an L14-20R to 14-50P adapter and limiting amperage from within the car.

Not ideal (IMHO).

 

[dbsb3233]

I'll be charging from an existing 250V, 20A circuit in my garage. That'll net me maybe 10 miles of range per hour, which will probably be fine.

My only heartache is that Ford doesn't seem to be offering additional adapters for the included mobile charger. So I'll be buying an L14-20R to 14-50P adapter and limiting amperage from within the car.

Not ideal (IMHO).

Is there a power limit setting in the car menu?

 

[macchiaz-o]

Is there a power limit setting in the car menu?

I forgot to check, haha! Worst case I will be charging at about 3 miles of regained charge per hour, and trips to local DC chargers, until I get it sorted out.

 

[dbsb3233]

I forgot to check, haha! Worst case I will be charging at about 3 miles of regained charge per hour, and trips to local DC chargers, until I get it sorted out.

Can always just buy a 16A charger too for like 200 bucks. There's many on Amazon, although most are probably made in China.

Also read that the Ford charger is supposed to automatically step down to meet the power source, but not sure about how it could even do that.

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