Cost of Charger Installation by Electrician

Maquis

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IMO the electrician is wrong - the circuit breaker is NOT only supposed to protect the wires, it is supposed to protect everything on that circuit, including the outlet. The circuit breaker should be rated for the lowest rated item in the circuit, which in this case is a 50 Amp outlet.

His example of 15 Amp outlets on a 20 Amp breaker might be real examples of how many houses are wired, including mine BTW, but it is not the right way to do it. A 15 Amp outlet is more common and cheaper than a 20 Amp one, so that is the real reason they do it. It's not because it is safe.

It is true outlets rated for 15 Amps or 50 Amps could possibly handle higher than rated current. You could run 53 Amps through a 50 Amp socket and it might not melt or burn. Same for a 15 Amp outlet - it could probably handle 18 Amps without burning your house down. But it isn't the right way to do it. If the outlet is rated for 50 Amps, the breaker should be rated for 50 Amps.

For your use case, you will never have a problem. You will never exceed the outlet current rating. But if you plug in a 48 Amp charger, it could be a problem. Personally I wouldn't do it. But it probably won't burn your hose down. It is definitely on the edge of dangerous though.
I agree with you that the electrician is wrong in this case, but the comparison to a common household branch circuit isn’t valid.

The NEC treats circuits with multiple outlets differently Thant those with a single outlet. It’s perfectly fine to have a 20A circuit with multiple 15A receptacles. That way you can have 3 - 6A loads plugged into different receptacles, for example. It also helps that the only difference between a 5-15 and a 5-20 receptacle is the slot configuration. The current-carrying guts are identical.

But a circuit with a single receptacle cannot have a receptacle that is rated less than the breaker.
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mkhuffman

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I agree with you that the electrician is wrong in this case, but the comparison to a common household branch circuit isn’t valid.

The NEC treats circuits with multiple outlets differently Thant those with a single outlet. It’s perfectly fine to have a 20A circuit with multiple 15A receptacles. That way you can have 3 - 6A loads plugged into different receptacles, for example. It also helps that the only difference between a 5-15 and a 5-20 receptacle is the slot configuration. The current-carrying guts are identical.

But a circuit with a single receptacle cannot have a receptacle that is rated less than the breaker.
Ok, but it seems inconsistent to me. If I plug an appliance that requires 20 Amps into a 15 Amp socket, shouldn't the breaker protect the socket? But you know the code so I am not arguing with you. It just doesn't seem consistent.
 

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Ok, but it seems inconsistent to me. If I plug an appliance that requires 20 Amps into a 15 Amp socket, shouldn't the breaker protect the socket? But you know the code so I am not arguing with you. It just doesn't seem consistent.
Something that requires 20 amps won't have a plug that will fit into a 15a receptacle.

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Maquis

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Ok, but it seems inconsistent to me. If I plug an appliance that requires 20 Amps into a 15 Amp socket, shouldn't the breaker protect the socket? But you know the code so I am not arguing with you. It just doesn't seem consistent.
There are plenty of things in the NEC that raise eyebrows.
 

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Maquis

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Something that requires 20 amps won't have a plug that will fit into a 15a receptacle.

Ford Mustang Mach-E Cost of Charger Installation by Electrician 61blfgRNMPL._AC_SY355_
But to MK’s point, one could plug two 10A appliances into a 15A receptacle.
But if the code required wiring to be 100% idiot-proof, the cost to wire a house would be greater than to build the entire rest of the house!
 

mjs020294

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Getting a licensed electrician and permits is not always a guarantee of quality. There are two or three things in my panel that should not have passed inspections.
 

Maquis

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Getting a licensed electrician and permits is not always a gurantee of quality. Two or three things in my panel that should not have passed inspections.
Electricians are no different than doctors…..50% of them are below average!
 

mjs020294

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Electricians are no different than doctors…..50% of them are below average!
True. Actually 50% is probably being generous.

An electrician added tadem breakers in my panel, and the inspector issued permits even though the panel is not rated for tandem breakers.
 

Maquis

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True. Actually 50% is probably being generous.

An electrician added tadem breakers in my panel, and the inspector issued permits even though the panel is not rated for tandem breakers.
We’ll, by definition, it has to be 50%. That’s the definition of average!

But your odds are still better using a licensed electrician than a handyman.
 

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We paid $5500 for a 85-foot run from our main panel into our driveway. Installation included conduits on the exterior, through the garage, and buried conduits in the driveway. He ran a 60-amp line for our Ford charger. You got off pretty easy. Our main panel is on the opposite side of the house where our driveway/garage are.
 

RickMachE

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We paid $5500 for a 85-foot run from our main panel into our driveway. Installation included conduits on the exterior, through the garage, and buried conduits in the driveway. He ran a 60-amp line for our Ford charger. You got off pretty easy. Our main panel is on the opposite side of the house where our driveway/garage are.
That's pretty pricey, but it is NYC.
 

RickMachE

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Getting a licensed electrician and permits is not always a guarantee of quality. There are two or three things in my panel that should not have passed inspections.
But it is a guarantee that you, as a homeowner, have taken reasonable steps to ensure that the installation is safe. If nothing else, this would protect you in the future if something happens (fire), or when you go to sell your property. If you don't get a permit, then you leave yourself open.

I contacted 1/2 dozen electricians, getting estimates ranging from just under $1,000 to over $4,000. Two insisted I needed a separate meter (wrong). One insisted I paid $700+ for a load shedding device, designed to shut off the car if the box hit 85% of it's capacity (nope). The inspector had no idea what that was, the electrician spoke to him, and dropped the requirement. He said "your inspector is old school, but if he'll pass it then I'll do it.

Only one electrician correctly noted that my box may not be able to accept tandem breakers. It didn't. The solution was to combine two different light circuits, i.e. go from 4 breakers on 4 circuits to 2 breakers handling those. Inspector said fine. Then a 60amp breaker was added.

It should be noted that my inspector didn't open anything. He looked, nodded, and signed. I specifically asked him questions, i.e. the combination of light circuits, etc. It was a joke, but I have a signed permit.
 

Maquis

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But it is a guarantee that you, as a homeowner, have taken reasonable steps to ensure that the installation is safe. If nothing else, this would protect you in the future if something happens (fire), or when you go to sell your property. If you don't get a permit, then you leave yourself open.

I contacted 1/2 dozen electricians, getting estimates ranging from just under $1,000 to over $4,000. Two insisted I needed a separate meter (wrong). One insisted I paid $700+ for a load shedding device, designed to shut off the car if the box hit 85% of it's capacity (nope). The inspector had no idea what that was, the electrician spoke to him, and dropped the requirement. He said "your inspector is old school, but if he'll pass it then I'll do it.

Only one electrician correctly noted that my box may not be able to accept tandem breakers. It didn't. The solution was to combine two different light circuits, i.e. go from 4 breakers on 4 circuits to 2 breakers handling those. Inspector said fine. Then a 60amp breaker was added.

It should be noted that my inspector didn't open anything. He looked, nodded, and signed. I specifically asked him questions, i.e. the combination of light circuits, etc. It was a joke, but I have a signed permit.
In many areas, inspectors know which electricians will do it right and which others need more scrutiny. Hopefully that was your case.
Others are lazy and will rubber stamp anything as long a permit was paid for.
 

RickMachE

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In many areas, inspectors know which electricians will do it right and which others need more scrutiny. Hopefully that was your case.
Others are lazy and will rubber stamp anything as long a permit was paid for.
He was the latter.

I watched carefully when they did the install. One thing I made the inspector confirm was that it was okay to combine two light circuits by extending the wire of one of them inside the box with a wire nut. He said "yes, that's fine".

If I get a Lightning in the future, or do future electrical work (installing home brewery), I plan on having a subpanel put in for the garage, and then undoing the combined lighting circuits. I can put another up to 200 amp panel in my house since the electric meter has a separate set of lugs for exactly this purpose (I had utility company verify this).
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