Things to consider when DIY installing a wall charger / outlet

[janitorjim]

I hope all of you have picked up some knowledge of electric.
If you are not sure "Don't do it". The disconnect discussion should
be done now. Install it for "Pease of mind" and safety. Check with your
local Inspec dept. if it is required by them. DONE.
Now who does not know the rest of the install ? As wire and breaker size.
Type of wire ? How to run it. Conduit or romex ? Amps equipment is good for ?
And last that Inspectors will look for : Is it UL listed.

I'll add never accept what you read on an internet forum.

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[JCHLi]

Not to dwell on the disconnect topic but I always want to make sure something wasn't missed.

I'm assuming this applies to direct wired chargers as opposed to plug in chargers? Makes sense to me you'd want to be sure the circuit was safe before working on the equipment but if it was plugged in you could just unplug it prior to working?

So the 240v hard line to my AC has a disconnect but the 240v lines to the range and dryer do not as they have plugs.

Sorry if the answer is obvious but I figured it is best to double check. I like to rely on the experts who perform the work, but I've seen some shady work in the past so I always want to verify myself!

 

[CHeil402]

Not to dwell on the disconnect topic but I always want to make sure something wasn't missed.

I'm assuming this applies to direct wired chargers as opposed to plug in chargers? Makes sense to me you'd want to be sure the circuit was safe before working on the equipment but if it was plugged in you could just unplug it prior to working?

So the 240v hard line to my AC has a disconnect but the 240v lines to the range and dryer do not as they have plugs.

Sorry if the answer is obvious but I figured it is best to double check. I like to rely on the experts who perform the work, but I've seen some shady work in the past so I always want to verify myself!

Per code you don't need one in either case. You're welcome to add them. It all comes down to safety. If you wanted to fiddle with an EV charger with a plug, then yes the safest would be to unplug it first. If it's hardwired you would need to kill the circuit. That's where a disconnect comes in. If it's your personal house they're more lax with the requirement because you should be able to control who has access to the circuit breaker panel while you're working on it. Ideally you have line of sight to the disconnect, but even that doesn't technically keep someone from turning it back on while you're distracted.

That's where external disconnects come from. Typically most homeowners aren't working on their AC unit outside, a service tech does. The external disconnect allows them to control the power to the unit for service. And since it's outside, they can also kill power to work without you being home.

My solar system also has an external disconnect so my utility can isolate it from the grid without coming inside my house.

I work with passenger rail and in work shops with high power you rely on "lock out/tag out" where you disconnect power and put a physical lock to keep it that way and only you can remove your lock... That way you verify you're safe and working on a energized system.

So back to the EV outlet, it's not needed, but if you don't trust your circuit breaker to stay off and you want to work on it, then feel free to add one.

 

[Sweetwater]

Geeee we are buying a 60K car. Just add the disconnect.
IF something happens in garage while charging you will
be happy to have a way of shutting off power QUICKLY.

 

[JCHLi]

Not sure that I should take advice from a guy who writes this:

Coal-powered cars, commonly called "EV" or electric vehicles, are the dirtiest, most energy-consuming form of personal transportation in existence today. The common wisdom, or lack thereof, is that somehow electric power is free and is generated without any pollution whatsoever, if it's stored in toxic batteries (the lithium for which is energy-intensive to obtain) and then used to power a vehicle. Due to this utter nonsense, politicians are touting electric vehicles as some sort of solution to a host of problems they merely exacerbate.​

​

So instead of using electric vehicles only in the limited applications for which they make sense, schemes are now underway to use them in place of internal combustion engine cars. This means more electrical vehicle charging system work for electricians. It also means faster depletion of worldwide oil reserves and more pollution...​

His information must be old, my car is nuclear powered, sometimes natural gas powered, very occasionally wind powered. Many of the coal plants have been shutting down and natural gas cogeneration plants have been popping up like crazy.

 

[CHeil402]

Geeee we are buying a 60K car. Just add the disconnect.
IF something happens in garage while charging you will
be happy to have a way of shutting off power QUICKLY.

It's not a matter of cost, it's a matter of function. If something goes wrong that's when you rely on the GFCI or circuit breaker to kick in. A disconnect is only for servicing equipment. A disconnect is generally not designed to be disconnected under load. Each time you do you'll create an arc which will pit or singe the terminals which will increase the resistance which will draw more heat and then the disconnect becomes a safety hazard.

If you're concerned about removing power to the circuit, then add a subpanel and circuit breaker in the garage. Circuit breakers have arc chutes and are designed to do that more frequently.

 

[RonTCat]

Geeee we are buying a 60K car. Just add the disconnect.
IF something happens in garage while charging you will
be happy to have a way of shutting off power QUICKLY.

While I generally agree with you, the disconnect is for service convenience and service safety, not operator safety. If something happened in the garage during charging, the disconnect becomes dangerous. I am not running toward the problem, I am running the other way to the fuse panel to shut off the problem.

 

[macchiaz-o]

Just want to send a quick thanks for the discussion here. It's shocking how much we learn from the occasionally heated discussions and I'm electrified by all of you who educate us. Thank you.

 

[CHeil402]

Just want to send a quick thanks for the discussion here. It's shocking how much we learn from the occasionally heated discussions and I'm electrified by all of you who educate us. Thank you.

 

[JCHLi]

Just want to send a quick thanks for the discussion here. It's shocking how much we learn from the occasionally heated discussions and I'm electrified by all of you who educate us. Thank you.

If I had one charge for everyone it's not to get too amped up about the topic. We might run into some resistance between our opinions, but don't blow a fuse or start tripping, watt-ever you do.

 

[janitorjim]

If I had one charge for everyone it's not to get too amped up about the topic. We might run into some resistance between our opinions, but don't blow a fuse or start tripping, watt-ever you do.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

Geeee we are buying a 60K car. Just add the disconnect.
IF something happens in garage while charging you will
be happy to have a way of shutting off power QUICKLY.

In my case, the CB panel is like 3 wall feet from the EVSE.

 

[shutterbug]

His information must be old, my car is nuclear powered, sometimes natural gas powered, very occasionally wind powered. Many of the coal plants have been shutting down and natural gas cogeneration plants have been popping up like crazy.

Calling them "coal powered", demonstrates a knee-jerk hostility to EV. Also flat out wrong. Saying that EV cause depletion of oil reserves is just bat guano crazy.

 

[Sweetwater]

It's not a matter of cost, it's a matter of function. If something goes wrong that's when you rely on the GFCI or circuit breaker to kick in. A disconnect is only for servicing equipment. A disconnect is generally not designed to be disconnected under load. Each time you do you'll create an arc which will pit or singe the terminals which will increase the resistance which will draw more heat and then the disconnect becomes a safety hazard.

If you're concerned about removing power to the circuit, then add a subpanel and circuit breaker in the garage. Circuit breakers have arc chutes and are designed to do that more frequently.

You don't need a sub panel. They make a disconnect that takes a breaker.
Let's drop this "disconnect" thing. Just put it in or not. I don't care about talking
this crap need or don't need. My area requires it and I will not install without it.
I will like looking at it, know I am safe, and can't say " wish I woulda done that".

 

[Bookworm214]

Finally got my outlet wired by my electrician and installed my plug-in JuiceBox 40. As you can see the front of my Mach-E will be within about 6 or 7 feet of the unit and shouldn't require taking off more than one loop of cable to plug it in. That's my 2010 Edge in the photo.