Using Dryer Outlet With Smart Switch for Charging

[tucsondivots]

Leased a 2024 Mach E with extended range battery last week and now need to set up home charger. Is anyone using the Neo smart switch to use the dryer outlet? Pros and cons?

My electrical panel is on the opposite side of the house from my garage. I have someone coming (set up by QMerit) to give a quote but I expect it will be $2K+ considering a trench or ? will be necessary. My dryer is just inside the house, less than 20 feet from where my MME is parked in the garage. I know the charging would be slower, but wondering if it is a good option. Thanks.

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[New2EV]

I didn't know what the neo switch was, but this article makes it seem very impressive.
https://electrek.co/2024/07/30/this...harging-needs-without-costly-electrical-work/

Sounds like it'll work to me. Just won't be able to use the Ford charger. You'll have to buy one with a lower output.

 

[VaporTrails]

Seems like a good solution. UL certified up to 50A. The limit is probably your wiring and current breaker. You will need an EVSE that can be current-adjusted for a safe current considering 80% loading on that path. Most dryers aren’t 50A.

As far as slower, I have 240V 48A hardwired EVSE turned down to 32A. No need to charge faster if you are just sleeping anyway. I ran my MME off a 110V outlet for the first three months. That was a little inconvenient because I was always plugged in.

 

[HuntingPudel]

There are a few people using 10-30 outlets with a 24A EVSE. You must make absolutely sure that your EVSE is capable of being set to 24A or less, though. Using an EVSE that is fixed to 32A or higher is dangerous. ??

 

[rcechinel]

As others said, you need a charger that can be configured to pull fewer amps. The Ford Mobile ain't one of those.

 

[tucsondivots]

As others said, you need a charger that can be configured to pull fewer amps. The Ford Mobile ain't one of those.

So the Ford Mobile Power Cord that came with it won’t work, correct? What about the Ford Connected Charge Station? I bought one of those. Thanks to all for the good input!

 

[Fins160]

Leased a 2024 Mach E with extended range battery last week and now need to set up home charger. Is anyone using the Neo smart switch to use the dryer outlet? Pros and cons?

My electrical panel is on the opposite side of the house from my garage. I have someone coming (set up by QMerit) to give a quote but I expect it will be $2K+ considering a trench or ? will be necessary. My dryer is just inside the house, less than 20 feet from where my MME is parked in the garage. I know the charging would be slower, but wondering if it is a good option. Thanks.

We had the same setup, and use a SplitVolt to connect the 10-30 dryer outlet to the electric dryer and our MachE (we're in Phoenix, so just 2 hours better than Tucson ). If your garage is like many AZ garages, the laundry room is just on the opposite side of a drywall wall from the garage, so we used a PowerTunnel to create a code-compliant wiring through the wall.

About $800 for everything, but much cheaper than the quote we got to run a dedicated 50A line from the opposite side of the house plus a charger (would have been well over $5k).

I have never had a 2nd thought about using 24A, it's been plenty fast for any usage we do. If anything, the lower charging power could be better for heat considering our garages easily get over 120deg inside during the summer.

Splitvolt Splitter Switch NEMA 10-30: https://splitvolt.com/collections/all/products/sps-1030
Level 2 Portable EV Charger 24 Amp NEMA 10-30: https://splitvolt.com/collections/all/products/cgb-nema-10-30-24-amp
Power Tunnel™ 240 volt through wall extension: https://www.bsaelectronics.com/coll.../power-tunnel-240-volt-through-wall-extension

 

[rcechinel]

So the Ford Mobile Power Cord that came with it won’t work, correct? What about the Ford Connected Charge Station? I bought one of those. Thanks to all for the good input!

I read somewhere that you can configure the max amperage this charger can pull, but I can't find now. If I am not mistaken, you can configure that on the dip switches on the charger itself, but I don't have one to check. It's certainly in the manual.
What's the size of your Dryer Breaker? Let's start there. If it's 40, and assuming the installation was correct, you should be good for a sustained 32 AMP pull. By the way, the Ford Mobile Charger is a 32 amp charger.

Note: for the other nerds around, no need to mention EVSE. Nobody cares. lol

 

[Guss-E 2021]

The Chargepoint Homeflex drops all the way down to 8A but I'm guessing there are less expensive models that do the same. The Homeflex is the model I have and the only one I'm familiar with which is why I mentioned it. Don't forget you get a 30% federal tax credit for the purchase and installation of EVSE (electric vehicle system equipment).

 

[Maquis]

So the Ford Mobile Power Cord that came with it won’t work, correct? What about the Ford Connected Charge Station? I bought one of those. Thanks to all for the good input!

Yes, there are DIP switches in the FCCS to set the charging limit. Keep in mind that it must be hard-wired per the installation instructions.

 

[AtomicInternet]

You can limit the amps via dip switches as well as in the app itself.

When I first got my Mach E I used 120v charging. You only get 1 mile per hour but since I only drove 12 miles a day it was enough. The mobile charger can at least give you that unless you're a high mileage driver.
I upgraded to 240v using my oven when I needed it, but it was a pain running the cable through my garage door.

 

[AngryMan]

My electrical panel is on the opposite side of the house from my garage. I have someone coming (set up by QMerit) to give a quote but I expect it will be $2K+ considering a trench or ? will be necessary.

I used Qmerit for my install. Ended up with guys who do Tesla chargers for commercial sites . Excellent job and I never have to worry if it was done right . It was literally their only job .
My setup sounds similar to yours . Panel is down stairs on opposite wall . They had to go up from panel , across the basement ceiling , and then up into garage .
My only issue was that the bid was for time and materials and yet they charged as if it was a quote for the finished job. This could have been a simple mistake because they weren't used to doing residential jobs but it left a bad taste in my mouth . They wouldn't budge so I found out the Qmerit CEOs email address and gave that a try . He didn't like hearing about the discrepancy and asked what I wanted to pay . I did some quick math and gave him a fair amount which he accepted.
MORAL OF THE RANT ....WATCH/KNOW what you sign up for and if they try to take advantage tap into your inner AngryMan
BTW even the high price for what I described didn't amount to $2000 ...but it was 3 years ago

 

[tucsondivots]

I used Qmerit for my install. Ended up with guys who do Tesla chargers for commercial sites . Excellent job and I never have to worry if it was done right . It was literally their only job .
My setup sounds similar to yours . Panel is down stairs on opposite wall . They had to go up from panel , across the basement ceiling , and then up into garage .
My only issue was that the bid was for time and materials and yet they charged as if it was a quote for the finished job. This could have been a simple mistake because they weren't used to doing residential jobs but it left a bad taste in my mouth . They wouldn't budge so I found out the Qmerit CEOs email address and gave that a try . He didn't like hearing about the discrepancy and asked what I wanted to pay . I did some quick math and gave him a fair amount which he accepted.
MORAL OF THE RANT ....WATCH/KNOW what you sign up for and if they try to take advantage tap into your inner AngryMan
BTW even the high price for what I described didn't amount to $2000 ...but it was 3 years ago

Thanks!

 

[AtomicInternet]

I lucked out my panel is in my garage. Drilled through one 2x4 and done.

As long as you use 6 to 8 gauge copper wire it's not that difficult to patch into your panel. The big cost will be the wire itself if you DIY. There are tons of Youtube videos on how to connect it, watch a few and see how you feel.

 

[tbrumleve]

Be careful with getting anywhere close to max amperage on that dryer line. The circuit is not designed for high continuous draw at max amperage. The codes for EV wiring vs most any household load is different. Your dryer doesn’t pull 24A continuously, it cycles. The EVSE will pull 24A continuously, and it has higher wire gauge requirements. Best to have an electrician out to inspect and advise. See what gauge wiring you have to the dryer outlet and set your EVSE appropriately.

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