Whats up with this charger?

[Clicker]

The digital display showed it was charging at 39.1 amps.

Sponsored

 

[All Hat No Cattle]

The digital display showed it was charging at 39.1 amps.

Good, 39 amps output sounds fine.

Now what is the input, measured at the breaker?

 

[Clicker]

Good, 39 amps output sounds fine.

Now what is the input, measured at the breaker?

Sorry that I can't tell you I don't have that equipment.

 

[SnBGC]

Brand new breakers can be bad.

Yep.
My brand new breaker cooked itself.
A long time master electrician says he likes to cycle new breakers back and forth a few times to make sure they open and close in a positive manner. He proceeded to show me a box of breakers, brand new and noted the position when closed (on). After he worked it back and forth a few times it started to make a more secure sound and would throw all the way to the stop. I grabbed another breaker and did the same and I got the feel for it myself. Did a few more from that box and same thing.

 

[OlyPen]

I bought a 40 amp level 2 charger after having a 50 amp breaker and NEMA 14-50 outlet put in just to get a little faster charging than the 30 amp that Ford supplies. The Ford charger works great. The other one pops the breaker after charging for about 10-15 mins. New house plenty of power so that's not the problem. Could it be a bad charger?

The breaker or the wire is the issue. My electrician recommended a larger breaker to handle the load and we've had no issues. We put in 80amp breakers for hardwired 50amp Chargepoint Home Flex chargers and they work flawlessly. Friends of ours put in 60amp breakers for the same chargers and they can't get the full 50amp draw without popping the breaker.

 

[generaltso]

The breaker or the wire is the issue. My electrician recommended a larger breaker to handle the load and we've had no issues. We put in 80amp breakers for hardwired 50amp Chargepoint Home Flex chargers and they work flawlessly.

Those must be using some really thick wire.

 

[Motomax]

The breaker or the wire is the issue. My electrician recommended a larger breaker to handle the load and we've had no issues. We put in 80amp breakers for hardwired 50amp Chargepoint Home Flex chargers and they work flawlessly. Friends of ours put in 60amp breakers for the same chargers and they can't get the full 50amp draw without popping the breaker.

That’s not really a “solution”. Did you use 3gauge nm-B or 4 gauge thwn wire? If not you are not within code.

 

[Mach-Lee]

The breaker or the wire is the issue. My electrician recommended a larger breaker to handle the load and we've had no issues. We put in 80amp breakers for hardwired 50amp Chargepoint Home Flex chargers and they work flawlessly. Friends of ours put in 60amp breakers for the same chargers and they can't get the full 50amp draw without popping the breaker.

I advise against doing this unless the electrician has verified the wires are large enough to handle the larger breaker (they better be 4 gauge THHN in conduit for 80A). No one should do this without an electrician signing off on it due to potential fire risk.

FYI the max breaker size is 50A for #8 in conduit and 70A for #6 in conduit or you are breaking code (75ºC termination).

If this happens on a NEMA 14-50 receptacle, the breaker size CANNOT be increased more than 50A due to the receptacle limitation. Verify the EVSE is set to a max of 40A.

If the actual current is less than 90% of the breaker rating then it should not trip. If it does, then the breaker is defective or the connections were improper. The solution is to replace or reinstall the breaker, not to increase the breaker size.

The max charge rate of the Mach-E is 48A, so a 60A breaker should work. Make sure the EVSE dip switches are set up as such.

 

[OlyPen]

That’s not really a “solution”. Did you use 3gauge nm-B or 4 gauge thwn wire? If not you are not within code.

I used a commercial electrician, permitted and inspected with all new wiring per code. I don't do electric work myself. And the units are outdoors with buried cable in conduit, again per code.

Did I mention it was permitted and inspected? Not a DIY job.

And it works flawlessly with the MME and every other vehicle that charges at them (we have 3 chargers).

 

[Motomax]

I used a commercial electrician, permitted and inspected with all new wiring per code. I don't do electric work myself. And the units are outdoors with buried cable in conduit, again per code.

Did I mention it was permitted and inspected? Not a DIY job.

And it works flawlessly with the MME and every other vehicle that charges at them (we have 3 chargers).

Well that’s good but a 70amp breaker would have allowed you to stick with 6awg thwn-2 wire ran through conduit and saved yourself some money.

You mentioned a “cable” outside which means it would be have to be 3Awg UF-B. I’m not even sure if they make that but That would be expensive stuff.

Your friends setup is technically allowed since there’s no 65amp breaker but 50amp continuous on a 60amp breaker is slightly over the 80% rule. They have much less room for manufacturing tolerances on the breaker.

 

[jsteach]

I had a solar system and ev charger hardwired into my 200amp panel. I had plenty of power, but not enough space. They resized my 2 ac breakers with quad breaks. These were square D quad mini breakers. Both ac breakers were triping at times. Took them a month to figure out the breakers were bad. 1 ac was fixed first time. 2nd ac, took 3 new breakers to find a good one. I could believe 1 bad breaker, but 4, thats crazy!!

Sponsored