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Welder & EV Outlet Wiring

TurboEuro88

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Back again with a wiring question for my garage. I am getting ready to start insulating/drywalling the garage, but had some last minute electrical additions I wanted to look into prior to doing that while I have the studs open. Specifically I had the thought that adding electrical service for a welder and/or an EV charger (Tesla, etc) would be a wise decision as a bit of future-proofing. As of right now I have neither a welder nor an EV, though I would like to learn how to weld and I can see myself buying a Tesla in the relatively near future. Regardless I'd rather have it and not use it than need it and not have it.

Garage subpanel is fed via 60A service from my main panel. I have plenty of spaces left in the subpanel to install 240v dual-pole breakers as needed. Current electrical load is an overall relatively low amperage draw - door opener, LED lights, TV, stereo, and other miscellaneous items. If I had to guess I would imagine the current load to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 5-10A depending on what's plugged in/running. I will be adding an air compressor sometime soon (15A) but that's about it as far as other "high-amperage" draws.

That all being said... how would the more experienced sparkies here recommend I proceed? Wiring in an outlet for a Welder looks pretty straightforward and won't be too difficult, but how should I wire in things to be prepared for an EV charger if/when that happens? Thinking running the wires into a 4"x4" junction box and drywalling around it would work but not sure if there's a better/more appropriate solution out there.

Also, on the topic of welding wiring - can someone explain to me how welders run on 240v with the NEMA 6-50R outlet, but the plugs only have 3 pins? The diagrams I've seen only mention 3 conductors - 2 hot (red/black) and 1 ground. My understanding of 240v is that you achieve that voltage by combining the two 120v conductors, but don't you also need a neutral to return back to the neutral bus bar in the panel box? I feel like this is a silly question to ask but it honestly has been confusing me and would appreciate someone "dumbing this down" for me.

Thanks!
 
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Stuart in MN

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240 volt devices like welders typically don't require the neutral wire, just the two hots and a ground. If a 240 volt device also has 120 volt requirements (like an electric kitchen stove, that has a 120 volt light and controls), it does require the neutral wire.


You get 120 volts from the neutral wire to a hot wire, you get 240 volts from one hot wire to the other hot wire.


Without knowing exactly what welder (or what electric car charger) you'll have, it's difficult to predict what size circuit will be required. It may be easier to wait on doing any actual installation of wire now. If the wiring is going to be hidden behind finished walls, and you are sure of where you want to locate an outlet, I suppose you could run conduit to that location and just leave it empty for now.
 
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TurboEuro88

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If I knew what welder I would be buying, I would make mention of it... but I do know it'll be something relatively basic and probably running on 240v. I figured 40A should be enough.

As far as EVs - Right now I only see myself buying a Tesla. In chatting with a friend who has one, he told me I don't need a wall charger, just a 14-50 plug which would afford me enough amperage. That opens the possibility of just one plug that can either charge an EV or power a welder, needing just a 14-50 to 6-50 adapter to do that. Is that maybe the better route to go?
 

mike93lx

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Will the charging outlet be in a good spot for plugging in a welder?

Run a 50a circuit (6/3 nm-b) if you want to cover both. It's way overkill for the welder, but will certainly work. Yes, you'll need an adapter for the welder plug.
 
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TurboEuro88

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Will the charging outlet be in a good spot for plugging in a welder?

Run a 50a circuit (6/3 nm-b) if you want to cover both. It's way overkill for the welder, but will certainly work. Yes, you'll need an adapter for the welder plug.

Conveniently, it will be. It's not a large garage so if I am welding I am almost certainly not going to have a 2nd car in the garage, if both are there at all, but the outlet location would be close to where I'd likely park the EV anyway. It would also be relatively close to the panel box as well to make it cheaper on wire costs. I forgot that since this is all indoors I can run NM-B instead of THHN - That will help costs as well.
 

MoonRise

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So, you currently (no electricity pun intended) have a 60 amp subpanel in the garage.

The 'classic' 240V welder plug/outlet is a NEMA 6-50. Three wires, with two 'hots' and a ground. The voltage between the two 'hot' wires is 240V.

That circuit can run a lot of different and 'competent' home-use welders, but it can not run some of the 'bigger' home-use or small 'industrial' class of machines.

You mention an air compressor and 15 amps in the same mention. Although there are certainly 120V air compressors that can run on a 15 amp circuit and they can certainly supply some amount of compressed air for some tasks/jobs, you might or might not be limited there as to what that amount of compressed air will let you accomplish.

You might (or might not) consider going to a 240V air compressor, maybe a 60 gallon or 80 gallon unit with a 3 or 5 hp (marketing numbers there, actual hp is less in the real world) motor.

As an example, here is a 60 gallon 5 hp 240V single-phase (what your house typically has) two-stage unit. Nothing outrageous as far as size/weight/power and so forth for a typical garage/house use, but that unit draws 28 amps and has to go on a 40 or 60 amp 240V circuit.

https://www.aircompressorsdirect.com/Ingersoll-Rand-2340L5.230-1-Air-Compressor/p705.html

https://www.wessconw.com/uploads/5/1/2/3/51239285/electrical_requirements.pdf

https://groverelectric.com/assets/d...ate Wire & Fuse Sizes for Electric Motors.pdf


Here is another 240V '5 hp' compressor, that says it might be able to go on a 30 amp circuit.

https://www.aircompressorsdirect.com/DeWalt-DXCMV5076055-Air-Compressor/p67980.html

Point being, you might 'need' more electrical power for an air compressor than you originally thought.

Your possible Tesla plans also seem more power-hungry than you might have originally thought.

Tesla recommends a MINIMUM 240V 60 amp circuit for their current home chargers.

https://www.tesla.com/support/home-charging-installation/onboard-charger

https://www.tesla.com/support/home-charging-installation/wall-connector

But a 240V 100 amp circuit is currently recommended/required for maximum charging capability with the Gen2 Wall Connector, depending on the available on-board charger in the actual Tesla vehicle being charged.

https://www.tesla.com/sites/default/files/downloads/wall_connector_installation_manual_80A_en_US.pdf

Having a smaller circuit breaker for the wall charger means slower charging. Sometimes you can make that trade-off, sometimes you don't want to have to be forced to make that trade-off.

And that circuit breaker capacity trade-off can easily double or triple the recharge time for your Tesla. Which could mean the difference between recharging the Tesla overnight back up to 'full' or not.

Tesla charge rates can vary from a measly 2-3 miles of range added back to the battery pack per hour (120V power source) up to 5-11 miles range added per hour for the lowest level 240V charging (on a 240V 15 amp breaker) up to 30-44 miles of range added per hour (on a 240V 60-100 amp breaker). All numbers from the Tesla charger pages linked above.

Although one can do a good amount of 'work' in a garage with 60 amp 240V service, once you put in an EV charger and maybe a 240V welder and a 240V air compressor you can also rather quickly run out of electrical power.

example: You get a Tesla and put in a Tesla wall charger. That's a minimum 60 amp circuit right there.

You find a deal on an older used Miller 330 A/BP welder, big (850 lbs) old beast of a machine but still generally capable. It can do 300+ amps of output in DC or AC SMAW (aka stick) or TIG output.

https://www.millerwelds.com/files/owners-manuals/O340P_MIL.pdf

Machine calls for a 175 amp fuse/breaker, as it draws a listed 96 amps at 230V input at 300 amps and 32V output at a 60% duty cycle.

Most home folks don't 'need' that much welding power.

And certainly newer inverter-based welding machines are less power-hungry.

example: a current Lincoln 210MP machine is listed as drawing a max of 27 amps at 230V input. This machine can do most of what a 'home' person would want/need to weld, except AC TIG for aluminum. It still needs a 40 amp 240V breaker/circuit.

Just some examples of real numbers for you to more seriously consider what you want/need as far as electrical power for your garage.

:beer:
 
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TurboEuro88

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Wow... That's a heck of a reply! Thank you! I'll try to address key points below for sake of succinctness:

You might (or might not) consider going to a 240V air compressor, maybe a 60 gallon or 80 gallon unit with a 3 or 5 hp (marketing numbers there, actual hp is less in the real world) motor.

I had thought about it, but this being my first house and it being more of a "hobby garage" than a shop even in the loosest of terms, I really need it for more basic needs. I do, however, want to have more air available for impacts, cutting wheels, etc than what a pancake compressor would offer. The compressor I'll be getting is a 29Gal 150PSI 2HP oiled single cylinder compressor. More than enough for what I'll need of it right now.

Tesla recommends a MINIMUM 240V 60 amp circuit for their current home chargers.
...
And that circuit breaker capacity trade-off can easily double or triple the recharge time for your Tesla. Which could mean the difference between recharging the Tesla overnight back up to 'full' or not.

https://www.tesla.com/support/home-c...wall-connector

My understanding is that I am not necessarily bound to those requirements if my circumstances dictate it. In what I've read, the wall charger has a selector that will tell it the breaker amperage installed and thus how much fast it can charge the car. My math says that as long as I can get the car 40A of service I can get a full charge overnight without too much issue (30A/hr @ 10 hrs). This is obviously dependent upon the spec of Tesla I would get, which in all likelihood would be the standard range Model 3. Of course 60A is the minimum (and preferred) max charge rate, but knowing my current circumstances it shouldn't be an issue if I am only at 40A.

Although one can do a good amount of 'work' in a garage with 60 amp 240V service, once you put in an EV charger and maybe a 240V welder and a 240V air compressor you can also rather quickly run out of electrical power.

This is very true... I am OK with managing things however I need to. As I mentioned, it would be almost impossible for me to be welding in my garage while also charging an EV. Power consumption aside, there just isn't enough space to feel comfortable doing that. Compressor and welder, sure... but that's it.

Just some examples of real numbers for you to more seriously consider what you want/need as far as electrical power for your garage.

I really appreciate it! I didn't expect someone to put together as lengthy of a response as you did but really do thank you doing it. I would rather make informed decisions than not. I consider myself "adept" if not relatively experienced with electrical work, but appreciate fact-checking what I understand with people more knowledgeable than I.
 

jkeyser14

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I have both a Tesla and a big *** welder. I am using 50A Nema 14-50 outlets for both. Be aware, there are both 40A and 50A rated versions of the same NEMA 14-50 outlet. Both are fed by 6 AWG copper wire. To avoid fires you need to make sure you actually torque the connections on the outlets per the manufacturer's specs. A few electricians have started fires in Tesla owner's garages by not properly torquing the connections.

I charge my Model 3 at 32A which gives me 32 miles of range per hour. I could charge a Model S at up to 40A (80% of circuits rated load for continous duty).

My welder is a 100A welder, but code lets you derate welder circuits by 50% because they are not continuous use. That being said, too many start/stops in rapid succession will sometimes trip my breaker due to the large inrush current.
 

wyliesdiesels

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I have both a Tesla and a big *** welder. I am using 50A Nema 14-50 outlets for both. Be aware, there are both 40A and 50A rated versions of the same NEMA 14-50 outlet. Both are fed by 6 AWG copper wire. To avoid fires you need to make sure you actually torque the connections on the outlets per the manufacturer's specs. A few electricians have started fires in Tesla owner's garages by not properly torquing the connections.

I charge my Model 3 at 32A which gives me 32 miles of range per hour. I could charge a Model S at up to 40A (80% of circuits rated load for continous duty).

My welder is a 100A welder, but code lets you derate welder circuits by 50% because they are not continuous use. That being said, too many start/stops in rapid succession will sometimes trip my breaker due to the large inrush current.

Incorrect.

NEC code does not have a set derating factor across the board.

The derating factor depends on the duty cycle rating of the welder and type of welder.

However no where in the table is there a 50% derating factor.

Try looking at the code next time

https://www.ecmweb.com/qampa/code-qa-45
 
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jkeyser14

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Incorrect.

NEC code does not have a set derating factor across the board.

The derating factor depends on the duty cycle rating of the welder and type of welder.

However no where in the table is there a 50% derating factor.

Try looking at the code next time

https://www.ecmweb.com/qampa/code-qa-45

(A) For Welders. Each welder shall have overcurrent protection rated or set at not more than 200 percent of lmax. Alternatively, if the max is not given, the overcurrent pro tection shall be rated or set at not more than 200 percent of the rated primary current of the welder.
 

jkeyser14

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My understanding is that I am not necessarily bound to those requirements if my circumstances dictate it. In what I've read, the wall charger has a selector that will tell it the breaker amperage installed and thus how much fast it can charge the car. My math says that as long as I can get the car 40A of service I can get a full charge overnight without too much issue (30A/hr @ 10 hrs). This is obviously dependent upon the spec of Tesla I would get, which in all likelihood would be the standard range Model 3. Of course 60A is the minimum (and preferred) max charge rate, but knowing my current circumstances it shouldn't be an issue if I am only at 40A.

The Model 3 really doesn't need a wall charger. The wall charger gets you up to 40 miles of charge per hour maximum on the Model 3, an increase from 32 mi/hr for an extra $500. If you want to save that $500 you can just use the UMC (Universal Mobile) charger that comes with the car. You can change the charge current limit to match your circuit in the software. The UMC also measures for temperature and voltage drop and will scale back current if detects the supply can't handle the load.

The only real benefit of getting a wall charger is to support the Model S's or Model X's higher charge rates, in which case you use the jumpers in the charger to set the charge current.

Either way, if you are charging at home daily then 32 mi/hr of charge rate should be enough for almost all normal drivers.
 
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TurboEuro88

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This is really good info. Appreciate all the input. I think knowing all of this and how I plan to use the garage I'll just go ahead and wire in a 240v NEMA 14-50R outlet on a 40A breaker. That should be plenty for me to learn welding on and, eventually, charge an EV at a reasonable rate.
 

sberry

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You cant double derate a welder. they list the minimum conductor size, how they come to that is 630. You don't apply that to the listed wire. If you use a smaller wire than the listed one use a breaker that matches it for thermal.
 

jkeyser14

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You cant double derate a welder. they list the minimum conductor size, how they come to that is 630. You don't apply that to the listed wire. If you use a smaller wire than the listed one use a breaker that matches it for thermal.

Correct, the breaker should match (or be rated lower) than the capacity of the wire.
 

mm08822

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Correct, the breaker should match (or be rated lower) than the capacity of the wire.

That is not what sberry is saying.

Not so if you have a dedicated welder recept.

What is the make/model of your 100a front end welder?

What is the welder cb ocp value? And wire size?

What 14-50 recepts are rated for 40a?
 

wyliesdiesels

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This is really good info. Appreciate all the input. I think knowing all of this and how I plan to use the garage I'll just go ahead and wire in a 240v NEMA 14-50R outlet on a 40A breaker. That should be plenty for me to learn welding on and, eventually, charge an EV at a reasonable rate.

Why would you put a 14-50 on a 40a breaker?
 

mike93lx

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Why would you put a 14-50 on a 40a breaker?

I think he is getting mixed up with junk on tesla forums.

My understanding is a 40a breaker is permissible since 40a outlets don't exist. That said, why someone would go through the effort, in a new installation, to intentionally derate a circuit, makes no sense to me.

If it needs a 14-50 receptacle, install a 50a breaker and the proper wiring.
 
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TurboEuro88

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Not really getting mixed up with any "junk" information as you put it. In speaking with my Tesla buddy of mine, who also happens to be an electrical engineer for an EV supplier to OEMs, nearly all OEMs have more or less settled on a max charging of ~48A due to residential wiring limitations and demands. Some Teslas, namely the older models, support higher amperage charging upwards of 72A but that seems to be going away with the new models across the industry. For my purposes that means nearly any EV I would likely purchase could handle a 40A (effective 32A) charging via its onboard charging unit. The math then says that even at 32A I could get a full charge on a 300-mile EV in just 10 hours; less if it's not fully depleted. For most people like myself, that's far less time than the car sits in a garage overnight. Makes sense.

The other consideration is that I only have 60A service to the garage. I wish I had 100A but that wasn't a realistic option since I only have 100A to the property in total at this point and it will be a long while (if ever at this place) before I upgrade to 200A. I just really don't feel comfortable with a setup that could potentially max out (or get very close to it) my service to my garage just by charging an EV or doing some welding. Maybe I am horribly mistaken with that approach and I am certainly open to hearing of what I can do differently, but that's just been my approach to this.
 

wyliesdiesels

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Not really getting mixed up with any "junk" information as you put it. In speaking with my Tesla buddy of mine, who also happens to be an electrical engineer for an EV supplier to OEMs, nearly all OEMs have more or less settled on a max charging of ~48A due to residential wiring limitations and demands. Some Teslas, namely the older models, support higher amperage charging upwards of 72A but that seems to be going away with the new models across the industry. For my purposes that means nearly any EV I would likely purchase could handle a 40A (effective 32A) charging via its onboard charging unit. The math then says that even at 32A I could get a full charge on a 300-mile EV in just 10 hours; less if it's not fully depleted. For most people like myself, that's far less time than the car sits in a garage overnight. Makes sense.

The other consideration is that I only have 60A service to the garage. I wish I had 100A but that wasn't a realistic option since I only have 100A to the property in total at this point and it will be a long while (if ever at this place) before I upgrade to 200A. I just really don't feel comfortable with a setup that could potentially max out (or get very close to it) my service to my garage just by charging an EV or doing some welding. Maybe I am horribly mistaken with that approach and I am certainly open to hearing of what I can do differently, but that's just been my approach to this.

That approach is totally incorrect.

You need to go by the calculated load not the main breaker rating. While you only have 100a service, your house may not be using anywhere near that.

What kind of electrical loads do you have in the house? If its all gas then theres no way in the world youre using anywhere near 100a. So then you could redo the feed to the garage upgrading it to 100a.

So figure out what your calculated loads are...
 

Brandon_oma#692

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Not really getting mixed up with any "junk" information as you put it. In speaking with my Tesla buddy of mine, who also happens to be an electrical engineer for an EV supplier to OEMs, nearly all OEMs have more or less settled on a max charging of ~48A due to residential wiring limitations and demands. Some Teslas, namely the older models, support higher amperage charging upwards of 72A but that seems to be going away with the new models across the industry. For my purposes that means nearly any EV I would likely purchase could handle a 40A (effective 32A) charging via its onboard charging unit. The math then says that even at 32A I could get a full charge on a 300-mile EV in just 10 hours; less if it's not fully depleted. For most people like myself, that's far less time than the car sits in a garage overnight. Makes sense.

The other consideration is that I only have 60A service to the garage. I wish I had 100A but that wasn't a realistic option since I only have 100A to the property in total at this point and it will be a long while (if ever at this place) before I upgrade to 200A. I just really don't feel comfortable with a setup that could potentially max out (or get very close to it) my service to my garage just by charging an EV or doing some welding. Maybe I am horribly mistaken with that approach and I am certainly open to hearing of what I can do differently, but that's just been my approach to this.

That approach is totally incorrect.

You need to go by the calculated load not the main breaker rating. While you only have 100a service, your house may not be using anywhere near that.

What kind of electrical loads do you have in the house? If its all gas then theres no way in the world youre using anywhere near 100a. So then you could redo the feed to the garage upgrading it to 100a.

So figure out what your calculated loads are...


Thanks for the information. I have always wondered what the max I could pull from my 100 amp main panel to a future garage sub is. Looks like I may be able to do more than the 60 I thought. I will start my own thread soon. Sorry for the hijack.
 

jkeyser14

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That approach is totally incorrect.

You need to go by the calculated load not the main breaker rating. While you only have 100a service, your house may not be using anywhere near that.

What kind of electrical loads do you have in the house? If its all gas then theres no way in the world youre using anywhere near 100a. So then you could redo the feed to the garage upgrading it to 100a.

So figure out what your calculated loads are...

His calculated future load for the garage shows a need of 32A-40A continuous. Why should he spend $1k+ to upgrade to 100A?
 

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Thanks for the information. I have always wondered what the max I could pull from my 100 amp main panel to a future garage sub is. Looks like I may be able to do more than the 60 I thought. I will start my own thread soon. Sorry for the hijack.

The main panel may specify a max branch circuit value, but either way, 100a total will be the limit. You could have a 200a subpanel fully loaded, won't matter.
 

wyliesdiesels

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His calculated future load for the garage shows a need of 32A-40A continuous. Why should he spend $1k+ to upgrade to 100A?

With the current capacity @ 60a and how he wants to run an air compressor with the other loads, he may have an issue while charging the car.

Plus he wants to run a welder.

Upgrading to 100a would give more headroom.

Without the wire length, how did you even come up with $1K for cost?
 

jkeyser14

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With the current capacity @ 60a and how he wants to run an air compressor with the other loads, he may have an issue while charging the car.

Plus he wants to run a welder.

Upgrading to 100a would give more headroom.

Without the wire length, how did you even come up with $1K for cost?

I said $1k+ actually. Add up the material the cost of a panel, breakers (GFCI and AFCI as appropriate), permit fee, wire (even if short), etc. Add in the electricians 20%-40% material markup. Then add 5+ hours of labor at $100/hr (1 hr to go pull permit, 2+ hours to do work, 2-4 hours to stand around waiting for inspector, etc).
 
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TurboEuro88

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With the current capacity @ 60a and how he wants to run an air compressor with the other loads, he may have an issue while charging the car.

Plus he wants to run a welder.

Upgrading to 100a would give more headroom.

Without the wire length, how did you even come up with $1K for cost?

I appreciate the insight and concern for what I'll be limited in doing. I think I'll be OK with how things are set up, though. Unless I am mistaken there aren't any potential safety issues with my plan, just a matter of capacity if/when I add high amperage draws. I can always upgrade down the road if I decide I need more headroom since I have conduit from the subpanel to the main panel.
 

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Just a few comments....
The Tesla Wall Connector is hardwired only. New S or X Teslas are limited to 48 Amp charging so Wall Connector is Hardwired to a 60 Amp circuit. That is the max with versions today.

The Mobile Connector that comes with the car, any model, has adapter cords available. It comes with a NEMA 5-15 in US markets. NEMA 6-50, 14-50, 14-30, 10-30, 6-20, 6-15, and 5-20 are all available.

Most single phase 240V welders today come with a 6-50, so you may want to consider installing one of them and using an adapter for your Tesla. The use of a 14-50 has the advantage of having a neutral landed if you ever would want 120V at that location. No welder I am aware of uses a 14-50 however.

I agree charge rate differences of a few hours make little difference in overnight charging. The only exception may be if you are trying to hit a narrow window in Time of Day billing. Over night is just to replenish the days usage.
 

wyliesdiesels

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Just a few comments....
The Tesla Wall Connector is hardwired only. New S or X Teslas are limited to 48 Amp charging so Wall Connector is Hardwired to a 60 Amp circuit. That is the max with versions today.

The Mobile Connector that comes with the car, any model, has adapter cords available. It comes with a NEMA 5-15 in US markets. NEMA 6-50, 14-50, 14-30, 10-30, 6-20, 6-15, and 5-20 are all available.

Most single phase 240V welders today come with a 6-50, so you may want to consider installing one of them and using an adapter for your Tesla. The use of a 14-50 has the advantage of having a neutral landed if you ever would want 120V at that location. No welder I am aware of uses a 14-50 however.

I agree charge rate differences of a few hours make little difference in overnight charging. The only exception may be if you are trying to hit a narrow window in Time of Day billing. Over night is just to replenish the days usage.

Are you sure on the 10-30? That is a non grounded outlet...

Also, taking a neutral from a 50a rated circuit for use on a 120v circuit with lower amperage would require separate overload protection.
 

mike93lx

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Are you sure on the 10-30? That is a non grounded outlet...

Also, taking a neutral from a 50a rated circuit for use on a 120v circuit with lower amperage would require separate overload protection.

Man, I love that you sparkies aren't jaded by all the **** on these forums and still "fight the good fight". I've learned so much on here and it's because of that.

I owe any of you a beer if you are ever in Central MA
 

outdoorspace

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Man, I love that you sparkies aren't jaded by all the **** on these forums and still "fight the good fight". I've learned so much on here and it's because of that.

I owe any of you a beer if you are ever in Central MA

Narccists need to get their fix somehow, he's not going anywhere. There are many ways to share information, with this guy the knowledge often includes an air of superiority. The other pro electricians on here do not behave this way.
 

mike93lx

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Narccists need to get their fix somehow, he's not going anywhere. There are many ways to share information, with this guy the knowledge often includes an air of superiority. The other pro electricians on here do not behave this way.

My post was not sarcastic at all and I disagree. Wylie contributes useful, meaningful information here.
 
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wyliesdiesels

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Modesto, CA
Narccists need to get their fix somehow, he's not going anywhere. There are many ways to share information, with this guy the knowledge often includes an air of superiority. The other pro electricians on here do not behave this way.

wow care to provide a reference?
 

dcg9381

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Jun 20, 2018
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Austin, TX
If you're charging an electric car, I think you need the 100A upgrade too. Otherwise, I'd say that you can likely stick with 60A.

You could design for 100A on the way in, connect it to a 60A breaker and make the change at a later date (if that works with doing a future upgrade).
 
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