Standard metallic clad (MC) cable; great for installations that require passing cable through basements, attics and terminating inside an enclosed garage. Not suitable for outdoor use, wet/damp locations or underground. MC cable has its own armor so no conduit is required.
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Anyone use this Romex 6/3 cable during install?
- Thread starter Dugdale
- Start date
TBrownTX
Active Member
Midnightsun
Active Member
I must have watched far more than a dozen Wall Connector Install videos on YouTube by NON-Electricians. I think every single one I've seen has either violated the latest NEC code during the install, or has said "you could instead" <fill in the blank> which would violate the latest NEC. This video is no exception.
In the posted video at time stamp 5:00 the presenter explains that the wire he used doesn't meet code, but he couldn't find the correct wire at Home Depot, and didn't want to special order the correct wire.
Page 3 of the Tesla Wall Connector installation manual explicitly states:
The chart the video shows at 5:00 lists the ampacity of 6 AWG, 90° C-rated copper wire as 75 amps, the MINIMUM capacity Tesla specifies for full power operation. The YouTuber choose to instead install 6 AWG, 60° C-rated copper wire instead, which is only rated for 55 amps, two levels down from the specified MINIMUM.. Yet he still stuck a 60 amp breaker on it and claimed it is safe. I would say he didn't know about the code's 80% down rating for continuous duty circuits, but around time stamp 8:48 he explicitly talks about the 80% down rating!
My next gripe is around 6:19 where he says he is going to make the ground wire WHITE. Apparently he was also too ignorant or lazy to purchase a roll of green electrical tape while he was at Home Depot. Then he could have used the green tape to MARK both ends of the WHITE wire as GREEN, and legitimately used it as a GROUND wire. He even talks about how ground and neutral must be separated in sub-panels, but forgets some future home owner might convert what is currently his main panel into a sub-panel. Yet unless psychic would not realize that he had used WHITE wire as GROUND!
NOTE: I have learned a few things from watching Wall Connector install videos. For example, don't screw the wall connector base to the wall until after you connect the wire/conduit. It is much easier to adjust the location you drive screws by a fraction of an inch, than to adjust the location of conduit. It is also important to think about how that charging cable will hang when picking the Wall Connector location. One YouTuber had to relocate their Wall Connector after not giving cable management enough thought.
While actual Electricians can still disagree on details of code, if you are using YouTube for Wall Connector installation guidance, search for generic Electrical instruction, not for Wall Connector install videos. For example, if you are going to be running MC 6/2 cable, you might find these two videos useful.
Wiring With MC - WHAT YOU CAN AND CAN'T DO WITH MC CABLE as an electrician
HOW TO Strip MC Cable
My disclaimer: I am NOT an Electrician, but I can at least read Tesla's instructions!
Ouch. Those are pretty basic mistakes, thanks for pointing them out. I’ve done enough remodels to have run into some pretty shady crap, so, yeah, it is annoying when people don’t follow even simple code items.
BTW, I’m no electrician or expert on MC cable, but my understanding is that you should be using plastic bushings when terminating MC onto a box in addition to the box connector so that the sharp MC conduit won’t cut into the enclosed wires. Minor, but important point. It’s little things like this that often get missed.
And I just listened to your MC video you posted above and it talks about this and many other things about MC. Great video.
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Thanks.
The two videos I linked above disagree about whether the plastic bushings are required for MC. One video thinks they are only required for AC cable not MC cable as I recall. However, the electricians doing both videos personally always use them with MC cable! Since I am not an electrician, but am permitted under my state's laws to perform electrical work on a residence that I both own and occupy, I will always lean toward the conservative. Especially since my garage is immediately below my master bedroom. The MC cable I ordered did not come with bushings, but Home Depot supplied some I think will work. I believe the second video I linked shows how to actually use bushings correctly!
My wall charger install was done yesteday and the electrian installed 6/3 romex with a 60a breaker. Prior to yesterday I had come across thread that talked about it being ok due to the "round up" allowance, but thread's detailed discussion on the specifics of NM-B has convinced me my setup needs to be fixed. We took a much more complicated install (fishing through walls/attic, into the garage) specially for getting a 60a breaker, but it is what it is at this point.
Underatand these are my options:
1. Change the breaker to 50a (fairly easy)
2. Upgrade the wire. I don't think I'll be able to reroute 6/3 MC (one of the suggested wire types in this thread) due to the routing the wire will go, unless it's on par flexibility wise with the romex (get the impression it's not). The cost of 4 gauge and difficulty of fishing make it a non-starter. Or, get 6/3 THHN wire, but I can't run conduit. Question: Does this product require conduit like THHN or can it just be snaked through the walls like romex?
www.wireandcableyourway.com
Thanks.
Underatand these are my options:
1. Change the breaker to 50a (fairly easy)
2. Upgrade the wire. I don't think I'll be able to reroute 6/3 MC (one of the suggested wire types in this thread) due to the routing the wire will go, unless it's on par flexibility wise with the romex (get the impression it's not). The cost of 4 gauge and difficulty of fishing make it a non-starter. Or, get 6/3 THHN wire, but I can't run conduit. Question: Does this product require conduit like THHN or can it just be snaked through the walls like romex?
#6-3C THHN-PVC Tray Cable with Ground
THHN-PVC Tray Cable. Cut to length - sold by the Foot.
Thanks.
I would just go with that. I understand your electrician screwed up, and you didn't get what you requested or wanted, so you don't have a 60A circuit, but really, you are not going to notice or be disappointed with the charging speed from a 50A circuit.
As with most things electronic heat is the enemy. Heat shortens the life of the components. By charging at 40A instead of 48A the Wall Connector would run a little bit cooler, potentially last longer.
We talked about using 6/2 and since he said do to code we have to have a disconnect in sight (i.e. a plug, not box direct into the wall charger), I choose 6/3 so the plug/wiring has max usability for my future, need to reconfigure the outlet, if others need to charge, etc.
The setup:
Box in basement with 60A breaker -> garage (6/3 romex) 15-60 receptacle (Bryant 8460FR) -> 15-60 plug (Bryant 8462ANPB), -> wall charger (6/3 romex).
I know the easy button is to change the breaker then change to 14-50 connections, but want to make sure I'm understanding the decision space and factors in play, i.e. wire options without conduit (or if the PVC tray cable fits the bill).
Thanks for your replies.
Yes, that's the best option. Everything runs cooler, will last longer, and you won't notice the difference.
I don't understand the decision to use 6/3 and a plug instead of just a disconnect box. I think this has limited your options. I'd guess that going to a lower breaker and a 14-50 would be the easiest route, but maybe someone else has a better idea?
If you add a power plug connection to the Tesla Wall Connector it is not code compliant. The code specifies that you cannot add a power plug to equipment if the equipment was originally designed to be hard wired, i.e. installed without a power plug. If the code specifies a service disconnect box then that should have been installed within line of sight of the Tesla Wall Connector.
EVer Hopeful
Active Member
FINALLY! I get to contribute something useful
...if you run the HPWC on a 50A breaker, don't forget to downgrade the HPWC to run at 50A!
I can't remember how you do this now, but it's probably through the charging app
and I downrated mine to 30A and it's fast enough for me (although I don't take many long trips)
EVer Hopeful
Active Member
The third conductor is there to transmit the 5G chips so that Bill Gates can control your car remotely
You should be ok though if you don't have the heated steering wheel (and if you do ... then DON'T TURN IT ON!!!)
A nema 15-60 is a 3 phase receptacle! Are you sure that’s what he installed?
Yup, that's in the provisioning process. Why drop $500 for a wall charger that's slower then your mobile charger with an adapter?FINALLY! I get to contribute something useful
...if you run the HPWC on a 50A breaker, don't forget to downgrade the HPWC to run at 50A!
I can't remember how you do this now, but it's probably through the charging app
and I downrated mine to 30A and it's fast enough for me (although I don't take many long trips)
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