Charge using dryer outlet?

[CyanideDN]

So we just rented a house in California that only has Level 1 charging (previously was in apartment complex with Level 2 charging). Since we don't own the home, we don't want to spend a big chunk of money to rewire for Level 2 charging....landlord isn't going to chip in so it'll be at our expense. The car is driven about 40 miles / day round trip, which we can recover overnight via 120v charging so there isn't a huge pressing need for Level 2 charging. Otherwise there's tons of superchargers & Level 2 chargers nearby.

With that said, I was wondering if I can take advantage of the pre-existing dryer 30 amp setup to facilitate faster charging should we buy another EV. My dad is a retired mechanic and pretty handy with electrical wiring so he can help me.

• Panel (attached pictured) has 200 amp breaker, and panel is placed directed outside of garage
• there's a 30 amp breaker for dryer in bottom right (which isn't in in use since the existing washer/dryer is 120v with gas heating)
• laundry room is upstairs, in opposite corner far away from garage
  • there's a NEMA 10-30 plug in upstairs laundry room but not possible to run wire through house due to distance

So the question is if it would be reasonable (cost & procedural) to reroute the 30 amp (unused) dryer breaker to another NEMA 10-30 socket that we can put into garage since the main panel is literally attached to garage.

 

[Tronguy]

OK, there's two issues here, neither one surmountable.

First: Putting an outlet in the garage, in most jurisdictions these days, requires a GFCI breaker. So, that means unclipping the exiting breaker, and spending ~$90 for a new one, still at 30A.

The socket would be a NEMA14-30. Checking on the price, that'd be about $65. Then you'll need 30A wire between the breaker box (conveniently located just outside the garage!) and somebody to install it all.

Another option: Buy a Tesla Wall Connector and hard-wire it directly to the existing 30A breaker. The Wall Connector has its own GFCI and doesn't need one int he breaker panel. The TWC is $475, plugs directly into the car and, well, You're Done.

In any case, with a 30A breaker, you'll get 80% of that at the socket (NEC says, "Continuous heavy load? 80% of the circuit rating), or 24A. That'd be about 24 miles of charge per hour which, basically, gets you charged up overnight.

Tesla keeps a list of electricians of which they vaguely approve. Find the list, get a couple to give you estimates, and get permission from the landlord to Do The Deed.

Final note: For stuff like this, it's point-to-point city from the breaker box to the socket/Wall Connector. So you'll have to disconnect that already-existing drier socket.

 

[brkaus]

Rented property, I would not DIY.

But your proposal would be the lowest cost. I’d do a WC (to take with me) and have the breaker repurposed. But with a licensed electrician and permit.

Or you could out in a gfci and an outlet… and take the gfci with me when I moved.

 

[asterothe]

I have been using use 30AMP dyer plug for charging at home for years and it works fine. I bought a extension cord from amazon and used the portable charger with it. The only cost was the extension.

 

[CyanideDN]

OK, there's two issues here, neither one surmountable.

First: Putting an outlet in the garage, in most jurisdictions these days, requires a GFCI breaker. So, that means unclipping the exiting breaker, and spending ~$90 for a new one, still at 30A.

The socket would be a NEMA14-30. Checking on the price, that'd be about $65. Then you'll need 30A wire between the breaker box (conveniently located just outside the garage!) and somebody to install it all.

Another option: Buy a Tesla Wall Connector and hard-wire it directly to the existing 30A breaker. The Wall Connector has its own GFCI and doesn't need one int he breaker panel. The TWC is $475, plugs directly into the car and, well, You're Done.

In any case, with a 30A breaker, you'll get 80% of that at the socket (NEC says, "Continuous heavy load? 80% of the circuit rating), or 24A. That'd be about 24 miles of charge per hour which, basically, gets you charged up overnight.

Tesla keeps a list of electricians of which they vaguely approve. Find the list, get a couple to give you estimates, and get permission from the landlord to Do The Deed.

Final note: For stuff like this, it's point-to-point city from the breaker box to the socket/Wall Connector. So you'll have to disconnect that already-existing drier socket.

Thank you for letting me know what the realistic options are. Regardless I'm going to have to get an electrician to do all the wiring. Not willing to invest in 240v since I'll have to pay for a subpanel installation at my expense. The Tesla Wall Connector might be a good idea since I can take that with me when we move out of the house. Appreciate the advice.

 

[CyanideDN]

I have been using use 30AMP dyer plug for charging at home for years and it works fine. I bought a extension cord from amazon and used the portable charger with it. The only cost was the extension.

Problem is the dang 30amp dryer plug is upstairs in the opposite corner of the house (so would have to run a 75-100ft extension cord through the house...which is a no from the wife.

 

[asterothe]

Problem is the dang 30amp dryer plug is upstairs in the opposite corner of the house (so would have to run a 75-100ft extension cord through the house...which is a no from the wife.

Oh! It was lucky for me so the dryer is in the garage.

 

[zoomer0056]

Thank you for letting me know what the realistic options are. Regardless I'm going to have to get an electrician to do all the wiring. Not willing to invest in 240v since I'll have to pay for a subpanel installation at my expense. The Tesla Wall Connector might be a good idea since I can take that with me when we move out of the house. Appreciate the advice.

tronguy lays out a good option with the wall connector. But I see there's empty slots that you could put in a 60 amp breaker. Might as well just wire that up instead of rewiring the drier circuit. When you move, take the wall connector and leave the rest. The landlord will give you $ because, the place will be more rentable.

 

[Cosmacelf]

Whatever you do, don‘t “reuse” the dryer wiring/breaker. It isn’t your house, so deleting an important laundry feature isn’t very nice. But there is room to put in a new breaker, so just do that. Installing a Wall Connector is actually easier than installing a receptacle.

 

[dafish]

How long will you be in the rental?

 

[brkaus]

And if you want the cheapest option, tell the electrician you need a 30a output for your kiln. You getting into pottery.

Ps. Hide the car.

 

[phxazcraig]

Putting in a 30amp breaker is trivial, putting in a 240v plug is not hard/bad/too costly, but going through the wall drives the price up noticeably for an electrician. Costs vary, but I think those basic parts relate in that way, in both cost and expertise needed to do the job. That said, there's no more labor involved to upgrade to a 50 amp circuit and get quite decent charging speed.

 

[Eric33432]

I used to own 10 rental houses and I would have a problem if a tenant opened up an electrical panel and messed around with that.

But I would also, as a landlord, be happy to install a circuit to a NEMA 14-30 or if there was enough capacity a NEMA 14-50 receptacle so they could charge their EV. I might even do that "on the house" if it was not a complex installation. In the past I was happy to install an extra receptacle in the garage for a refrigerator for a tenant; it was literally right next to the electrical panel. Most of my houses had the panel in the garage. I considered such things as improvements to make the houses better which can keep or attract tenants.

 

[Eric33432]

Thank you for letting me know what the realistic options are. Regardless I'm going to have to get an electrician to do all the wiring. Not willing to invest in 240v since I'll have to pay for a subpanel installation at my expense. The Tesla Wall Connector might be a good idea since I can take that with me when we move out of the house. Appreciate the advice.

Why do you need a sub panel?

 

[CyanideDN]

Why do you need a sub panel?

My buddy said that they had to install a subpanel to do 240v charging at his house (with a separate shut off lever). Is this not a requirement for EV charging? I'm not clear on this.

tronguy lays out a good option with the wall connector. But I see there's empty slots that you could put in a 60 amp breaker. Might as well just wire that up instead of rewiring the drier circuit. When you move, take the wall connector and leave the rest. The landlord will give you $ because, the place will be more rentable.

I agree since it's a rental home probably way too much headache to rewire dryer circuit. I'll go get some quotes for getting a new 60amp breaker put in and install Tesla Wall Connector before I approach landlord for tenant improvements.

 

[Eric33432]

My buddy said that they had to install a subpanel to do 240v charging at his house (with a separate shut off lever). Is this not a requirement for EV charging? I'm not clear on this.


I agree since it's a rental home probably way too much headache to rewire dryer circuit. I'll go get some quotes for getting a new 60amp breaker put in and install Tesla Wall Connector before I approach landlord for tenant improvements.

The electrical panel you show appears to have space for an additional 2 pole breaker. You said it is directly outside the garage. I assume on the outside? You can just run some 3/4" conduit from that panel into the garage and install a NEMA 14-30, 14-50, or a Tesla Wall Connector.

At 200 amps, and based on the existing 240 volt loads, it should have enough capacity for a 60 amp circuit / 48 amp charging.

You do not need a sub panel or some sort of safety switch for this unless your local jurisdiction requires it.

 

[Tronguy]

My buddy said that they had to install a subpanel to do 240v charging at his house (with a separate shut off lever). Is this not a requirement for EV charging? I'm not clear on this.


I agree since it's a rental home probably way too much headache to rewire dryer circuit. I'll go get some quotes for getting a new 60amp breaker put in and install Tesla Wall Connector before I approach landlord for tenant improvements.

In New Jersey, got the (required) inspection after the install, as per code around here.

There were a few spare spots, so the 60A breaker went in one. No sub panel required.

Now, on the solar power system in the garage, there's individual cut-offs on the inputs to each of the two inverters and two cutoffs on the 240 VAC output of the inverters: One in the garage, and one on the outside of the house, where (presumably) a city power person can turn off the power out there. Not to mention that the inverters had an auto shut down if city power went away. I've discovered that the utilities in the State relented on having to have that external cut-off, since all inverters sold were pretty solid on not putting out power when city power wasn't actually present.

 

[davewill]

When talking to the electrician, don't insist on 60a. The wall connector can use a 20a, 30a, etc... You want to be clear that you are willing to go smaller if it avoids expensive extra work.

Absolutely do not do any of this without the landlord signing off, and I mean in writing. They may insist on using their own electrician, I certainly would. They face liability if they allow substandard electrical work and something goes wrong.

 

[Rocky_H]

When talking to the electrician, don't insist on 60a. The wall connector can use a 20a, 30a, etc... You want to be clear that you are willing to go smaller if it avoids expensive extra work.

I second this a lot. It's better to start off with it in a question form: "Could you do a load calculation and let me know how much capacity I have available to add a new circuit?"

It's usually doable to add at least SOME level of circuit, and that convenience of always having it at home is the vast majority of the benefit, even if it's slightly lower power.