So im on the brink of getting a Model 3 but i 100% want to be able to charge at my house... So because my circuit breaker is on the complete other side of the house from where the car would be, its going to cost around $800 to have an electrician come out to install a 14-30 outlet and run it about 100 ft around the house to the breaker, which is kinda expensive for me. Wondering what a cheaper solution would be? I actually have a 14-30 outlet right next to the breaker that used to be used for a washing machine. Wondering if it's possible to get a 100ft extension cord and run it to the car when i need it? And if so where could i find a 100 ft cord? Cant find them anywhere. Any help would be appreciated. I really want to get a model 3
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Charging [at home] question [can I use a 100 foot extension cord to a 14-30?]
- Thread starter t_laub23
- Start date
an extension cord is not safe. Tesla's draw a lot of power and the line will get hot. $800 is a good deal, but if you are gonna have a professional run a line, can you put in a 14-50?
tempest2001
Member
I literally just had an electrician came out to do the wall charger install, he ran a 20 foot conduit but it's not as bad as your situation. He charged me $600 for the install, $100 to pull the permit. So that should give you an idea of the going rate, but 100 foot is at a whole another level. $800 doesn't sound too bad depends on how much he's going to charge you for the 14-50, maybe $1000. One thing to note is there're federal and local rebates for wall chargers but not for NEMA 14-50. So theoretically, if all my rebates came in I get the wall charger literally free, just paying for labor. Just a thought for you. But NEMA 14-50 like previous poster said is what you should get at minimum unless you're stuck with the current situation. I called at least 5 different electricians and some of them are crazy high, like $1500-$2000 just for the install, so don't accept the first quote definitely do some comparison and check their reviews. Most electricians just require to see your power panel, distance, picture of the potential conduit run, and then final location of the plug/charger, they don't even need to come to your house so it's super easy to get quotes. I know some people are also against permit, but that's a personal thing. I feel safer knowing I got a permit and if something happens insurance can't deny my claim, that's the only reason why I wanted them to pull the permit to ensure it's 100%. One more plug for the wall charger, if you are planning to get another Tesla down the line, a single 60amp circuit can support multiple Tesla Wall Chargers supposedly according to the manual.
Misterbee
Member
It’s worth it to get the 14-50, so you can charge at 220 volts. I charges at 120 volts for a while, and it’s not only slower, but very inefficient. Too much power gets wasted. The 14-50 will not only save you time, but money in the long run.
Knightshade
Well-Known Member
14-30 and 14-50 are both able to charge at 240v.... the only difference is one is 30 amps and one is 50.... (so ~22 miles of range added per hour vs ~30)
Both are much much faster than 120 which is nearer 3-4 miles of range per hour added.
That said- both also require the same number of wires pulled over that 100 feet- so I wouldn't expect a 14-50 install to cost significantly more unless you lack capacity for a 50a circuit at the box and need that upgraded somehow.
Also $800 total, at CA pricing, seems quite cheap for that long a run.
Oh- and lastly- they DO make 14-30 extension cords. They're STUPIDLY expensive. I'd just get it done properly.
AC WORKS AC Connectors 100 ft. 10/4 Heavy Duty SOOW L14-30 30 Amp 125/250-Volt Generator Rubber Extension Cord L1430PR-100 - The Home Depot
This AC WORKS brand extension cord is heavy-duty and made of durable construction. It is a 100 ft. NEMA L14-30 extension cord. The cable is SOOW, 10/4, 30 Amp copper wire, with a 600-Volt rubber jacket.
www.homedepot.com
$260 for 100 feet.
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I'd go with either a 6-50 or 10-30 outlet. Either one eliminates the need to run a neutral wire, so you only need to run 3 wires instead of 4. The cost of the wire is one of the major expenses of running to an outlet 100 feet away from the circuit breaker.
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It's possible to find 100 foot 14-30 extension cords, but I'd never use one to charge a Tesla. Extension cords are generally not sized or made for a continuous max load like the car charger draws. The efficiency will go down and the heat will go up; it could even be hazardous if the extension isn't very high quality. The 100 foot extension cords for 30 amps all seem to use 10 gauge wire, but for a continuous high load, 8 gauge wire would be much better. For a 50 amp circuit, 6 gauge wire would be recommended.
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iwannam3
Active Member
If you have any other electrical needs do them at the same time under the permit, adding a circuit is alot less than doing it separately.
Why not swap places??? I was in the same situation, but paying $80 vs $600 for a 14/50 outlet was a no-brainer decision to let my wife have my garage spot. Ha ha. Plus less than 2 feet of cable is way better than 30+, not to mention zero house destruction. Just a hole behind the electrical box outside the garage. It's been working flawlessly for 3+ months now.
no, you dont want a 100 foot extension cord. Any cord that would safely carry that load would be expensive, and the outlet you are thinking of plugging into (the one for the washing machine) will likely get lose after plugging and unplugging all the time, since it was made to be plugged in and left there until you buy a new washing machine.
Gauss Guzzler
Safety Score = 42
Like Greg said, 10-30 is the cheapest solution and provides the same charging performance as 14-30. This will easily provide an overnight charge. A typical charge might be 20-80% or 30-90% every few days or about 50kWh (60% of the 82kWh battery).
The standard 80% limit on a 30A outlet gives you 24A at 240V for 5.7kW. So to add 50kWh at 5,7kW would take about 8.7 hours. So if you're good with a 8.7 hour charge every 150-190 miles and can put in a 30A outlet you'll be fine.
The standard 80% limit on a 30A outlet gives you 24A at 240V for 5.7kW. So to add 50kWh at 5,7kW would take about 8.7 hours. So if you're good with a 8.7 hour charge every 150-190 miles and can put in a 30A outlet you'll be fine.
I assume you mean electric dryer, unless you live at a commercial laundromat.
Aside from that, I'm sure they are available but equally sure they are an awful idea. The cost would be somewhere north of $200, possibly as much as $400. You'd probably have at least a good bit of voltage loss across that line as well.
It sounds like you wouldn't be unplugging it often so the wear and tear on the outlet isn't much of a concern. What is a concern is that the plug-end of the tesla adapter has a temperature sensor in it to detect when the outlet is overheating, and obviously that'll be useless for the outlet 100' away next to your panel.
IIRC, you aren't supposed to have long-term extension cord usage either. If you can run an extension cord, you should be able to tack up some heavy romex and install a proper outlet, or go whole-hog and do it with individual conductors and conduit. Reading your original post again, it sounds like you plan to run the cable outside which makes romex and several other homeowner-friendly options not really an option.
How long is your commute? Is 5mi/hour from a 120 not enough? Do you have any plugs in the garage? Are they already on a 20 amp breaker so you could get more mi/hr with just a $35 adapter? Are any on their own circuit breaker so you could convert it to 240V service?
Data point: I hired Mr. Sparky in FL to install a 50A breaker, run 50 feet of #6 wire, and install the 14-50. Cost was $800 but I took a special to have a whole home surge protector installed at the same time.
P.S. Gauss Guzzler: LOVE that name. I'm tempted to steal it as the name for my Model 3.
Mike
P.S. Gauss Guzzler: LOVE that name. I'm tempted to steal it as the name for my Model 3.
Mike
bjrosen
Member
I've had two EVSEs installed. The first was a 32A Chargepoint, cost me $375 to have a 40A 240V line installed and the EVSE hooked up, but that was part of a larger job where they put in a new panel and upgraded my service to 200A. The second was a Tesla Wall Connector, they ran a 60A/240V line and hooked it up, that was a standalone job and it cost me $750 for the job. A Tesla Wall Connector is $500, the the whole cost was $1250.
$800 sounds pretty good price for a 100ft run hah. 100ft of 6/3 alone is like 300$. Figure it'd cost you a little over 400 in parts. $400 in labor would be worth avoiding the hassle of running 100ft of cable and conduit to me.
Uncle Paul
Well-Known Member
Believe there is also a tax credit for 30% of your cost for installation of a charging station in your garage.