Charging thoughts in condo

[gfunkdave]

I recently moved to a condo in Chicago. There are 4 units in the building. Each unit has 100A service. The building itself has a separate 100A service for things like the garage doors and stairwell lights. All units have all gas appliances; the only 240V circuit is for the A/C. For some reason my unit has two 30A tandem breakers for the A/C. We only have one air conditioner, so I'm not sure why there are two circuits.

It would not be feasible to run a new connection from the breaker panel in my unit to the garage (or from any unit). But it would be relatively easy to run a circuit from the meter room (near the garage) to the garage. Each meter in the meter room has a disconnect switch next to it. I think I'd need an electrician to install a new panel by the meter, with a breaker for the car charger and a breaker for the condo unit - is that right? Then the existing panel in the unit would essentially become a subpanel.

I'd be happy with any level of 240V charging, but of course would need to do a load calc to see what I could support. Any thoughts from people?

The condo board (all four of us) are open to the idea and there may even be interest in building out circuits for each unit while we're at it.

 

[Sophias_dad]

Your idea is sound.

I wonder if your dual 30 amp circuits are divided between heating and cooling. What do you have for heat?

 

[ATPMSD]

all gas appliances;

Probably your dryer, unless it is also gas.

 

[gfunkdave]

Your idea is sound.

I wonder if your dual 30 amp circuits are divided between heating and cooling. What do you have for heat?

Gas forced air. The furnace/blower has its own 120V 15A circuit.

Here's the panel

https://imgur.com/a/4smmPoF

Probably your dryer, unless it is also gas.

The dryer is also gas.

 

[Rocky_H]

For some reason my unit has two 30A tandem breakers for the A/C. We only have one air conditioner, so I'm not sure why there are two circuits.

That was confusing me, but it's because the name wasn't right. Tandem breakers are the ones that fit in a single slot, and have two tiny switches in them to run two separate 120V circuits.
From seeing the picture you posted, those are two two-pole breakers for 240V circuits that are both marked A/C. So yes, it still is strange why there are two circuits marked for the same thing.

 

[jcanoe]

That was confusing me, but it's because the name wasn't right. Tandem breakers are the ones that fit in a single slot, and have two tiny switches in them to run two separate 120V circuits.
From seeing the picture you posted, those are two two-pole breakers for 240V circuits that are both marked A/C. So yes, it still is strange why there are two circuits marked for the same thing.

The Jacuzzi tub is on a 15A circuit; typically a Jacuzzi tub requires a separate water heater, the second 30A tandem circuit labeled AC could be the water heater for the Jacuzzi. Another theory; if the condo is multi-level there may be two zones (two compressors) for the AC.

 

[gfunkdave]

The Jacuzzi tub is on a 15A circuit; typically a Jacuzzi tub requires a separate water heater, the second 30A tandem circuit labeled AC could be the water heater for the Jacuzzi. Another theory; if the condo is multi-level there may be two zones (two compressors) for the AC.

None of those is the case. The "jacuzzi" circuit is for the (regular) bathtub in the hallway bathroom that has jets. It just uses water from the water heater like a normal bathtub. I understand that outdoor or full size hot tubs would have their own heater but this isn't one of those. They probably should have just labeled it "tub jets" or something like that. And the condo is one level with one thermostat and one air handler/furnace.

I haven't been on the side of the building where the a/c units are but I'd be very surprised if there were somehow two of them. I bet they just added a second circuit that isn't hooked up to anything. I don't know why a 1900 sq ft condo would need 60A of air conditioning on two separate circuits.

Oh, before someone asks: I turned off the jacuzzi circuit because the cat likes to walk around the edge of the tub and she usually walks on the switch.

 

[ATPMSD]

I bet they just added a second circuit that isn't hooked up to anything

LOL, just turn them off one at a time.

 

[brkaus]

Depending on your load calls, you could also put one of these in the meter room.

DCC Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging for Condos or Full Panel Homes

DCC Electric – DCC-10 EV charging hardware for a full electrical panel in a house. DCC-9 EV charging hardware for condos and apartments.

dccelectric.com

It can disconnect the car if the total load goes too high. I believe the DCC-9 is appropriate for your situation.

Expensive though.

If load calc supports it, I would think a breaker panel near the meter would be best. Treat the one in the unit already as a sub panel.

 

[brkaus]

Edit - above should have said “depending on your load calcs”. Stupid spell correction.