Installation questions on wall connector

For an HPWC (Wall Connector), have them (or you) read the manual. They have to follow the directions to install it and set the switches for the circuit you are having installed (or already have installed).


What they are doing is running a circuit from your panel or subpanel to where you want the HPWC (using four feet above the ground) and mounting the HPWC. This can be in conduit or not, depending on preference, code, and if behind the wall, etc.

See my signature for more in Flasher's excellent FAQ and pics of my installation:

 

It's basically just a 240V appliance, so they will already know the code practices needed for that.
The main thing is for you to determine how many amps of a circuit size you want. You could have the electrician do a load calculation of your house and main electrical panel to see how fully utilized it is and therefore how big of a circuit you have room to add. 50 to 60 amp would be a pretty good level to shoot for.

 

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FAQ: Home Tesla charging infrastructure Q&A

 

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Post Pictures of HPWC Installations (Residential and Commercial)

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If the electrician isn't familiar with installing charging equipment, have them read NEC Article 625, "Electric Vehicle Charging and Supply Equipment Systems" - that covers all the code requirements (shutoffs for >60A, oversizing circuit by 25% for continuous load requirements, etc).

 

If you haven't purchased the HPWC yet, you may want to consider the 14-50 adapter instead - which is much easier to install.

While the HPWC can deliver up to 80A of charging, in practice, few owners ever need to charge with more than 40A to do overnight charging, event with a 100 battery pack.

The 14-50 adapter only requires a standard 14-50 outlet, which any electrician can easily do. Add a Tesla cable organizer for holding the cable, which is easy to mount yourself with two screws - and you're ready to charge.

We have an HPWC for one of our Model S cars and use a 14-50 for the other - and they both get a full charge overnight.

 

While @bob_p is correct, one of the advantages of a large circuit and an HPWC is expansion to two cars and two HPWC's sharing one circuit with load sharing/balancing. Then then don't need to add another circuit, one can use the higher capacity if needed, etc. Something to think about for future-proofing. And the HPWC costs about the same as a separate UMC.

 

We are eagerly awaiting our signature wall connectors. The two 14-50 outlets that we have work great but once we get the signature wall connectors installed, we'll be able to charge all three cars at once and be able to charge at up to 48 amps per car instead of only 40.

 

Hooking up a wall connector is basically the same way as wiring any 240V outlet. You need two hot wires and one ground wire and nada. Any licensed electrician (and probably unlicensed lol) could figure it out.

That being said, the biggest decision you have to make is what amp setting you want the connector to be. If you have a 48A car, 60A circuit max. if you have a 72A car, then go to 90A (or even 100A if you want). You can only draw 80% of the max circuit so that'll determine which breaker you use.

Of course you can always use less power as well, depending on your home's capacity. My parents only hook up their wall connector to a 30A circuit, for 24A charging.

 

I just finished my Wall Charger installation last week.

The cost difference between buying a second cable, or a wall Charger was about $200. Quotes for installation was the same for a Wall Charger or generic 240V connector. The other point was I had available range on my 200 Amp service at the house to accommodate up to 90 Amp Circuit Breaker (72Amp max charge).

Once we made the decision that we always wanted to leave a charging cable in the car to preclude being in a situation were we need it, only to remember we left it home the decision was pretty easy.

I used an installer who was familiar with the Wall Charger installation process - but in retrospect - the vast majority of the installation was running the conduit, and wiring with only about 10 minutes in the actual installation / set-up of the Wall Charger itself.

My installation was very simple. Had an open slots in the main panel. Main panel was 4 feet from our Wall Charger mounting location (one corner). Installation was flexible metal conduit from bottom of the garage interior panel to the garage wall surface. Then surface metal conduit around one corner and up to the mounting location.

Total installation was about 1.5 hours. I cannot see how it would have been any easier / cheaper to do a generic outlet.

Electrician pulled the permit, and waiting for final city inspection (Friday).

 

On your Account screen, hit Manage, and in the My Documents section at the bottom is a link to download the Wall Connector with Side Dock Guide. This document has all information needed for an electrician to quote or do the job. The Wall Connector also comes with an Owners Manual with all info for the settings of the dip switches and a rotary switch inside the unit.

 

I just ordered my second Tesla. I presently have an HPWC on a 90 amp breaker. I will be getting a free HPWC. I would like to add the second HPWC to the first. Can anyone tell me how to wire that? Or send me a link?

 

See the manual for the Gen 2 HPWC. Google HPWC Gen 2 or I can link if needed. Near the end of the manual it says how to run the serial 1 pair wire between the two so they can talk to each other. And you then attach the other HPWC to the same power circuit. (And set the rotary switch to slave mode.)


Edit: here you go!

https://www.tesla.com/sites/default/files/downloads/wall_connector_installation_manual_80A_en_US.pdf?201612081439

 

When sharing multiple Gen 2 HPWC on the same circuit, it's usually easiest to run the existing feed into a new subpanel and run each HPWC off separate breakers in the subpanel (rather than splicing). That allows you to cut power to HPWC's individually for service, plus most inspectors will allow breakers in sight of the HPWC to count as the required disconnect.

But if your main panel is already in the garage, the above is sort of moot. Just wire the new one on a 90A as well and connect the RS485 comm terminals with twisted pair.

 

Thanks.