Recently purchased a used 2018 Model 3 and wanting to install a home charger. Because I live in an older home the electrician says that I have no more 220v circuits available. My question is whether I can install a 120v system and still keep battery healthy, with the understanding that charging will be slow.
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Installing home charger
- Thread starter Radad
- Start date
While still not cheap, I'd recommend a DCC-9 : DCC Electric – Simplifying Electric Vehicle Charging In Condos
You can run a line 80 feet and install a plug under your carport. I'm guessing your hot tub is probably on a 50 or 60 amp circuit. It's going to be an investment but in the long run it's going to make EV ownership a much better experience for you.
You can run a line 80 feet and install a plug under your carport. I'm guessing your hot tub is probably on a 50 or 60 amp circuit. It's going to be an investment but in the long run it's going to make EV ownership a much better experience for you.
This is silly, upgrade the panel and call it a day, you will probably need to do that in the future anyway, You go to sell the house, they will probably have some issue with the panel, happened in my old neighborhood. After you upgrade the panel, install the regular Tesla wall charger by your carport and enjoy. Paying for other solutions that aren't going to let you charge full speed etc is a waste.
The DCC is about $1,000. Since a hot tub is always using some power, I'd go for the 30 amp version. Install with 80' of cable to your carport (assuming you don't need to trench under paving) is likely going to be another $1000 or more depending on the specifics of wiring paths.
As mentioned above, upgrading the panel would be a better long term solution but likely going to cost you an additional $1000 when it's all said and done.
Good luck-
As mentioned above, upgrading the panel would be a better long term solution but likely going to cost you an additional $1000 when it's all said and done.
Good luck-
30 amp going to be slow charging compared to 48 amp. I'd certainly check the total installed cost of both before committing to the DCC as I'm betting they probably end up less than 1000 dollars apart with everything included. I'd for sure want the higher 60 amp to allow 48 amp charging speed.
thanks Rob and Falcon. Guess I was a bit naive when I thought an EV would be a piece of cake. Upgrading my panel has been estimated to be about $2,000. So I'll have to weigh my options. I was going to toggle off and on my hot tub with charger but then read it was best to keep car on charger when parked. So was reaching out for options that I hadn't yet discovered. Although my least for now option to keep it plugged in would be a 120v for around town charges (small town) then SC for the out of town drives.
@Radad Does the hot tub actually share the same circuit as your clothes dryer? It would be a bit odd if it did.
If you do have a separate circuit breaker for your clothes dryer, you might want to consider switching your clothes dryer over to natural gas. Your clothes dryer is only on a fairly large capacity 240V circuit because of the huge electric resistive heating element in it. The motor that turns the drum is quite small, easily powered by a regular 110v outlet.
Depending on the cost of electricity and natural gas where you're at, it might actually be a monthly savings to switch your clothes dryer over to natural gas, too.
Once you switch your clothes dryer over to natural gas, you can have your electrician use that breaker to power a Tesla Wall Connector.
So you'd end up having to run a bit of natural gas piping and buy a new clothes dryer, but IMO, it'd be worth it to have faster charging for the Tesla.
If you do have a separate circuit breaker for your clothes dryer, you might want to consider switching your clothes dryer over to natural gas. Your clothes dryer is only on a fairly large capacity 240V circuit because of the huge electric resistive heating element in it. The motor that turns the drum is quite small, easily powered by a regular 110v outlet.
Depending on the cost of electricity and natural gas where you're at, it might actually be a monthly savings to switch your clothes dryer over to natural gas, too.
Once you switch your clothes dryer over to natural gas, you can have your electrician use that breaker to power a Tesla Wall Connector.
So you'd end up having to run a bit of natural gas piping and buy a new clothes dryer, but IMO, it'd be worth it to have faster charging for the Tesla.
If you have an electric stove and/or oven, the same idea applies. And many times, especially on older homes, the home will come setup with gas and electric available to wherever the stove/range is supposed to be installed. So it might actually be easier to swap out an electric stove/oven to gas, and use its breaker for the Tesla Wall Connector.
If you can upgrade your service panel for $2,000 I'd say, 'do it!'
I live in Seattle. Here that'll cost you more like $6,000.
Modern appliances don't waste much energy, but EVs require quite a lot of kilowatts to charge in a reasonable timeframe.
If you're already on the EV bandwagon, what's another two or three thousand?
Get at least a Blink charger installed in your house that will upgrade it's seller value.
The sooner you can stop relying on coal fired energy the sooner you'll stop being part of the problem and start being part of the solution.
A new panel here would cost me more than $5k if I didn't do it myself. $2k? Do it!
If you don't want to shell out for a dedicated Tesla charger ($500+) at least get a generic charger installed like a Blink. It'll charge my Model 3 from 0 to 100% in 11 hours. 1/6th the time a 120V charger will take, plus it'll work on any EV.
I live in Seattle. Here that'll cost you more like $6,000.
Modern appliances don't waste much energy, but EVs require quite a lot of kilowatts to charge in a reasonable timeframe.
If you're already on the EV bandwagon, what's another two or three thousand?
Get at least a Blink charger installed in your house that will upgrade it's seller value.
Upgrade your panel. Have solar panels added to your house if it's within your means.
The sooner you can stop relying on coal fired energy the sooner you'll stop being part of the problem and start being part of the solution.
A new panel here would cost me more than $5k if I didn't do it myself. $2k? Do it!
If you don't want to shell out for a dedicated Tesla charger ($500+) at least get a generic charger installed like a Blink. It'll charge my Model 3 from 0 to 100% in 11 hours. 1/6th the time a 120V charger will take, plus it'll work on any EV.
In Kentucky I don't think 120volt 15amp circuit is going to work for a car in a carport come winter.
The pack has to be warm to charge.
Repurposing the dryer circuit could work perfectly most folks use the UMC2 which is only capable of 32amps. You can pull 24amps on a 30amp "dryer" circuit. Yes it is 25% less but it is still plenty for all but emergencies. If there isn't already a gas line for the dryer though I would just update the electrical panel.
I generally advocate as big a connection as possible for the car without having to go to silly expense upgrading the panel but really for day to day use I bet even a 20amp 240volt connection will work for most unless a very cold climate.
I got by on a "dryer" outlet one winter with my much less efficient P85 in my much colder Green Bay climate. Then a family emergency came up and the slow charging made me need to hit a supercharger 2 days in a row because I wasn't home long enough to charge. At which point I did a wall connector at maximum amperage.
The pack has to be warm to charge.
Repurposing the dryer circuit could work perfectly most folks use the UMC2 which is only capable of 32amps. You can pull 24amps on a 30amp "dryer" circuit. Yes it is 25% less but it is still plenty for all but emergencies. If there isn't already a gas line for the dryer though I would just update the electrical panel.
I generally advocate as big a connection as possible for the car without having to go to silly expense upgrading the panel but really for day to day use I bet even a 20amp 240volt connection will work for most unless a very cold climate.
I got by on a "dryer" outlet one winter with my much less efficient P85 in my much colder Green Bay climate. Then a family emergency came up and the slow charging made me need to hit a supercharger 2 days in a row because I wasn't home long enough to charge. At which point I did a wall connector at maximum amperage.
You're kind of famous on here for warning people that 120V charging probably won't work well in cold climates, but you kind of put your foot in your mouth here referring to "winter" in Kentucky. I lived there, in Bowling Green, KY for 11 years growing up, and they are terrified of snow, because they almost never see it. It just doesn't get very cold there, and 120V charging will work fine.
One morning my dad drove me to school, and no one was there, and we were wondering why. We got home and asked our neighbors across the street, and they said that snow had been forecast the night before, so they preemptively canceled school, but then it didn't actually snow after all.
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