Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

Installing Wall Connector is better than NEMA 14-50

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
Yes, it was. That was added in the 2017 version that addressed this that there is no question anymore. All receptacles being installed for EV charging must have GFCI. So that was in there from 2017 onward for EVs. The second part you mentioned is that the 2020 version even more broadly expanded the need for GFCI to many more types of outlets.



No, it definitely isn't. That has always been a distinction that hard wired appliances are not outlets/receptacles.
This is conflicting with the definition in the code that was updated due to the death of a 12 year old kid.. better to be safe than sorry.. see this for more clarification:

 
This is conflicting with the definition in the code that was updated due to the death of a 12 year old kid.. better to be safe than sorry.. see this for more clarification:
Whoa, I had not seen that before. OK, I apologize and retract my absolute statement from before. That seems incredibly dumb and confusing, but is very specific, since they give an example of a hard wired air conditioner. So now I guess I shift my question. They base this on the term "outside". Does an enclosed attached garage of a house qualify as "outside" or not? Most layman's understanding of English language would think of it as "inside", but I'm not sure in code, as they don't quite consider it a dry location. Where is "outside" defined?
 
  • Like
Reactions: gt2690b
Whoa, I had not seen that before. OK, I apologize and retract my absolute statement from before. That seems incredibly dumb and confusing, but is very specific, since they give an example of a hard wired air conditioner. So now I guess I shift my question. They base this on the term "outside". Does an enclosed attached garage of a house qualify as "outside" or not? Most layman's understanding of English language would think of it as "inside", but I'm not sure in code, as they don't quite consider it a dry location. Where is "outside" defined?
I would guess a garage is not considered outside
 
Ok, if the GFCI requirement is just for outside devices (both receptacle and hard wired devices), that does make more sense.
The EVSE (i.e. the Tesla Gen2 Mobile Connector or Tesla Gen3 Wall Connector) has built in GFCI protection that protects the user when plugging the charging connector into the EV. The 2017 NEC added a requirement for any EV charging circuit that uses a receptacle to have GFCI protection for the receptacle. Some receptacles (120V 15 amp and 20 amp receptacles are available with GFCI protection (you probably have one of these in your kitchen or bathroom.) For other receptacles such as the 14-50 the only option for GFCI protection is to install a GFCI circuit breaker. This protects the user when plugging or unplugging the EVSE, regardless of whether the receptacle is inside a garage (indoors) or not. A hard wired EVSE such as the Wall Connector does not need a GFCI circuit breaker because there is no receptacle.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Eric33432
The EVSE (i.e. the Tesla Gen2 Mobile Connector or Tesla Gen3 Wall Connector) has built in GFCI protection that protects the user when plugging the charging connector into the EV. The 2017 NEC added a requirement for any EV charging circuit that uses a receptacle to have GFCI protection for the receptacle. Some receptacles (120V 15 amp and 20 amp receptacles are available with GFCI protection (you probably have one of these in your kitchen or bathroom.) For other receptacles such as the 14-50 the only option for GFCI protection is to install a GFCI circuit breaker. This protects the user when plugging or unplugging the EVSE, regardless of whether the receptacle is inside a garage (indoors) or not. A hard wired EVSE such as the Wall Connector does not need a GFCI circuit breaker because there is no receptacle.
The common consensus is that per nec 208f you need GFCI protection on any outlet (defined as hard wired or receptacle) going outside..

Summarize to say only hardwired inside installations don't require a GFCI
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rocky_H
The common consensus is that per nec 208f you need GFCI protection on any outlet (defined as hard wired or receptacle) going outside..

Summarize to say only hardwired inside installations don't require a GFCI
The requirement for outdoor receptacles to have GFCI protection is a separate requirement that predates the EV charging cicuit receptacle GFCI requirement. So if you install a circuit for EV charging that terminates at an outdoor receptacle then according to two parts of the NEC the receptacle requires GFCI protection. A hard wired EVSE such as the Tesla Wall Connector would not require a GFCI circuit breaker whether installed inside a garage or outdoors.
 
The requirement for outdoor receptacles to have GFCI protection is a separate requirement that predates the EV charging cicuit receptacle GFCI requirement. So if you install a circuit for EV charging that terminates at an outdoor receptacle then according to two parts of the NEC the receptacle requires GFCI protection. A hard wired EVSE such as the Tesla Wall Connector would not require a GFCI circuit breaker whether installed inside a garage or outdoors.
I'm talking 2020 code.. see my link above...
 
  • Informative
Reactions: Rocky_H and jcanoe
A hard wired EVSE such as the Tesla Wall Connector would not require a GFCI circuit breaker whether installed inside a garage or outdoors.
In fact the installation instructions for the WC say not to install it on a GFCI protected circuit if I remember correctly. It has its own built in GFCI as you pointed out. Maybe having two GFCIs in series does something weird?
 
  • Like
Reactions: legendsk
Yes, both the mobile connector and wall connector include GFCI detection inside them. Double GFCI isn't specifically the problem. The problem with the nuisance tripping is because of those devices trying to do a ground test. They trickle a little bit of current onto the ground pin to try to detect if it's floating or tied down to verify it's good. But using a little current from one side of a 240V circuit is exactly what GFCI is looking for to prevent, so sometimes it can trip from that ground test, even though the testing current is supposed to be small enough it would be just barely below that threshold the breaker is supposed to have.
 
Yes, both the mobile connector and wall connector include GFCI detection inside them. Double GFCI isn't specifically the problem. The problem with the nuisance tripping is because of those devices trying to do a ground test. They trickle a little bit of current onto the ground pin to try to detect if it's floating or tied down to verify it's good. But using a little current from one side of a 240V circuit is exactly what GFCI is looking for to prevent, so sometimes it can trip from that ground test, even though the testing current is supposed to be small enough it would be just barely below that threshold the breaker is supposed to have.
Yes I believe most household GFCIs are looking for ~5ma imbalance.. doesn't take much
 
This is great. My wife has a M3 Long range and has been getting great results from the standard wall plug for her daily usage. Now that I have a MY Long Range, I came across this board and decided to purchase a Tesla Wall Charger. I will probably ship this week and I'll get it next week. Now it's up to schedule an installer to install this in my garage.

Quick question for the group members with 2 Teslas and a garage, do you have one Tesla Wall Charger or two? We think that using a standard charger for one car and a wall adapter should be fine but wondering if you find it best to have two. I might have to order another one since they both share the same circuit.
 
This is great. My wife has a M3 Long range and has been getting great results from the standard wall plug for her daily usage. Now that I have a MY Long Range, I came across this board and decided to purchase a Tesla Wall Charger. I will probably ship this week and I'll get it next week. Now it's up to schedule an installer to install this in my garage.

Quick question for the group members with 2 Teslas and a garage, do you have one Tesla Wall Charger or two? We think that using a standard charger for one car and a wall adapter should be fine but wondering if you find it best to have two. I might have to order another one since they both share the same circuit.
Totally up to you whether you and your wife can share a single Wall Connector. Be sure to locate the Wall Connector so that the 24 foot charging cord can reach the charging port on Tesla vehicle parked on either side of the garage.
 
This is great. My wife has a M3 Long range and has been getting great results from the standard wall plug for her daily usage. Now that I have a MY Long Range, I came across this board and decided to purchase a Tesla Wall Charger. I will probably ship this week and I'll get it next week. Now it's up to schedule an installer to install this in my garage.

Quick question for the group members with 2 Teslas and a garage, do you have one Tesla Wall Charger or two? We think that using a standard charger for one car and a wall adapter should be fine but wondering if you find it best to have two. I might have to order another one since they both share the same circuit.
I'm not certain what you mean by sharing a circuit. A wall connector can't have anything else on the same circuit breaker, except I believe another wall connector if both are configured properly to share power.
 
I'm not certain what you mean by sharing a circuit. A wall connector can't have anything else on the same circuit breaker, except I believe another wall connector if both are configured properly to share power.
That is literally what was said in the statement you quoted and replied to. It was talking about getting two wall connectors to use in sharing configuration.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Billmister