New HPWC install question

[fasteddie7]

hi all! My model s comes Tuesday, before my garage can be built, so we are installing the hpwc on the outside of the house in the meantime. My question is: We have a 200 amp breaker box, the copper wiring to the garage is on a 100 amp breaker. Will this be ok to plug directly into the HPWC? If so do I adjust the dip switches to 100 amp or do I choose a lower amperage? Does anyone have advice for care of the unit being that it will be outside in the weather elements for a few weeks? Thank you everyone!

 

[ggnykk]

hi all! My model s comes Tuesday, before my garage can be built, so we are installing the hpwc on the outside of the house in the meantime. My question is: We have a 200 amp breaker box, the copper wiring to the garage is on a 100 amp breaker. Will this be ok to plug directly into the HPWC? If so do I adjust the dip switches to 100 amp or do I choose a lower amperage? Does anyone have advice for care of the unit being that it will be outside in the weather elements for a few weeks? Thank you everyone!

Not sure about the breaker question, maybe someone can help you. But for the weather elements, HPWC is designed to be installed outside or inside and it is totally fine to be exposed to weather conditions. But some people do suggest having a cover right above the HPWC, so that the rains and snow won't fall directly on the unit and the handle. Just cleaner and less dirty when you grab the handle.

 

[Alketi]

Did you buy the high-power charging option for the car?

If not, the Model S will only charge at 48A and your Wall Connector should be set to 60A.

If yes, your Wall Connector should be set to 90A.

 

[CmdrThor]

hi all! My model s comes Tuesday, before my garage can be built, so we are installing the hpwc on the outside of the house in the meantime. My question is: We have a 200 amp breaker box, the copper wiring to the garage is on a 100 amp breaker. Will this be ok to plug directly into the HPWC? If so do I adjust the dip switches to 100 amp or do I choose a lower amperage? Does anyone have advice for care of the unit being that it will be outside in the weather elements for a few weeks? Thank you everyone!

Does the garage have a subpanel that is hooked up to the 100amp breaker? Or is there literally just wire that is connected to a 100amp breaker in your main panel and isn't connected to anything in your garage? If the latter, that is very odd, but assuming the wire is the correct gauge you should be ok. If the former, you need to put a breaker in the garage sub-panel and wire that up to the Wall Connector. You want to consider what other load you have in the garage and the rest of your house before deciding what breaker and wire size to get (which will determine your max charge rate from the Wall Connector).

Did you buy the high-power charging option for the car?

If not, the Model S will only charge at 48A and your Wall Connector should be set to 60A.

If yes, your Wall Connector should be set to 90A.

You don't necessarily set the Wall Connector based on what your car can use. You may have a friend with a legacy dual charger Model S that wants to charge at 80 amps. Or you may get a second Tesla in the future and want to daisy chain your Wall Connectors so they load balance and support up to 80 amps total between the two vehicles. You would need to be on a 100 amp breaker for either of those situations.

But yes if you didn't get the high power charger option and you aren't going to ever charger a different Tesla, then you might as well just get a 60 amp breaker and the appropriate wiring for your Wall Connector.

 

[fasteddie7]

Does the garage have a subpanel that is hooked up to the 100amp breaker? Or is there literally just wire that is connected to a 100amp breaker in your main panel and isn't connected to anything in your garage? If the latter, that is very odd, but assuming the wire is the correct gauge you should be ok. If the former, you need to put a breaker in the garage sub-panel and wire that up to the Wall Connector. You want to consider what other load you have in the garage and the rest of your house before deciding what breaker and wire size to get (which will determine your max charge rate from the Wall Connector).

There isn't a subpanel because there isn't a garage yet. The wire is connected directly to a 100amp breaker in a 200 amp box with the 3AWG copper wire the manual suggests. When the garage is built we will move the HPWC and then put in a sub panel. I did not opt for the high-power option. We did this so we did not have to re-run 60ft of wire through a crawl space from one end of the house to the other. We figured we would build the garage then be able to easily connect a sub-panel to the wire and re-connect the HPWC.

 

[CmdrThor]

There isn't a subpanel because there isn't a garage yet. The wire is connected directly to a 100amp breaker in a 200 amp box with the 3AWG copper wire the manual suggests. When the garage is built we will move the HPWC and then put in a sub panel. I did not opt for the high-power option. We did this so we did not have to re-run 60ft of wire through a crawl space from one end of the house to the other. We figured we would build the garage then be able to easily connect a sub-panel to the wire and re-connect the HPWC.

Gotcha, you can easily connect the Wall Connector at the 100A breaker setting. Once you build the garage, you should reevaluate, especially since your car will only be charging at 48A with a 60A breaker.

 

[fasteddie7]

Gotcha, you can easily connect the Wall Connector at the 100A breaker setting. Once you build the garage, you should reevaluate, especially since your car will only be charging at 48A with a 60A breaker.

Thanks! Should I adjust the HPWC dip switches for operational current to100 amp breaker and adjust the dial to 60a with 48a charging (dial position 9) or should I adjust the dip switches to 60 also?

 

[araxara]

Thanks! Should I adjust the HPWC dip switches for operational current to100 amp breaker and adjust the dial to 60a with 48a charging (dial position 9) or should I adjust the dip switches to 60 also?

The DIP switches have nothing to do with operational currrent. DIP switch position 1 should be DOWN (Line to Line 240V) and DIP switch position 2 should be UP (Normal).

I would set the rotary switch to position D (80A/100A), since you have the right size wire and the appropriate breaker. Your car will only draw 48A, but you may want to upgrade it in the future. This is all assuming that you will not draw more current than the 200A panel can support at any given time.