Options for Wall Connector wiring

[paintx]

Below is what my garage subpanel looks like with my first electric car, a model Y, moving in shortly. I've been staring at it, reading the Wall Connector install docs and scratching my head. As you can observe there is only one blank left, which would allows for a 120v connection via a single pole breaker. My limited understanding of AC electricity suggests that the wiring up WC to this panel would at the very minimum require provisioning a two pole (two phase?) breaker with at least two adjoining empty slots on the panel. Which I don't have here. What are my choices? Bring another line from the main panel way across the house? Extend/upgrade this panel? Jerry rig a dryer splitter and run the line from laundry room into garage?

Phillip in Austin TX

 

[buckets0fun]

Hiring an electrician is your best bet.

 

[ATPMSD]

They make tandem breakers, which allow you to connect two circuits to one slot. They also make quads. Your breakers look very narrow so this may or may not work for you.

Take this photo to your local hardware store. Also take a photo of the placard on the inside door. Go to the electrical department and see what options you have.

 

[terranx]

They make tandem breakers, which allow you to connect two circuits to one slot. They also make quads. Your breakers look very narrow so this may or may not work for you.

Take this photo to your local hardware store. Also take a photo of the placard on the inside door. Go to the electrical department and see what options you have.

Those look to already be tandem breakers

 

[JWhite65]

Are all of those in use? Just for your garage?

 

[fholbert]

Below is what my garage subpanel looks like with my first electric car, a model Y, moving in shortly. I've been staring at it, reading the Wall Connector install docs and scratching my head. As you can observe there is only one blank left, which would allows for a 120v connection via a single pole breaker. My limited understanding of AC electricity suggests that the wiring up WC to this panel would at the very minimum require provisioning a two pole (two phase?) breaker with at least two adjoining empty slots on the panel. Which I don't have here. What are my choices? Bring another line from the main panel way across the house? Extend/upgrade this panel? Jerry rig a dryer splitter and run the line from laundry room into garage?

Phillip in Austin TX

View attachment 1002002

You got a s8it load of breakers. Are you sure all are in use? I’d pull the cover and see it some are spares ( no wire ). Is it possiable to use the main breaker panel?

 

[ucmndd]

That panel is already completely full with slimline breakers. What on earth are all those circuits for?

In any case, there’s no simple fix if all of those circuits are actually in use.

There’s also a serious question to be answered as to the electrical capacity available to add another load to that panel, even if the physical capacity issue could be addressed.

 

[paintx]

That panel is full indeed. All those circuits are for the house fixtures and 120V receptacles. My main only carries big loads, aka this panel, well pump, AC, the electric range, the dryer. All other loads are delegated to this subpanel in the garage that is pretty full. Id does not appear that I should be able to make some room with slimline breakers, it seems. So it is either upgrade the panel with a bigger panel or, better yet, run another line from the main and have another electric subpanel (after all I can see more electric cars in the garage in not so distant future, so a dedicated subpanel might just be the ticket). Expensive, i imagine. Then there is always a temporary to run the line from the dryer circuit in the laundry room, but that one seems like a short term solution...

 

[gcardona]

You wouldn't be able to run an EV charger off of this sub-panel because it would overload. Chances are the breaker on the main that feeds this sub-panel is 100A, so with 50A for the EV that is 1/2 the capacity. You should see if you have room for a breaker on your main panel for the EV.

 

[fholbert]

So it is either upgrade the panel with a bigger panel or, better yet, run another line from the main and have another electric subpanel

You can't pull wire from the main breaker panel for the wall charger?

 

[buckets0fun]

You need to have a load calculation done before going any further.

 

[paintx]

There’s also a serious question to be answered as to the electrical capacity available to add another load to that panel, even if the physical capacity issue could be addressed.

Yes indeed. There are many small loads hanging of that panel. Most should be small though and not of a continuous kind (household lights and electronics). So I don't think the capacity is an issue, especially if I schedule the charging at night. Since you seem to know what you are talking about, I will ask this -- can the feed lines into the subpanel be extended to supply a sister panel, or is that a no-no, and new lines have to be run from the main?

 

[paintx]

You can't pull wire from the main breaker panel for the wall charger?

By "pull do you mean reusing the conduit for the old line? Probably not, they are at least 60 feet apart...in the opposite walls of the house

 

[paintx]

Here is the main. Shows the subpanel on 120Amp breaker and Dryer on 60 amp one. There are spare slots available.... but I can't figure out how the line was ran into the garage for a subpanel. Seing how this here is TX, I imagine there only way is through the attic. Need to go up there and investigate....

 

[fholbert]

By "pull do you mean reusing the conduit for the old line? Probably not, they are at least 60 feet apart...in the opposite walls of the house

In my case, I ran new conduit from the main breaker to the wall charger. Then pulled 6 gauge wire through it. I did it myself in an afternoon.

A couple days later my wife came home from a business trip unaware I had ordered a new Tesla:

What is that thing on the garage wall and why does it say Tesla on it?​

 

[ucmndd]

That shows your garage sub panel as 60 amps. There’s no way you can support additional load there. I don’t believe a “sub-sub panel” as you suggest is kosher but I’m not really an expert. In any case you are very constrained with 60 amps back to the main panel.

 

[paintx]

That shows your garage sub panel as 60 amps. There’s no way you can support additional load there.

Thank you! I did not know whether in my case 2 x breakers at 60A amount to 120 or it was still just 60. That is definitive then, I will see if I could run a conduit through my attic and a 6-2 (based on other discussions here) wire on a 60 amp breaker down to the garage .

 

[paintx]

In my case, I ran new conduit from the main breaker to the wall charger. Then pulled 6 gauge wire through it. I did it myself in an afternoon.

A couple days later my wife came home from a business trip unaware I had ordered a new Tesla:

What is that thing on the garage wall and why does it say Tesla on it?​

I am inspired to attempt the same now. I've got 6mo free supercharging "window" to research and do it.

 

[ATPMSD]

Shows the subpanel on 120Amp breaker and Dryer on 60 amp one.

No, these are 60amp and 30amp circuits, you do not get to add them together. Take the 60amp for example:

Line 1 is 60 amps x 120v is 7.2 kWh
Line 2 is 60 amps x 120v is 7.2 kWh
This totals 14.4 kWh
or
Together this is 60 amps x 240v = the same 14.4 kWh

If you run a circuit from the main, it looks like you can run a 60amp circuit for the Tesla, just don't use 6/3 Romex!

However, the main breaker seems weird (at least to me). You definitely need to engage an electrician! Just make sure they understand the 80% as this is required for EVs.

 

[buckets0fun]

That main panel… wowzers

If ever a situation to do a load calc and hire an electrician...
200a, packed subpanel, separate cooktop and oven. A day with hvac, oven, cooktop, lights on in the house, and a vehicle charging at 48amps is going to be interesting for the busbars/wiring in the home. Let alone adding in the 50a well pump and 30a dryer into the mix.