Hope someone can help. Getting my new model 3 in a few days. My electric panel is maxed out and I cannot add another major appliance. I have a 120 volt apparently 15 amp outlet in the garage and I understand I could use the nema 5 15 adapter. However, my dryer outlet appears to be a 120 volt standard outlet (Not 240). Looking at my panel it says that it is 125 amps for the dryer. Assuming this is accurate can I charge it faster by using that outlet with the higher amps or will the NEMA 5 15 adapter not work for that? Is there a way to connect it to the standard outlet dryer that has higher amps, do I need a different adapter type, if so what type, or am I misunderstanding the process. Almost all the information I see is about a dryer outlet is a 240 volt outlet (which I cannot install without changing the entire electrical panel). For some reason my dryer seems to work on 120 outlet with an amp of 125. Suggestions? Thank you.
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ucmndd
Well-Known Member
If your dryer plugs into a normal-looking household outlet it's a gas dryer - meaning the heat to dry the clothes is generated by burning natural gas and the only electricity needed is what's required to run the electronics and the drum motor.
There's no such thing as a 125 amp dryer outlet, so there are signals being crossed somewhere. Pictures of your panel and the outlets in question would help. But generally no - if the outlet your dryer is plugged into looks like a normal household outlet then it won't provide any additional power/amperage.
There's no such thing as a 125 amp dryer outlet, so there are signals being crossed somewhere. Pictures of your panel and the outlets in question would help. But generally no - if the outlet your dryer is plugged into looks like a normal household outlet then it won't provide any additional power/amperage.
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Absolutely none of that makes sense. Please post a picture of the dryer receptacle and a picture of your panel.
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Tam
Well-Known Member
The whole house panel could be 60, 100 amperes for older homes. The panel could be 200 amperes for newer homes.
There's no home dryer that would use a whopping 125A which is the power of a whole house. Home central air don’t run 125A either. The maximum a home dryer would be 30A.
I would listen to the electrician.
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We have a lot of ideas and suggestions if we know what's going on, but I concur with @Cosmacelf that what you have described and the numbers of things don't make sense. We can identify just about any outlet there is from a picture, so that would really help.
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I'd contact
i'd contact an electrical contractor to install another panel, 240vac 50 outlet that is lockable if outside, otherwise lock isn't needed. put it where the cord will reach the car when parked.
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I appreciate the help. I'm starting to get it. I attached a picture to this thread. The 125 is on the switches/breaker in the middle but now that I look at it it may somehow refer to the disconnect sticker to the right of it. In any event I've been told I can't add a 240 to this panel so I'm trying to maximize the 120 volt options and thought if the amps are higher than that might be another option to charge a little faster but it would need the appropriate connector and plug in. It's looking like any 120 volt has to use the nema 5 15 connector/plug. I don't seem to have the other 120 plug that has the blade that goes sideways. Therefore should I assume that my only option is the nema 5 15 connector (until I get a 240 option after upgrading the whole electrical panel)? My electrical panel says there's a 5 20 breaker that's "unused" but I can't find it in the house. Could it be connected to standard plug blades and therefore I don't know it's at 20 amps? Thank you again for your help.
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Physically, there is space in the panel for a 240V breaker (just replace the 40A oven breaker with a quad breaker), but the most I would add in that panel would be a 240/20A breaker since it is pretty loaded for a 125A feed. You’d just buy a quad 40A/20A breaker.
All your 20A breakers have heavy duty loads on them, so sharing them with car charging won’t work. You do have a 20A breaker labeled OPCN(?) which could read OPEN, but my guess is it is connected to something or other like a microwave, so no go.
So, yes, a regular 15A garage receptacle is all you likely have access to without doing electrical work.
I am guessing this panel is on the outside of your garage, so in theory, adding a 240V/20A circuit connected to a Nema 6-20 receptacle (and thus you could use a Tesla Mobile Connector with that adapter), should be relatively straightforward.
Else, you are looking at a much more expensive feeder and panel upgrade.
Which City in so cal are you located?
Btw, my understanding is that Tesla no longer gives you a Mobile Connector with a new car purchase, so you’d have to buy that separately.
All your 20A breakers have heavy duty loads on them, so sharing them with car charging won’t work. You do have a 20A breaker labeled OPCN(?) which could read OPEN, but my guess is it is connected to something or other like a microwave, so no go.
So, yes, a regular 15A garage receptacle is all you likely have access to without doing electrical work.
I am guessing this panel is on the outside of your garage, so in theory, adding a 240V/20A circuit connected to a Nema 6-20 receptacle (and thus you could use a Tesla Mobile Connector with that adapter), should be relatively straightforward.
Else, you are looking at a much more expensive feeder and panel upgrade.
Which City in so cal are you located?
Btw, my understanding is that Tesla no longer gives you a Mobile Connector with a new car purchase, so you’d have to buy that separately.
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Correct, you have a gas dryer which only requires a standard 110/120v to turn the drum to fluff the clothes. If your dryer was electric, it would hours to dry a full load at 110/120.
btw: have you asked an electrician to see of they could install a sub-panel for a car charger? (My 100 amp panel was almost maxed out but the electrician was able to install a sub-panel to run the charger.)
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