Unique Wiring Question for Outlet Install in Condo Garage

[esk8mw]

I live in a condo and I'm looking to buy a Model S soon. Obvious problem - I'll need an outlet at my parking space in the common garage and the electrical room is about 100' away and through something like 4 interior/block walls. I'm thinking a fresh install will be in the 3-5k range, if the board even allows me to do it. I'm getting some quotes soon (if I ever get calls returned from electricians).

However, I'm wondering if there's an easier way. There's a car elevator at my parking spot and based on the thickness of the wire running from it I'm guessing it's getting a decent amount of juice. Would it be possible to use this wire for the outlet and perhaps just add a switch (in one mode the elevator is operational and in another mode the outlet is operational)?

I'll also need to separately meter the electricity used by the outlet somehow. Any idea on the degree of difficulty there?

A lot of you folks seem quite knowledgeable in this area after having performed/supervised your own outlet installs so I'm hoping someone has an idea. Thanks in advance for any guidance!

 

[Cosmacelf]

That almost certainly won't fly. Keep looking for ways to run your own wires to a panel.

 

[esk8mw]

Thanks for the reply - could you please tell me why this wouldn't work? Code violation, basic failure in knowing how electricity works or something else? I have like a 5 year old's knowledge re: electricity so I'm trying to learn where possible.

 

[jaguar36]

Why is there a car elevator at your parking spot? Is it yours? If so why would you need a switch and a meter?

I'd be suprised if the wiring for the elevator is enough for a 14-50 outlet. Even so the cost and hassle of another meter there would likely outweigh the savings.

 

[davewill]

OK, this is a bit out of the box, but... Is the car elevator dedicated to your spot, or is it just near it? If it if "yours" then an electrician might be able to pull new (larger) wires through the existing conduit, terminate them in a subpanel, and from the subpanel feed your elevator and your charging station. Your remark about needing separate metering makes me doubt it's dedicated to you. If it's not yours, then there's little chance you'll be allowed to touch the wiring on it.

The conduit might not be big enough for the larger wires. Also, the thicker wires you would need might cost so much that you might as well just run the separate circuit as you planned. I can't imagine any electrical inspector would sign off on a transfer switch connected to an elevator.

 

[esk8mw]

Sorry, I should have specified - yes, the car elevator is mine. Certain spots in the garage have an individual elevator, but not all. Currently, the electricity expense for the elevators is a shared cost, i.e., not separately metered to the owner's unit. Board is open to me adding an outlet but would want it to be separately metered somehow bc the entire condo won't want to pay for my Tesla's juice! My hope is that I can somehow use the existing wiring to add in an outlet somewhere near my spot.

Again, I'm totally ignorant of all things electrical, but my building's maintenance guy tells me the elevators run on 40 amps and the other empty spaces on the box are 20 amps.

 

[davewill]

Interesting. So it would be basically be almost impossible that the elevator would be operated while vehicle charging was happening. I'd have an electrician out and see what he thinks of putting in a subpanel.

Might as well ask about a transfer switch as well, although I'm 90% sure the answer will be, "No way."

 

[RandyS]

A photo would be worth a thousand words....

 

[brkaus]

In addition to photo, some idea of your daily driving distance or any factors that would tell how much power you really need.

 

[KJD]

I live in a condo and I'm looking to buy a Model S soon. Obvious problem - I'll need an outlet at my parking space in the common garage and the electrical room is about 100' away and through something like 4 interior/block walls.

Any chance you could trade parking stalls with someone closer to the the electrical room ?

The other thing to think about is getting a vendor like chargepoint to install a public charger in a visitor or public parking stall.
EVSE | Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations - ChargePoint

 

[brkaus]

By elevator, do you mean something like this?

If so, is it hard wired or plugged in?

 

[GaryW]

esk8mw - Did you ever find a solution? I’m about to wire my unit at my condo. I am close to the power room than you, I think. If so, are you happy with your setup?

 

[esk8mw]

It took a long time but I finally got it squared away. I located a spare conduit relatively close to my parking space and convinced the board to let me run a wire through it and hook into the garage's common panel (there was some spare space). I had it submetered and I pay the cost of juice drawn.

Not cheap, but it worked.

 

[GaryW]

It took a long time but I finally got it squared away. I located a spare conduit relatively close to my parking space and convinced the board to let me run a wire through it and hook into the garage's common panel (there was some spare space). I had it submetered and I pay the cost of juice drawn.

Not cheap, but it worked.

Thanks for the update!

 

[ZeApelido]

How much?

 

[esk8mw]

How much?

Every situation is unique but mine was about $2000.

 

[ZeApelido]

Thanks. I was making a general inquiry with my HOA about electric charging, and they mentioned in the past they looked into added chargers in the guest spots near the pool, and claimed they were quoted $20,000. Trench would have to be dug to put in ~ 40 ft lines from main circuit to spots, but this seems too high.

 

[jelloslug]

Thanks for the reply - could you please tell me why this wouldn't work? Code violation, basic failure in knowing how electricity works or something else? I have like a 5 year old's knowledge re: electricity so I'm trying to learn where possible.

It is very likely that the power supplied to that device is specifically configured for that device only.