Wall charger installation question

[dogmodes]

Pricing per foot from www.wireandcableyourway.com
6/2 MC $3.38 75A
6/3 MC $4.50 75A
6/2 THHN building wire $1.06 75A
4/3 nm-b $11.73 70A

I'm tempted to go with the 6/2 and give up on any notion of installing a 14-50 down the road. They didn't have 6/3 THHN.

I feel like everyone has made it clear the temperature differences is the reason you can’t use 6/2-3 NMB vs using 6awg MC or in conduit. In all of the cases the actual wire is more then likely the exact same. However that added plastic sheathing acts as an insulator which lowers the overall rating. 3 cables in tight plastic sheath can overheat easier then 3 cables in a roomy conduit.

Didn’t catch what your run is but if you can’t find the right MC cable, or can’t just do PVC or metal conduit, you can buy empty MC cable at homedepot and feed a couple spools of THHN through it. Personally I’d go with 6/2 and if you want to swap it in the future, make it a 6-50 instead of 14-50 like you said.

 

[terranx]

THHN is just individual wires. You would run your own conduit and pull the wires through.

 

[dgbehrends]

I feel like everyone has made it clear the temperature differences is the reason you can’t use 6/2-3 NMB vs using 6awg MC or in conduit. In all of the cases the actual wire is more then likely the exact same. However that added plastic sheathing acts as an insulator which lowers the overall rating. 3 cables in tight plastic sheath can overheat easier then 3 cables in a roomy conduit.

Didn’t catch what your run is but if you can’t find the right MC cable, or can’t just do PVC or metal conduit, you can buy empty MC cable at homedepot and feed a couple spools of THHN through it. Personally I’d go with 6/2 and if you want to swap it in the future, make it a 6-50 instead of 14-50 like you said.

That website I found has 6/3 by the foot and it isn't much more expensive then buying conduit and THHN wires separately.

 

[dogmodes]

That website I found has 6/3 by the foot and it isn't much more expensive then buying conduit and THHN wires separately.

Yeah I remember being in a similar situation, 6/3 MC is easier to find and if you need less then 100’ of anything you’re paying a premium. I was going to do the MC but ended up getting a decent quote from an electrician to do it in conduit.

 

[bluetrep1]

the wall connector cable itself is 6 or 8 , definitely not 4.

 

[sleepydoc]

Pricing per foot from www.wireandcableyourway.com
6/2 MC $3.38 75A
6/3 MC $4.50 75A
6/2 THHN building wire $1.06 75A
4/3 nm-b $11.73 70A

I'm tempted to go with the 6/2 and give up on any notion of installing a 14-50 down the road. They didn't have 6/3 THHN.

did you see this?

6/3 Copper MC Cable w/ Ground - By The Foot

6/3 Copper MC Cable w/ Ground

www.wireandcableyourway.com

 

[dgbehrends]

did you see this?

6/3 Copper MC Cable w/ Ground - By The Foot

6/3 Copper MC Cable w/ Ground

www.wireandcableyourway.com

Yes that's what I intend to buy unless I can find a better deal. None of the box stores carry it.

 

[sleepydoc]

Yes that's what I intend to buy unless I can find a better deal. None of the box stores carry it.

no, you won't find the metal clad 6 gauge wire at big box stores, just stranded 6g THHN that you'd have to pull through conduit.

 

[ucmndd]

Yes that's what I intend to buy unless I can find a better deal. None of the box stores carry it.

True, but they all carry THHN and flexible conduit, pretty easy to make your own…

 

[dgbehrends]

True, but they all carry THHN and flexible conduit, pretty easy to make your own…

Correct but that is about the same price so why hassle with it?

 

[ucmndd]

Correct but that is about the same price so why hassle with it?

Totally agree, if you’re in no rush and have a short run by all means order online - just pointing out to others it’s simple to “make” this sort of cable and any big box store will have the stuff to do it.

 

[dgbehrends]

Gotcha. Sounds good. I found a company, Graybar electric, that has a shop in my city, Rochester, MN. They can get me 60 feet of 6/3 MC stranded copper for the same price as the online store I quoted above. They also have single pole 60 amp breakers which means I don't have to use the last 2 spots in my square D breaker box. I'd like to keep the one slot open for my basement finish.

 

[sleepydoc]

Gotcha. Sounds good. I found a company, Graybar electric, that has a shop in my city, Rochester, MN. They can get me 60 feet of 6/3 MC stranded copper for the same price as the online store I quoted above. They also have single pole 60 amp breakers which means I don't have to use the last 2 spots in my square D breaker box. I'd like to keep the one slot open for my basement finish.

You can’t use a single pole breaker. To get 240 V you have to use two poles.

 

[Rocky_H]

They also have single pole 60 amp breakers which means I don't have to use the last 2 spots in my square D breaker box. I'd like to keep the one slot open for my basement finish.

That doesn't make sense. A single pole breaker is only 120V. You would want a double pole breaker to be able to get 240V. Now there are a few kinds of breakers to do some clever combining and space saving, like quad breakers, which are like two nested two pole breakers in a double space. Or there are the twins, which can put two single pole breakers in a single space. But for how most panels are built, you just can't get access to 240V in one single space.

 

[andaconda]

This is from a Square D breaker panel.
This is what the double single pole breaker looks like. You can disconnect one of your breakers and put that terminal on this along with another one.

 

[JKad]

I have a wall connector ready to be installed. I have room in my 200 amp service panel. I will have about a 16 inch run to the wall connector. So, what wire should I use to be within code? Let’s make this simple so that it won’t cost me an arm and a leg to get this installed by a licensed electrician.

 

[sleepydoc]

I have a wall connector ready to be installed. I have room in my 200 amp service panel. I will have about a 16 inch run to the wall connector. So, what wire should I use to be within code? Let’s make this simple so that it won’t cost me an arm and a leg to get this installed by a licensed electrician.

How many amps? In the walk or in surface conduit? (Also, copper or aluminum?)

 

[JKad]

How many amps? In the walk or in surface conduit? (Also, copper or aluminum?)

I plan to use a 60 amp breaker to get the highest charging rate from the charging connector. The connector will be to the next stud next to the service panel and the wires will be run behind drywall. I believe I would prefer copper and if possible to avoid conduit.

 

[sleepydoc]

For NM cable to a 60A branch circuit you should use 4-3 NM cable. 4 gauge wire gets to be pretty difficult to work with. I'd consider putting a 50A breaker with 6 gauge wire. It will still charge plenty fast enough and be easier to run.

 

[CMPT PAD]

For NM cable to a 60A branch circuit you should use 4-3 NM cable. 4 gauge wire gets to be pretty difficult to work with. I'd consider putting a 50A breaker with 6 gauge wire. It will still charge plenty fast enough and be easier to run.

I just had Gen 3 installed 2 days ago using 60A breaker and 6 gauge wires. It's reported a 48A output from the Tesla charger