Will I need a new breaker box?

[alee]

Love when I see everyone's replies match up so well. I exchanged a few emails with an electrician that services my area. He's pretty transparent so far, so I'll have come over to do a proper estimate, but he's probably earned my business just taking the time. Thought you'd appreciate the reply:

"What I do is visit the property to give a load calc of the home. This tells me if the service size is large enough to support the additional load of the tesla charger. This breaker panel would be the issue because it already has 1 tandum breaker in it and that may be making the panel illegal. It all depends on the panel itself if it is rated to handle tandum breakers.
General pricing for a service change is $1675 for the 150amp panel and bonding. Additional $475 if the service is an overhead service and needs to be replaced. Tesla outlets start at $975 for the first 50' of wiring and installation of the customer supplied tesla wall charger.
If you have a 150amp service already and need to upgrade to a 200amp the price for panel and bonding is $1875."

So about $3k+ for the job to go to 150A.

 

[ivan801]

Love when I see everyone's replies match up so well. I exchanged a few emails with an electrician that services my area. He's pretty transparent so far, so I'll have come over to do a proper estimate, but he's probably earned my business just taking the time. Thought you'd appreciate the reply:

"What I do is visit the property to give a load calc of the home. This tells me if the service size is large enough to support the additional load of the tesla charger. This breaker panel would be the issue because it already has 1 tandum breaker in it and that may be making the panel illegal. It all depends on the panel itself if it is rated to handle tandum breakers.
General pricing for a service change is $1675 for the 150amp panel and bonding. Additional $475 if the service is an overhead service and needs to be replaced. Tesla outlets start at $975 for the first 50' of wiring and installation of the customer supplied tesla wall charger.
If you have a 150amp service already and need to upgrade to a 200amp the price for panel and bonding is $1875."

So about $3k+ for the job to go to 150A.

I understand that you are in NY and labor rates are a lot higher than they are here in Utah, but these prices look to be at least double of what my electrician would charge.

Also, I would consider just installing a simple 20 A 240 V into existing panel, it should have sufficient capacity for it, and you can even run the wall charger on that (lowest setting). Even if your parents get Model 3 I would imagine that it would be more than sufficient for them. I have 60 mile commute and charge on 20 A circuit. The only question is how much additional range do you need when you come to visit? If you stay for 3 hours 20 A would give you about 50 miles of additional range. Is that sufficient or do you need more?

 

[eprosenx]

Love when I see everyone's replies match up so well. I exchanged a few emails with an electrician that services my area. He's pretty transparent so far, so I'll have come over to do a proper estimate, but he's probably earned my business just taking the time. Thought you'd appreciate the reply:

"What I do is visit the property to give a load calc of the home. This tells me if the service size is large enough to support the additional load of the tesla charger. This breaker panel would be the issue because it already has 1 tandum breaker in it and that may be making the panel illegal. It all depends on the panel itself if it is rated to handle tandum breakers.
General pricing for a service change is $1675 for the 150amp panel and bonding. Additional $475 if the service is an overhead service and needs to be replaced. Tesla outlets start at $975 for the first 50' of wiring and installation of the customer supplied tesla wall charger.
If you have a 150amp service already and need to upgrade to a 200amp the price for panel and bonding is $1875."

So about $3k+ for the job to go to 150A.

Hah, yes, I also noticed the single Tandem breaker in there and it raised my eyebrow. Without a picture of the detailed panel specs (hopefully on the door and not covered by the inspection sticker) I can't tell if that tandem is allowed or not.

I actually don't think his panel swap prices are all that horrible. I just paid right under $1000 to have a panel swapped at my moms beach house but I purchased all of the parts to do it (new panel, single breaker in the panel, hub, etc...) and it was stupid simple since I bought the same exact new panel to replace the old one (so all the conduits lined up). We re-used the old wire from the roof and wire between the inside and outside panel (all the branch circuits were off a separate internal panel, so this was just a meter main really).

I guess though the extra $475 on top of the panel does drive up the cost. Your install looks so stupid simple to me I might see if he would reduce the price since the install is so simple.

I would without question do a 200a panel if I did the upgrade. 150a panels are not that common and I would not pay the labor to do the upgrade but them skimp on a few dollars in parts... Generally around here you either do a 200a or a 320/400a electrical service. Nobody really thinks about anything less than that.

The parts are so crazy commodity. This is a full 40 slot panel with five breakers included (though it has an aluminum bus - I would spring for a panel with a copper bus).
Eaton BR 200 Amp 40-Space 40-Circuit Indoor Main Breaker Loadcenter with Cover Value Pack (5-BR120, 1-BR230)-BR4040B200V - The Home Depot

The price for the Tesla charger install though seems really high. Just shy of $1000 NOT including the Wall Connector? That is a lot of money for a single circuit breaker and 50' of wire. I sure hope he is providing a 100a circuit in conduit for that price and not just like 6 AWG romex on a 50a breaker (the Wall Connector can accept anything from a 15a to a 100a circuit).

If you end up going to a 200a panel I would do the Wall Connector with a 60a circuit (provide 48a max which will max out a M3 LR charge rate), or if you ever thought you would have an S or X or other future Tesla with a higher amperage charger then you might take it all the way to a 100a circuit (would clearly have the capacity).