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EVSE Specs Question

5K views 9 replies 8 participants last post by  Goon 
#1 ·
I've been conversing with an electrician about how to get my unused "dryer wire" repurposed for use feeding a Level 2 EVSE. I've sent him pictures of the panel, the 10-30R receptacle in the laundry room, #8 300volt wire, etc. He has instructed me to look into purchasing a 24 amp max EVSE (I'm assuming, following the 80% rule, for the only 30 amp breaker in the panel that is likely feeding the dryer receptacle). The setup would be an outdoor unit, and my hope would be that it could be plug-in rather than hardwired. I have a couple questions:

1. Is anyone using a 24 amp EVSE? It doesn't seem to be the most popular amperage capacity out there, so I'm having a hard time gauging customer reviews. Anyone have any suggestions? Seems like a long shot, but do any good ones available that have some sort of monitoring features/wi-fi/user app?

2. When a EVSE claims to have an "adjustable" current/capacity, what does this really mean? Could I get a JuiceBox 32 and throttle it? This seems possible, based on the product manual, but it also states that the unit should be hooked up to a 40 amp breaker. Is throttling the EVSE the same as telling it to draw a lower amount through the breaker? Or is it just lowering the max amount the car can "request" from the EVSE?
 
#2 ·
1. I'm using a 20A EVSE made by clippercreek, bought 3 years ago before the 24A version came out. It seems if you're just looking for a 24A EVSE, get a clippercreek lcs-30 but it doesn't have WiFi. It's a good, reliable American brand. It doesn't come in a 10-30 plug, but it has a 6-30 so you'll have to replace the dryer outlet. It is expensive though. Here's a link:
https://store.clippercreek.com/lcs-30p-nema-l6-30

If you're planning to mount it outside, why don't you have the electrician replace the 30A breaker with a 40A breaker and purchase a 32A EVSE? Then you can get faster charging speed for around the same price? I would go with a ChargePoint over JuiceBox.
 
#5 ·
1. I'm using a 20A EVSE made by clippercreek, bought 3 years ago before the 24A version came out. It seems if you're just looking for a 24A EVSE, get a clippercreek lcs-30 but it doesn't have WiFi. It's a good, reliable American brand. It doesn't come in a 10-30 plug, but it has a 6-30 so you'll have to replace the dryer outlet. It is expensive though. Here's a link:

If you're planning to mount it outside, why don't you have the electrician replace the 30A breaker with a 40A breaker and purchase a 32A EVSE? Then you can get faster charging speed for around the same price? I would go with a ChargePoint over JuiceBox.
I would've thought the electrician would've suggested that, given how cheap breakers can be. I THINK #8 wire would be fine, so we wouldn't need to get rewired. I agree, once you crack into the 32amp EVSE space, the feature set is much more robust, for the same/less money. I love the look of the Chargepoint, but not sure I could get a pass from my better half.

You have done your homework. Good for you! I have 2 evse. My first was a clipper creek 40 on a 50 amp breaker that I installed. I haven't tested it but it's suppose to draw at 32a. This was for my wife's soul ev. A few months ago we bought the PacHy and we didn't want to share evse lol. My garage was "pre wired" for ev's But it was only a 30a so I decided to use that for the PacHy. So I went with the juicebox pro 40 because it has adjustable current (as you know) and a scheduler. The scheduler wouldn't be needed if the one in the PacHy actually worked, but no biggie. So to answer your question you set the max draw of the juicebox at 24a and it will not draw more than that and trip your 30a breaker. I have tested my clipper creek on 32a vs the juicebox on 24a. The 32a takes right at 2 hours and the 24a take 2.5 hours to full charge. Hope that helps
That's what I was thinking, but I wasn't sure if there was some reason for permitting/electrical code that the max draw of a device couldn't exceed a certain threshold. I guess the County's jurisdiction is everything from the panel to the receptacle meeting code. Maybe it comes down to one's comfort level with a possible safety issue. I also figure, since the Juicebox has a 14-50 to 14-30 connector that this wouldn't be all too uncommon. I don't know, I've got a question out to the electrician to see what he thinks.

If you end up not using your existing 30a and have a new line installed instead go with a 75a or higher breaker (if your box can handle it) and future proof yourself. I'm sure this will not be your last EV.
Unfortunately, our basement is completely finished and rented, or else I'd be thinking of this. True, this will not be our last EV, but this may not be our last house either. Moving would necessitate another vehicle, which would likely be the impetus for the upgrade in the first place.
 
#3 ·
You have done your homework. Good for you! I have 2 evse. My first was a clipper creek 40 on a 50 amp breaker that I installed. I haven't tested it but it's suppose to draw at 32a. This was for my wife's soul ev. A few months ago we bought the PacHy and we didn't want to share evse lol. My garage was "pre wired" for ev's But it was only a 30a so I decided to use that for the PacHy. So I went with the juicebox pro 40 because it has adjustable current (as you know) and a scheduler. The scheduler wouldn't be needed if the one in the PacHy actually worked, but no biggie. So to answer your question you set the max draw of the juicebox at 24a and it will not draw more than that and trip your 30a breaker. I have tested my clipper creek on 32a vs the juicebox on 24a. The 32a takes right at 2 hours and the 24a take 2.5 hours to full charge. Hope that helps
 
#6 ·
Well, I’m a little late to the game here but I thought I’d throw in my two cents’ worth. We.just purchased a PacHy at the end of October and I found a nice Level 2 charger on eBay and installed it myself. It’s a Siemens Versacharge and I believe there are several iterations of this unit. Mine is fairly basic and lacks the WiFi connection but it does the job for me. The interesting thing is that it does contain an internal switch that can set the charging amperage to either 6, 7.5, 15, 22.5, or the full 30 amps. So this unit would be perfect for someone who had a current limited circuit, like you, with a certain wire size in place that was trying to save a little money.

So I suppose you could sacrifice a slightly longer charging time for a lower current draw. Our van takes about 2 hours to charge up from 0 to 100% (shown on the display) so I imagine that time might increase to about 2 hours and 40 minutes at the lower current of 22.5 amps. Another reason this might be handy even if you had a circuit that could handle the full 30 amps is if you were on a demand type plan with your electric utility and they ding you with a peak usage charge then you could regulate that too, perhaps.
 
#7 ·
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#9 ·
Late to this thread (new member) but feel like it's important to note that wiring advice from online forums is only a starting point. I'm not pointing to anything specific, or any specific member here, just taking this opportunity. I'm a member of some other online forums that disallow wiring discussions because of individual circumstances.

The sprit of this post is informative. Boy, I hope it doesn't come off as a rant!

I'm glad to have read the posts referencing consultation with electricians. Most of the NEC (National Electrical Code) is concerned with fire prevention and safety. For example, the number and placement of outlets in a room is partially driven by reducing the use of extension cords that get stepped on, worn through, and cause fires.

Circuit breakers (overcurrent protection devices) are to protect the conductors from overheating and leading to fires. The permitted amperage of a circuit is limited by not only the wire gauge, but by whether it's copper or aluminum, it's insulation type, how it's routed (in a raceway, with other conductors), where it's routed (through a hot attic), and so on. Voltage drop over the distance is also a consideration for sizing wires.

Again, I'm not pointing to anyone here. I'm just tuned in to these things because of experience. The prior owner of my house was a 'do-it-yourselfer' who updated this 1850's house and he messed up a bunch of things. Shame on me for not checking everything, but we've had a small fire because of an undersized conductor and another close call because of inadequate grounding. I also had a dispute with our solar installer because of undersized 'home run' wiring that promoted 'voltage rise' and commonly shut down panels on our array. I'm a do-it-myselfer, too, but I took the time to learn the code and the reasons for it and encourage others to do the same. It's much nicer than doing plumbing!
 
#10 ·
Wow. Third post today.. Can't believe I have had all these questions pent up.


Background : I own a 2018 PacHy and a 2016 Kia Soul EV (100% electric with 93-106 mile range)


For the past year and half, I have been charging using the stock charger provided by the Soul EV. It takes between 6-8 hours for the PacHy and 14-16 hours for the Soul EV.
Now I have finalized an installer for solar and spoken to him about getting everything ready in my garage and circuit to charge both cars. He said he will install the necessary port in the garage. I am a bit clueless on what I need to get done.



What do you recommend I get done ? I have a 100A circuit coming into my house. Should I get my provider (PSEG) to spec out a 200A circuit ?

P.S -On a side note, I do frequently get GFCI reset (not sure if it has anything to do with using an extension cord for connecting the charger (the extension cord is outdoor-rated but very old pre-2005).
 
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