Wife and I decided it's important to do our part and only buy BEVs (or possibly PHEV) moving forward so we are getting quotes for an EVSE install. Our home only has 100 amp service so going to be a doozy of a bill but whatever. The first electrician to respond really seems to know his stuff but sent me info suggesting that current codes in NY basically are incompatible with my desire for an outlet versus a hardwired charger. It looks like a GFCI is required for the garage outlet for safety but that plays hell with the GFCI in the charger itself. I would prefer to be able to replace the charger or take it with me in a few years by having it use an outlet. Has anyone else run into this? Also, would the added required cost of upgrading my service to 200A qualify for the federal EVSE install credit or is that wishful thinking. Thanks!
Electrician Says EVSE Must Be Hardwired
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My outlet is outside, so I used a GFCI breaker for my 20 amp EVSE
About once a month it trips for unknown reasons
So, when I plug in, I wait for the car to go clinkclankclunk to make sure it is charging.
It will also text my phone if it fails, but that doesn't really happen.
The answer is, ask the electrician to wire an outlet of the spec you need. If he won't do it, get a new electrician
Now they are not irrational, if you put a non GFCI outlet in, and that cord can hit the ground, you could get electrocuted. I know of no reason that GFCIs will not play well together, but it is of course possible.
About once a month it trips for unknown reasons
So, when I plug in, I wait for the car to go clinkclankclunk to make sure it is charging.
It will also text my phone if it fails, but that doesn't really happen.
The answer is, ask the electrician to wire an outlet of the spec you need. If he won't do it, get a new electrician
Now they are not irrational, if you put a non GFCI outlet in, and that cord can hit the ground, you could get electrocuted. I know of no reason that GFCIs will not play well together, but it is of course possible.
Only difference between the receptacle outlet version of a gfci and an EVSE is the trip rating. (5-15 or 5-20 type A gfci receptacles) are designed to trip when any ground fault is detected over 5 ma, while an EVSE c/w class B gfci will trip when the fault current exceeds 20 ma.
The receptacle rating is set at a lower trip rating to protect you from a shock hazard when using various cords and equipment, while the EVSE is set at a higher rating as the vehicle will be it's only load.
I have a back up 5-20 type receptacle I use on occasion and have had no tripping issues when charging my Kona EV.
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Solved.
I was faced with a dilemma. For the first few months I just charged from the outside 110V outlet on the outside. It was pre GFI so I was careful. It just wasn't enough for my usage so I ordered a 30A 220V charging dock. I did the physical installation of the dock myself so an electrician would only have to wire the thing up. The problem was that I have a 125A main panel in a house that's electrically heated and adding the charging dock would exceed code. My basement is unfinished and is used primarily for a workshop for my trade and as a storage area. I had the electrician remove the baseboard heaters to bring me within code.
I then purchased a 220V "garage heater" and put a dryer plug on it. In the coldest part of the winter I just unplug the dryer and plug in the heater. No code violations and no danger of freezing pipes in the dead of winter. With hindsight this may have been a little short sighted as I'm getting up there in years could reach a state where I have to leave. The existing situation would have a negative effect on house resale value. So at some point I'm going to get a panel upgrade to 200A and have one or two baseboards installed again.
The charging dock and the breaker both have GFI. I've never had anything trip. Driven by both curiousity and brave stupidity I have gone out in bare feet on wet pavement to unplug the car. I'm still here! Won't be getting my Darwin award this way.
I then purchased a 220V "garage heater" and put a dryer plug on it. In the coldest part of the winter I just unplug the dryer and plug in the heater. No code violations and no danger of freezing pipes in the dead of winter. With hindsight this may have been a little short sighted as I'm getting up there in years could reach a state where I have to leave. The existing situation would have a negative effect on house resale value. So at some point I'm going to get a panel upgrade to 200A and have one or two baseboards installed again.
The charging dock and the breaker both have GFI. I've never had anything trip. Driven by both curiousity and brave stupidity I have gone out in bare feet on wet pavement to unplug the car. I'm still here! Won't be getting my Darwin award this way.