My progress towards Level 2 charging

[KentuckyKen]

There is no neutral in US 240v residential setup. 240v is made up of 2 120V line runnning at 180 degree phase difference. So when line1 sine wave is at its peek, the voltage will be 120v, line 2 will be a -120, and hence you have 240v!

Nice place @Fast Eddie B ! would live to take the bird out for a spin!

That may be technically correct, but you still have to follow code when wiring in receptacle. While in the past a separate neutral connection to the service panel was not used for appliances, that is no longer the case. All modern 240 V appliances like dryers and ranges will require a 4 wire cord, receptacle, and wiring with the bonding strap inside removed. I believe the reason is that almost all appliances now have electronics and displays that require 120 V to operate. There is also a safety issue with preventing the cabinet from possibly conducting to ground in the event of a problem. I know for sure that it is a code violation to install any receptacle with out connecting and using all of its connections. So you cant install a NEMA 14-30 without running a neutral.

I am not an EE nor a licensed electrician so take the above with a grain of salt and I advocate always following code, having a licensed electrician sign off on your work, and having any required inspections done. That’s just common sense from a safety, legal, and liability standpoint.
And as always, safety first and YMMV.

 

[bpratt]

My assumption is that because the outlet and plug are both set up with a slot for a neutral, some devices might be looking for separate neutral and ground to provide 120v safely in addition to the 240v.



Thanks! Consider this an open invitation!

In my circuit breaker box the neutral and ground are connected to the same place. So a single ground wire could be used for both neutral and ground.

 

[Fast Eddie B]

In my circuit braker box the neutral and ground are connected to the same place. So a single ground wire could be used for both neutral and ground.

I think that’s verboten.

Yes, neutral and ground are “bonded” - connected together - at the main panel. But by code, I believe that’s the only place they should be connected. Has something to do with separate current paths back to the main panel for neutral and ground, and is a safety concern.

I know we have at least one electrical engineer here - maybe he can make the safety concern clearer.

 

[KentuckyKen]

Not an EE or licensed electrician, but @Fast Eddie B speaks the truth. That would definitely be a code violation and unsafe as well.

 

[Robert_Alabama]

I think someone already said this, but as long as you only have 240V load (no 120V requirements), then you should be fine without a neutral. I'd make sure of the requirements of the EVSE you will buy to verify no 120V need (requirement for a neutral). By the way, it would seem to me that there has to be a cheaper way to open that door without power other than to buy a 10kW generator. Maybe hydraulics (with a manual pump) or a really slowly geared gearbox and a hand crank? Even if it is really slow to open with another method, you only have to do it once in a blue moon...

 

[KentuckyKen]

I think someone already said this, but as long as you only have 240V load (no 120V requirements), then you should be fine without a neutral. I'd make sure of the requirements of the EVSE you will buy to verify no 120V need (requirement for a neutral).

That’s exactly one of the pluses of the ChargePoint EVSE. It does not require or even have the capability to use a neutral connection.

 

[Fast Eddie B]

By the way, it would seem to me that there has to be a cheaper way to open that door without power other than to buy a 10kW generator. Maybe hydraulics (with a manual pump) or a really slowly geared gearbox and a hand crank? Even if it is really slow to open with another method, you only have to do it once in a blue moon...

When ordering the door, we opted for a $90 manual backup. Go back to the first post and you'll see the hand crank hanging from a nail.

But...

...to use it you take the top guard of the motor to expose a square shank. Then you start cranking. And cranking. And...you get the idea. And as you're cranking, the motor itself is going up with the door - you can see it on the left bottom, here during installation:

So, to get it open enough to get the plane or tractor out would require increasingly taller ladders or scaffolding. Its just VERY poor design, and would likely take half a day or more to get the door up.

Anyway, its not like the generator could only be used for that. I think it might suffice to power our 1,350 sq ft living area, at least for essentials, and with a proper transfer switch, of course.