Installing my Level 2 Charger this weekend

Yesterday I purchased the GE Wallstation 30 Amp Plug-In charger, model number EVW SWBC-CP01 from Lowes (paid about $425, they had it 25% off of the regular price of $629, plus I used a coupon I found on the Internet to take an additional $50 off). I already have a 50 amp breaker that was originally installed for a backyard Jacuzzi that I don't have any more, so the wires to that breaker have just been capped off. I plan to use that circuit, and run a conduit across the ceiling of my garage (about 30 feet), and then down the wall and install the plug there, where it will be convenient to where I park the FFE. I was told I should use 8 gauge copper stranded wire to do this. Is this correct?

Thanks!

Keith

If it is all in conduit and you are using 90F rated wire (THHN or THWN), you'll be fine, but you'll need to use a 50A plug type (there are several) and that may not match what is on your EVSE. If any part of your circuit is NM-B or UF (sheathed cable) then that portion should be 6 gauge wire. If you have 8 gauge wire that isn't individual wires in a conduit, then you'll need to step down to a 40A breaker.

If you think you might ever get a Tesla or MBZ B-Class, perhaps a 50A circuit would be worth the trouble.

Brogult - thanks for the quick reply. Just went out and looked at my service panel, it is a 40 amp breaker, not a 50 amp, I originally mis-spoke. The EVSE unit has a NEMA 6-50 outlet, is that compatible with what I'm trying to do? Do you recommend individual 8 gauge wires in the conduit (I'm using 3/4 inch conduit), or should I buy the 3 wire sheathed cable instead? Making my shopping list right now for the trip to Lowes after work this evening!!

Thanks again for the help!

Keith

I would go with the individual wires. I see no reason and it would likely be very difficult to try to shove/pull a sheathed cable thru conduit. I've only dealt with conduit in an industrial setting and I 've never seen anyone run a sheathed cable thru conduit. Your setup sounds good. My handy dandy Electrical Engineering Pocket Handbook says 8ga THHN is good for 55A and doesn't show any derating until you have 4 or more current carrying conductors in the conduit. I have a NEMA 6-50 outlet on a 40A breaker with 6ga that I use for welding and my EVSE. Yea the 6ga is overkill but at the time it was put in the price difference stepping up from 8ga was negligible.

@Campfamily

You can used sheathed wire or conduit, but don't put sheathed wire IN conduit! I'll assume you are using conduit, but if you don't, you simply need 8-2G NM-B (2 wires with ground).

Is your conduit going to go all the way back to the service panel? In that case you just need two wires, the conduit is adequate ground and there is no neutral. I would just use 8AWG THHN (one roll, both sides can be the same color and any color except white or green) as it will be easier to work with and less expensive than 6AWG. You'll need a short length of green (preferred) or solid bare wire (10AWG is sufficient--it doesn't have to be the same as the power conductors) and a ground bond screw (if your box doesn't come with one).

If your conduit is not going back to the service panel, but rather to some intermediate junction box, you'll have to do something different depending on what you have.

Guys -- thanks for all of the information. Will be getting going on this with my father-in-law after breakfast. I'll let you know how it all turns out.

Keith

I would/did run a 10 gauge ground wire back to the panel. But maybe I'm just being extra careful.

Steve0512 said:

I would/did run a 10 gauge ground wire back to the panel. But maybe I'm just being extra careful.

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I'm planning to do this as well. Easy enough to do.

A redundant ground in EMT is fine, but don't let it become a substitute for proper EMT installation--connecting and bonding--and make sure you bond the box that the outlet goes in to that redundant ground. The ground circuit doesn't do much in an EVSE (mainly it grounds the car) and the main shock hazard becomes the EMT itself, as well as the box and outlet cover. If complete, proper installation of the EMT is problematic, or you are a hazardous or wet location (like a carport) you are better off with PVC.

Installation went well, everything went as planned. We went ahead and installed a new 20 amp 110V breaker while we were doing this and put in a new 110V outlet in the garage; can never have enough plugs!! I took a picture of the final installation, but I don't know how to insert it into a post.

Thanks again for all of the help!!

Keith

campfamily said:

Yesterday I purchased the GE Wallstation 30 Amp Plug-In charger, model number EVW SWBC-CP01 from Lowes (paid about $425, they had it 25% off of the regular price of $629, plus I used a coupon I found on the Internet to take an additional $50 off).

Click to expand...

Curious. Lowe's website has this at $799.

Was this "sale" at just your local store?

Thanks!

scottt said:

campfamily said:

Yesterday I purchased the GE Wallstation 30 Amp Plug-In charger, model number EVW SWBC-CP01 from Lowes (paid about $425, they had it 25% off of the regular price of $629, plus I used a coupon I found on the Internet to take an additional $50 off).

Click to expand...

Curious. Lowe's website has this at $799.

Was this "sale" at just your local store?

Thanks!

Click to expand...

I ordered it on-line, then picked it up at my local store. I saw the price went up to $799 as well, not sure what is going on. Must have gotten lucky, I guess! So far, very happy with the unit. I like being able to turn the unit completely off when I'm not using it, and the plug-in feature made installation really easy.

Keith

For a 50 amp circuit THHN 8 ga copper wire is fine. You can use half inch EMT conduit (metal) to pull 3 wires. The ground wire has to be green or bare copper. The other two hot wires can be black or red. Always ground the junction box and the electrical socket. This is normaly a 50 amp socket (receptical). As for pulling this through a half inch plastic you should check the NEC book to see if this is allowed. Also watch out for aluminum wiring. Current rating for this type of wire are different then copper. Also some connections are not compatable, and could degrade over time. What determines the current rating of wire is conductor materal, size (ga), and insulation thermal rating.

jeffand said:

For a 50 amp circuit THHN 8 ga copper wire is fine. You can use half inch EMT conduit (metal) to pull 3 wires. The ground wire has to be green or bare copper. The other two hot wires can be black or red. Always ground the junction box and the electrical socket. This is normaly a 50 amp socket (receptical). As for pulling this through a half inch plastic you should check the NEC book to see if this is allowed. Also watch out for aluminum wiring. Current rating for this type of wire are different then copper. Also some connections are not compatable, and could degrade over time. What determines the current rating of wire is conductor materal, size (ga), and insulation thermal rating.

Click to expand...

I ended up running 6 ga stranded copper through 3/4" metal conduit (about 30 feet total length), transitioning to 1" metal flex at each end (down the garage wall to the breaker box on one end, and down the opposite garage wall to the power socket on the other end). I connected to a NEMA 6-50 socket that I plugged the EVSE in to. At the same time we also pulled three wires through for a 110V plug that we installed next to the 240V plug; I can always use more outlets in my garage. We hooked up to an existing unused 40 amp breaker in my breaker box. So far everything seems to be working well, I haven't burned the house down yet!!

Keith