assessment for L2 EVSE in garage

[GerryAZ]

If all of the wiring in the garage is No. 12 AWG or larger, the two 15-ampere breakers could be replaced with a 2-pole, 20-ampere GFCI. Then a NEMA 6-20 (or L6-20) 240-volt, 20-ampere receptacle could be added to the circuit to allow charging at up to 16 amperes. If some of the existing wiring is No.14, a 2-pole, 15-ampere GFCI could be used with a NEMA 6-15 (or L6-15) receptacle to allow charging at 12 amperes. All of this should be confirmed at the site by a qualified person.

Gerry

 

[nedfunnell]

Just checked, the single large black cable feeding through a conduit from my house to the garage has 3 conductors and a ground and are larger in gauge than the standard wiring in my garage.

Inside the single black cable is a black conductor, red conductor, white conductor, and ground. The white is connected to the to white neutrals of the two white 110 circuits in my garage. The black is connected to one hot of the one 110 circuit and the red is connected to the black/hot of the other 110 circuit and I assume this black line traces back to the two 15 amp breakers in my panel.

I do see I will need professional advice if I go further.

I would say you are in luck!

Depending on the wire gauge, you might be good to go to install a subpanel that will supply both an L2 EVSE and your 110v loads. That'd just be a matter of installing the panel with an appropriate double pole breaker of appropriate size for the wire it is supplying, and replacing the two breakers feeding the wire to the garage with a breaker appropriate for that wire. Breaker rating will depend on the wire. Can you read any text on the insulation of the wire at either end? The gage of the wire is critical information for whoever does this, whether you or a professional. You'd also install one or two single pole breakers for your 110v loads in the garage.

This is possible! Job #1: determine the gauge of that wire.

 

[LTLFTcomposite]

^ truth.
They may have just skipped the expense of a sub panel in the original installation. If the two circuits are on opposite phases there wouldn't be a problem, and they just dealt with it by using smaller breakers.
Where is that wwhitney guy when you need him?

 

[nedfunnell]

^ truth.
They may have just skipped the expense of a sub panel in the original installation. If the two circuits are on opposite phases there wouldn't be a problem, and they just dealt with it by using smaller breakers.
Where is that wwhitney guy when you need him?

Indeed. It makes me think the builder was looking out for the owner in case they wanted more power in the garage someday. I don't think the current setup is a code issue anyway, since the conductors seem to be rated adequately and terminated safely. What luck!

 

[srl99]

For those of you who don't know Glen, please don't take this to mean he was incarcerated, or the guns were pointed at him

I do not believe in hanging over workers shoulders so I did not see the actual install. All I can say is they knocked on my door in a very short time. I used to have armed cops watching me work so I know what it is like.