CmdrThor
Well-known member
dm33 said:I'm confused about 8/3 vs 8/2. The Siemens Versicharge use a 6-50 plug which is a 3 wire plug, hot, hot, ground. So it seems that 8/2 (+ ground) is all that can be used. Not sure what you'd do with the extra wire in a 8/3. I think somewhere in the code the white wire needs to be colored black at the outlet, but otherwise should be the proper wire from my understanding. Would be nice to find the section in the code. NEC 2011 is available online.
I'm confused because I received an estimate from an electrician that specified 8/3 and made me wonder about their credibility. My area does allow DIY but the permit process is extra onerous and none of the electricians I've spoken (3) with even remotely planned to get a permit and inspection.
You are right, 8/2 is all that is needed for the 6-50 plug. I ran 8/3 in case someday someone who owns my house in the future wants to replace the receptacle with a 4 prong like the NEMA 14-50. For example if you got a Tesla Model S you could with to the 14-50, leave all the wiring intact and you could charge at 30a. The white wire is just capped off in my outlet box. Just be sure to hook the bare ground up to the ground in the 6-50, NOT the white neutral.