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Patrtic said:
I am surprised that a large part of Koreatown surroundings and LAX has no quick charge station. Another question: is there sign up sheet for these stations or first come first serve?
Why is it surprising? There are PLENTY of gaps everywhere. You may not realize how much it costs to install a DC FC and the ongoing costs from energy (in kWh) charges and demand (in kW) charges, besides maintenance (some (many? most?) DC FCs have air filters that need cleaning otherwise the unit will overheat and refuse to charge) and repairs.

I started http://www.mychevysparkev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=3753 long ago about costs. Unfortunately, the RMI link is dead but https://web.archive.org/web/20140715052531/http://blog.rmi.org/blog_2014_04_29_pulling_back_the_veil_on_ev_charging_station_costs has a copy.

I've NEVER ever seen a "sign up sheet" for any public charging, L2 or DC FC.
 
We seem to have reached a plateau in the number of new installs. The situation is much much better than even 5 years ago but very far from ideal still.
 
cwerdna said:
I've NEVER ever seen a "sign up sheet" for any public charging, L2 or DC FC.

L2 chargers at Microsoft, back when I worked there, had on line waiting lists. Once the prior car was unplugged, get a text, and you had 15 minutes to get there and plug in. Else you didn't, and then you couldn't start a charge and the next person on the list could. Unless there wasn't anyone else, then you could plug in and start a charge. Got all that?

For example, these:

https://www.plugshare.com/location/3990

I can no longer see them on Chargepoint, as I don't work for Microsoft anymore. Restricted to employees.
 
Hi there,

Anyone know a good installer in Santa Clarita with reasonable prices, and who can help with pulling permits as-needed, and possibly dealing with HOA?

I have an unusual setup where my panel box is in downstairs bathroom (townhome) but I need charger in a garage separated by a small patio. It's not the best setup for a Level 2 charger install.

Any help is welcome!

Thanks,

Dan
 
Spacep0d said:
Hi there,

Anyone know a good installer in Santa Clarita with reasonable prices, and who can help with pulling permits as-needed, and possibly dealing with HOA?

I have an unusual setup where my panel box is in downstairs bathroom (townhome) but I need charger in a garage separated by a small patio. It's not the best setup for a Level 2 charger install.

Any help is welcome!

Thanks,

Dan

I can't help with an installer, but I do have a suggestion. If you have more than one existing 120 volt circuit in the garage you can convert one of them to 240 volts. The amperage limit would be the same (12 or 16 amps, depending on the gauge cable) as you have with 120 volts, but you'd still charge at least twice as fast as with L-1 120 volt charging, with no need to install new cable.
 
Spacep0d said:
Hi there,

Anyone know a good installer in Santa Clarita with reasonable prices, and who can help with pulling permits as-needed, and possibly dealing with HOA?

I have an unusual setup where my panel box is in downstairs bathroom (townhome) but I need charger in a garage separated by a small patio. It's not the best setup for a Level 2 charger install.

Any help is welcome!

Thanks,

Dan

Is there a wall they can run a conduit on to the garage? If not they'd have to trench and bury the conduit underground. Can get pricey especially if concrete is in the way.
 
Valdemar said:
Spacep0d said:
Hi there,

Anyone know a good installer in Santa Clarita with reasonable prices, and who can help with pulling permits as-needed, and possibly dealing with HOA?

I have an unusual setup where my panel box is in downstairs bathroom (townhome) but I need charger in a garage separated by a small patio. It's not the best setup for a Level 2 charger install.

Any help is welcome!

Thanks,

Dan

Is there a wall they can run a conduit on to the garage? If not they'd have to trench and bury the conduit underground. Can get pricey especially if concrete is in the way.

Would it be possible to re-use any existing conduit to the garage for a 240 volt circuit, and add a sub panel in the garage to divide that feed for an EVSE and a 120 volt circuit? They will probably have to pull new, thicker-gauge wire but at least they won’t have to re-trench.
 
RonDawg said:
Valdemar said:
Spacep0d said:
Hi there,

Anyone know a good installer in Santa Clarita with reasonable prices, and who can help with pulling permits as-needed, and possibly dealing with HOA?

I have an unusual setup where my panel box is in downstairs bathroom (townhome) but I need charger in a garage separated by a small patio. It's not the best setup for a Level 2 charger install.

Any help is welcome!

Thanks,

Dan

Is there a wall they can run a conduit on to the garage? If not they'd have to trench and bury the conduit underground. Can get pricey especially if concrete is in the way.

Would it be possible to re-use any existing conduit to the garage for a 240 volt circuit, and add a sub panel in the garage to divide that feed for an EVSE and a 120 volt circuit? They will probably have to pull new, thicker-gauge wire but at least they won’t have to re-trench.

It is a possibility, but they can run into conduit fill limits or somehow can't pull thicker wire through the existing conduit.
 
LeftieBiker said:
Spacep0d said:
Hi there,

Anyone know a good installer in Santa Clarita with reasonable prices, and who can help with pulling permits as-needed, and possibly dealing with HOA?

I have an unusual setup where my panel box is in downstairs bathroom (townhome) but I need charger in a garage separated by a small patio. It's not the best setup for a Level 2 charger install.

Any help is welcome!

Thanks,

Dan

I can't help with an installer, but I do have a suggestion. If you have more than one existing 120 volt circuit in the garage you can convert one of them to 240 volts. The amperage limit would be the same (12 or 16 amps, depending on the gauge cable) as you have with 120 volts, but you'd still charge at least twice as fast as with L-1 120 volt charging, with no need to install new cable.

Good idea. I do have two existing 120v circuits, though one is really out of the way (above storage cabinets) and the other is partially blocked by the supply cabinet that came with the garage. I'd still prefer the faster level 2 charging too, but nice to know about this workaround!
 
Valdemar said:
Spacep0d said:
Hi there,

Anyone know a good installer in Santa Clarita with reasonable prices, and who can help with pulling permits as-needed, and possibly dealing with HOA?

I have an unusual setup where my panel box is in downstairs bathroom (townhome) but I need charger in a garage separated by a small patio. It's not the best setup for a Level 2 charger install.

Any help is welcome!

Thanks,

Dan

Is there a wall they can run a conduit on to the garage? If not they'd have to trench and bury the conduit underground. Can get pricey especially if concrete is in the way.

I don't see any, but this is a good idea. I think the installer would either go outside from the bathroom or in to the ceiling and out to the patio and then in to the garage. I'm not sure how he would get from the patio to the garage...maybe through the wall I guess?
 
RonDawg said:
Valdemar said:
Spacep0d said:
Hi there,

Anyone know a good installer in Santa Clarita with reasonable prices, and who can help with pulling permits as-needed, and possibly dealing with HOA?

I have an unusual setup where my panel box is in downstairs bathroom (townhome) but I need charger in a garage separated by a small patio. It's not the best setup for a Level 2 charger install.

Any help is welcome!

Thanks,

Dan

Is there a wall they can run a conduit on to the garage? If not they'd have to trench and bury the conduit underground. Can get pricey especially if concrete is in the way.

Would it be possible to re-use any existing conduit to the garage for a 240 volt circuit, and add a sub panel in the garage to divide that feed for an EVSE and a 120 volt circuit? They will probably have to pull new, thicker-gauge wire but at least they won’t have to re-trench.

I'll definitely take a closer look. Someone else suggested this too and it's a good idea. Thanks!
 
Basically you have several options, depending on how much you want to spend and what your current setup is. My suggestion, to use the existing cable for one of the circuits, is easiest and cheapest (the electrician can also just add another outlet in a more convenient location, as you'd need a 240 volt A/C outlet anyway). It does limit the L-2 amperage to 80% of whatever the present limit is for that circuit. If you have conduit, it may be possible to pull heavier gauge 240 volt cable through it. Even if the conduit limits the cable size, they may be able to pull through a single 12 gauge 120 volt cable and re-purpose it for 240 volts. That would give you 16 amps at 240 volts, which is what earlier Leafs maxed out at anyway. 16 amps at 240 volts works fine for overnight charging.
 
Spacep0d said:
Valdemar said:
Spacep0d said:
Hi there,

Anyone know a good installer in Santa Clarita with reasonable prices, and who can help with pulling permits as-needed, and possibly dealing with HOA?

I have an unusual setup where my panel box is in downstairs bathroom (townhome) but I need charger in a garage separated by a small patio. It's not the best setup for a Level 2 charger install.

Any help is welcome!

Thanks,

Dan

Is there a wall they can run a conduit on to the garage? If not they'd have to trench and bury the conduit underground. Can get pricey especially if concrete is in the way.

I don't see any, but this is a good idea. I think the installer would either go outside from the bathroom or in to the ceiling and out to the patio and then in to the garage. I'm not sure how he would get from the patio to the garage...maybe through the wall I guess?

Going through the walls isn't too difficult. You can't run conduit in air however, it has to be attached to a structure. If your garage is fully detached your options are reuse existing wiring if you indeed have 2 circuits in the garage (count breakers for the garage on the panel) and live with 12-16A/240V charging, pull new wires through the existing conduit if there's one and install a subpanel in the garage, or trentch to bury a new conduit + possibly subpanel.
 
Valdemar said:
Spacep0d said:
Valdemar said:
Is there a wall they can run a conduit on to the garage? If not they'd have to trench and bury the conduit underground. Can get pricey especially if concrete is in the way.

I don't see any, but this is a good idea. I think the installer would either go outside from the bathroom or in to the ceiling and out to the patio and then in to the garage. I'm not sure how he would get from the patio to the garage...maybe through the wall I guess?

Going through the walls isn't too difficult. You can't run conduit in air however, it has to be attached to a structure. If your garage is fully detached your options are reuse existing wiring if you indeed have 2 circuits in the garage (count breakers for the garage on the panel) and live with 12-16A/240V charging, pull new wires through the existing conduit if there's one and install a subpanel in the garage, or trentch to bury a new conduit + possibly subpanel.

My garage is considered 'attached', but it's attached to a small patio. Unfortunately, the panel box is in the downstairs bathroom, but at least it's downstairs! They really weren't thinking much about this in 1990, were they? It's also a 100a panel box so there's some headroom there for a 40a dedicated circuit for the 32a Chargepoint charger.

I'm dealing with a Tesla-recommended contractor (Chamberlin) who specializes in more difficult installations in condos and townhomes, and he's highly-rated (down in Long Beach). I have another contractor coming out to bid tomorrow (A&G) and is also highly-rated. I used HomeAdvisor to find contractors to allow self-selection out of what might be too tricky for some looking for a more straightforward installation.

As mentioned, I've gotten some wildly different opinions, from 'impossible' to crazy expensive bids, to much more reasonable contractors willing to tackle this job seriously (without price-gouging). I'm no electrician but I'm a pretty good skeptic. ;)

Thanks for the feedback and advice!
 
Spacep0d said:
My garage is considered 'attached', but it's attached to a small patio. Unfortunately, the panel box is in the downstairs bathroom, but at least it's downstairs! They really weren't thinking much about this in 1990, were they? It's also a 100a panel box so there's some headroom there for a 40a dedicated circuit for the 32a Chargepoint charger.

If your total capacity is only 100 amps, you're likely not going to be approved to put in a 40 amp circuit, unless for some strange reason you don't have air conditioning. My 1300 sq ft townhouse with central HVAC (but gas heating/water heating/cooking) has a 125 amp and the electrician said that a 30 amp circuit (24 amp max EVSE) was the biggest he could put in.
 
Do not forget for EVSE use you have only an 80A panel (80% of 100A.My panel was outside exposed to the sun and I could not push even 80A. But it was a FPE panel and it was replaced with av 225A Cuttler Hammer(Eaton) panel. According to my TED my total draw excluding Air was 13A. The city required at least 225A panel so I have a lot of reserve. When the sun heated up my old panel I tripped on less than 50A. (two EVSE;s one 30 and one 16A. Now I charge my B at 40A with no problems.
 
RonDawg said:
Spacep0d said:
My garage is considered 'attached', but it's attached to a small patio. Unfortunately, the panel box is in the downstairs bathroom, but at least it's downstairs! They really weren't thinking much about this in 1990, were they? It's also a 100a panel box so there's some headroom there for a 40a dedicated circuit for the 32a Chargepoint charger.

If your total capacity is only 100 amps, you're likely not going to be approved to put in a 40 amp circuit, unless for some strange reason you don't have air conditioning. My 1300 sq ft townhouse with central HVAC (but gas heating/water heating/cooking) has a 125 amp and the electrician said that a 30 amp circuit (24 amp max EVSE) was the biggest he could put in.

Oof. I guess we'll see what they say. I'll take the biggest amperage I can get. I have an appointment with a Tesla-recommended installer this weekend, so here's hoping for the best. Maybe there's the possibility of upgrading my panel?
 
Spacep0d said:
RonDawg said:
Spacep0d said:
My garage is considered 'attached', but it's attached to a small patio. Unfortunately, the panel box is in the downstairs bathroom, but at least it's downstairs! They really weren't thinking much about this in 1990, were they? It's also a 100a panel box so there's some headroom there for a 40a dedicated circuit for the 32a Chargepoint charger.

If your total capacity is only 100 amps, you're likely not going to be approved to put in a 40 amp circuit, unless for some strange reason you don't have air conditioning. My 1300 sq ft townhouse with central HVAC (but gas heating/water heating/cooking) has a 125 amp and the electrician said that a 30 amp circuit (24 amp max EVSE) was the biggest he could put in.

Oof. I guess we'll see what they say. I'll take the biggest amperage I can get. I have an appointment with a Tesla-recommended installer this weekend, so here's hoping for the best. Maybe there's the possibility of upgrading my panel?

There is always a possibility given an unlimited budget.
 
Another approach you may want to explore is a separate EV service with its own meter. Utilities allow it and usually EV electricity rates are lower than domestic. You will need to split the service at the entrance to this second meter which may be difficult to impossible to do plus this will need to be coordinated with your utility. I suspect this is not a very promising option in your situation but you need to know it exists.
 
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