sub3marathonman
Well-known member
I am needing a bit of help figuring out what to do. I had everything set up, with a 50 amp outlet on the back wall of the garage, years ago planning for an electric vehicle (I had an S10-EV but that's another story). I never expected that the vehicle would have to sit outside overnight because it couldn't withstand a bit of heat. SO ...
I have another 240v receptacle in the perfect location. The one problem is it is a 20 amp circuit / receptacle. IF I am reading the NEC correctly, I could put the necessary NEMA 6-50 receptacle in place and be code compliant. However, if whatever is plugged in to the receptacle would draw more than 20 amps, that would be a code violation. The EVSE calls for a 40 amp breaker, but that is for the full 30 amp continuous power it can deliver. For the LEAF, I don't even need a 20 amp breaker. So, plugging in only to the LEAF, everything is fine. But, the EVSE could just as easily plug in to an EV pulling the full 30 amps at some point.
So, would it be NEC compliant with a warning sign by the EVSE notifying the maximum amperage that could be used? Is it possible to "step down" a GE Wattstation to limit it to 15 amps? Is it possible to just replace the short run of wire with heavier wire that can carry the full amperage, and replace the 20 amp breaker with a 40 amp breaker without doing another load calculation?
And yes, these choices are not what was planned for initially, but I'm trying to avoid unnecessarily having to call an electrician in. I would even try to do the load calculations, but I've heard that is very complex.
I have another 240v receptacle in the perfect location. The one problem is it is a 20 amp circuit / receptacle. IF I am reading the NEC correctly, I could put the necessary NEMA 6-50 receptacle in place and be code compliant. However, if whatever is plugged in to the receptacle would draw more than 20 amps, that would be a code violation. The EVSE calls for a 40 amp breaker, but that is for the full 30 amp continuous power it can deliver. For the LEAF, I don't even need a 20 amp breaker. So, plugging in only to the LEAF, everything is fine. But, the EVSE could just as easily plug in to an EV pulling the full 30 amps at some point.
So, would it be NEC compliant with a warning sign by the EVSE notifying the maximum amperage that could be used? Is it possible to "step down" a GE Wattstation to limit it to 15 amps? Is it possible to just replace the short run of wire with heavier wire that can carry the full amperage, and replace the 20 amp breaker with a 40 amp breaker without doing another load calculation?
And yes, these choices are not what was planned for initially, but I'm trying to avoid unnecessarily having to call an electrician in. I would even try to do the load calculations, but I've heard that is very complex.