smkettner
Well-known member
I would go #6 minimum if pulling wire. #8 puts you just over 3% voltage drop at 30 amps.
LeftieBiker said:The breaker should be sized for the EVSE, not just the cable. You can always swap in a 50 amp breaker if/when you get a 40 amp EVSE. Assuming a 30 amp EVSE you want a 40 amp breaker now. The link to the cable wouldn't load.
This is a little bit of a grey area. The breaker's #1 job is to protect the fixed installation, i.e. the building wire and the receptacle. With 6/2 NM (btw, not allowed outdoors) and a 6-50 receptacle, a 50A breaker does that fine.jake14mw said:Can you help me understand this?
This is a little bit of a grey area. The breaker's #1 job is to protect the fixed installation, i.e. the building wire and the receptacle. With 6/2 NM (btw, not allowed outdoors) and a 6-50 receptacle, a 50A breaker does that fine.
Yes, of course. My point was that with 6/2 NM and a 6-50 receptacle, a 50A breaker is sufficient protection for the cable and receptacle. So the only question is whether the EVSE itself requires protection by a 40A breaker, rather than a 50A breaker.LeftieBiker said:Wayne, wouldn't a 40A breaker provide more protection for the cable and outlet, rather than less?
wwhitney said:This is a little bit of a grey area. The breaker's #1 job is to protect the fixed installation, i.e. the building wire and the receptacle. With 6/2 NM (btw, not allowed outdoors) and a 6-50 receptacle, a 50A breaker does that fine.jake14mw said:Can you help me understand this?
Some equipment manufacturers will also ask for a particular breaker size to protect their equipment. In the case of the EVSE you posted, its manual calls for a 40A breaker. Whether the NEC requires that instruction to be followed is open to interpretation (110.3(B)).
Cheers, Wayne
It sure wouldn't hurtjake14mw said:wwhitney said:This is a little bit of a grey area. The breaker's #1 job is to protect the fixed installation, i.e. the building wire and the receptacle. With 6/2 NM (btw, not allowed outdoors) and a 6-50 receptacle, a 50A breaker does that fine.jake14mw said:Can you help me understand this?
Some equipment manufacturers will also ask for a particular breaker size to protect their equipment. In the case of the EVSE you posted, its manual calls for a 40A breaker. Whether the NEC requires that instruction to be followed is open to interpretation (110.3(B)).
Cheers, Wayne
OK, you guys are confusing me now! Thanks for looking that up for me. I'm thinking that if the manufacturer calls for a 40A breaker, that's what I should do?
jake14mw said:LeftieBiker said:The breaker should be sized for the EVSE, not just the cable. You can always swap in a 50 amp breaker if/when you get a 40 amp EVSE. Assuming a 30 amp EVSE you want a 40 amp breaker now. The link to the cable wouldn't load.
Can you help me understand this? Don't the rest of the breakers in my house work the same way? I have 20 and 15 amp breakers, but rarely is there anything on the circuit pulling that amperage, right? As you said, it should be easy to swap out later, so I will do a 40 amp now if that makes more sense.
jake14mw said:An update to my situation. I saw a great deal on Amazon on a Siemens VersiCharge 30 amp EVSE charger. It was $359, so I ordered it. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MFVI92S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Is has a NEMA 6-50 plug. So, I am planning on running a new Circuit. The total wire run will be about 90 feet. I did some checking on wire prices, keeping in mind the idea of futureproofing for cars and chargers in the future that can handle higher charging rates. I found that a 125 ft roll of 6-2 romex is about $165, vs, $115 for 8-2. If I am going through the work, I would think I would want to install a 50 amp breaker and the 6-2? Does this make sense? Is this the right type of wire? For this length run is this the right gauge wire? My garage is drywalled, so the plan is that once the wire gets to the garage wall from the basement, then I will run it in 1" PVC conduit. Is this conduit large enough for 6-2?
Is this the right type of wire?
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Southwire-125-ft-6-2-Stranded-Romex-SIMpull-CU-NM-B-W-G-Wire-28894402/202316592?keyword=6-2+romex
That's a myth. First, if you are using a partial conduit system (open at one or both ends) to provide physical protection to the romex, there's no restriction. As long as you can get it to fit without damaging the cable, it's OK. [If you are using a large diameter conduit as a sleeve for multiple romex cables and it is longer than 24", then derating for multiple conductors applies.]GlennD said:It is my understanding that you can not run romex in conduit.
Depends on the code issue. It doesn't fix the issue of running Romex outdoors being prohibited. But it can be used to deal with the prohibition of running Romex "exposed to physical damage" by protecting the Romex.LeftieBiker said:I did some web research on running romex in conduit a while back, and the majority view (there is never a consensus on the Web!) was that it's fine as an extra indoor precaution. Just don't expect to solve any code problems by doing it.
wwhitney said:Depends on the code issue. It doesn't fix the issue of running Romex outdoors being prohibited. But it can be used to deal with the prohibition of running Romex "exposed to physical damage" by protecting the Romex.LeftieBiker said:I did some web research on running romex in conduit a while back, and the majority view (there is never a consensus on the Web!) was that it's fine as an extra indoor precaution. Just don't expect to solve any code problems by doing it.
Cheers, Wayne
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