Home install help

[Amps]

can it run on a 60 amp breaker and then the charger be dialed back to accommodate the amount of current fed to it?

Correct. Dialed back to 48A charging maximum on the 60A circuit described.

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[GDN]

It can also be dialed lower if needed. Just run the charger at 80% of breaker capacity. This document says it can run on as small as a 20 amp breaker.

https://www.ford.com/cmslibs/conten...0-lightning/pdf/FordChargeStationProSpecs.pdf

 

[ddbrooke]

I'll give you a real world example of dialing back the charger to 48amp (position 5 on the pot). I just had mine installed two days ago and charged last night from 32% to 90%. It took 7 hours and 42 minutes which is 9.87kw/hr. I've been using the mobile charger while waiting for this to be installed and averaged under 6kw/hr. which would have taken over 12 hours to charge the same 58%.

For me, this is plenty fast enough and my 200 amp service is not being strained by a 48 amp load. Your electrician should do a load calculation but I would bet that you are never pulling 200amps at one time.

 

[Maquis]

Ask your electrician to perform an NEC load calculation for both the entire service, and the 90A house panel. That’s the only way to determine what you can actually do within NEC rules. It sounds like he’s guessing right now. You can’t tell what’s possible just by looking at your current breakers.
If he doesn’t know how to do that, find a new electrician.

 

[dirtdiver]

Im surprised that people are getting plugs melted and other heat related issues when using a circuit breaker. I thought the whole point to a circuit breaker is to fault when the current goes too high because of heat/resistance going up?? So, say you put in a 50 amp circuit breaker and you are pulling 48 amps. Since you are pulling the current for a number of hours the heat builds and the resistance goes up. As the resistance goes up the current increases. Shouldn't the breaker fault before things start to melt or catch on fire??

 

[RickLightning]

The electrician doesn’t want to include a panel upgrade because it would need to pull the meter and likely require 2 trips to install. 1 to wire, 1 to meet electric company to pull. If he runs it from the home panel it’s 1 trip and done.

We just had a whole house generator installed which required the meter being pulled. The utility company was fully involved (sizing electric feed to meter and gas feed / gas meter) as was the township (permit). The meter was pulled, zero involvement of the electric company (i.e. they didn't pull or put back the meter.

Do yall know if the charger has to run on a 100 amp breaker to operate properly like the manual recommends, or can it run on a 60 amp breaker and then the charger be dialed back to accommodate the amount of current fed to it?

That was pointed out to you prior. The charger can be installed, with switches set, to limit the amperage, which can then result in smaller wiring and breaker. But, you should note there is nothing stopping a person from opening it up and raising it back to the limit, so a big caution note needs to be put on it to stop that from happening in the future.

Im surprised that people are getting plugs melted and other heat related issues when using a circuit breaker. I thought the whole point to a circuit breaker is to fault when the current goes too high because of heat/resistance going up?? So, say you put in a 50 amp circuit breaker and you are pulling 48 amps. Since you are pulling the current for a number of hours the heat builds and the resistance goes up. As the resistance goes up the current increases. Shouldn't the breaker fault before things start to melt or catch on fire??

Not an electrician, but there are many, many posts of outlets melting / partially melting because they're cheap crap. And, wiring could catch fire if undersized, before a breaker popped.

 

[Maquis]

Im surprised that people are getting plugs melted and other heat related issues when using a circuit breaker. I thought the whole point to a circuit breaker is to fault when the current goes too high because of heat/resistance going up?? So, say you put in a 50 amp circuit breaker and you are pulling 48 amps. Since you are pulling the current for a number of hours the heat builds and the resistance goes up. As the resistance goes up the current increases. Shouldn't the breaker fault before things start to melt or catch on fire??

No, that’s not how breakers work. They sense overcurrent, not heat.
If the 50A receptacle has a loose connection, lack of proper plug blade tension, or other factors that result in increased resistance, heat is generated in watts = I^2*R. 1 ohm of resistance (not much!) results in 2300 watts of power being dissipated at the outlet. It will melt in seconds, and no, there will be no increase in current draw that would trip the breaker.

 

[GDN]

I'll also note that the plugs from Home Depot and Lowe's are not meant for a lot of plugging and unplugging. If you've paid $15 or so for the 14-50 outlet you may want to reconsider. There are better built, some with glass terminals I believe - they approach the $100 price point. Best to be protected rather than burn your house down.

 

[Jersey Devil]

I need some help with installing the home charger (and forgive me if I have the terms incorrect). Our electrician came and this is my understanding:
We only have 200 amps (not 400 amps) on our home and it's all accounted for (between the main circuit breaker and our upstairs heating and air unit). Our main circuit breaker only pulls 90 amps. But the Ford Charger recommends connecting at 100 amps to get the full 80 amps the charger needs. Our electrician says he can probably get 60 amps reliably, but is trying to find someone with experience to see if he can turn the dial down on the charger and it still work ok on the 60 amps.
Does anyone have any experience with this? Any help would be appreciated.

I got quote & install thru QMerit
There is a dial inside the charger to dial it down if you read the manual. I have a 150amp box & they set mine to 48 I think

 

[Traconesu]

I need some help with installing the home charger (and forgive me if I have the terms incorrect). Our electrician came and this is my understanding:
We only have 200 amps (not 400 amps) on our home and it's all accounted for (between the main circuit breaker and our upstairs heating and air unit). Our main circuit breaker only pulls 90 amps. But the Ford Charger recommends connecting at 100 amps to get the full 80 amps the charger needs. Our electrician says he can probably get 60 amps reliably, but is trying to find someone with experience to see if he can turn the dial down on the charger and it still work ok on the 60 amps.
Does anyone have any experience with this? Any help would be appreciated.

You can adjust the 80 amp pro charger down as low as 15-20 amps.

 

[Amps]

If you've paid $15 or so for the 14-50 outlet you may want to reconsider. There are better built, some with glass terminals I believe - they approach the $100 price point. Best to be protected rather than burn your house down.

For example:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0137HMGGS/

 

[Hunter]

I got everything set up and am loving my Lightning. Just wanted to say thanks again for all the help and responses.
We ended setting the charger up at 64A and it charges at about 27.7 miles per hour charged, which works just fine.

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