Earthdog Posted March 28, 2013 at 01:40 PM Report Share Posted March 28, 2013 at 01:40 PM Wow, I'm not smart enough to figure all of that out. I'll just wait for your posts.Murphy, Can you help me with a few questions? I am going to go to Lowes and buy all the parts and the electrician said he will install the breaker and outlet for $75.00 in labor. So I want a switch like you did to stop the draw so my thought was the following items: GE Level 2 Wall mount1 dual gain box1 Square D 30amp breaker1 50 amp duplex outlet1- Plate Cover Am I missing anything or would you get anything different? TIA,Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murphy Posted March 28, 2013 at 02:24 PM Report Share Posted March 28, 2013 at 02:24 PM Murphy, Can you help me with a few questions? I am going to go to Lowes and buy all the parts and the electrician said he will install the breaker and outlet for $75.00 in labor. So I want a switch like you did to stop the draw so my thought was the following items: GE Level 2 Wall mount1 dual gain box1 Square D 30amp breaker1 50 amp duplex outlet1- Plate Cover Am I missing anything or would you get anything different? TIA,Jeff According to the Lowe's web site the GE unit has a built-in button for zero energy usage so you don't need a separate switch.The GE is listed as 7.2 KW instead of the normal 7.6 KW.That gets it down to 30 amps instead of the 31.7 required for a 7.6 KW unit.The question is what plug is installed on the GE unit. My 3.8 KW came with a 6-20P plug installed.I think the next larger size is a 6-50P plug.If the GE unit has a 6-50P plug then you need a 6-50R outlet and a cover plate to match.Is the electrician supplying the wire? I doubt it unless that was $75 plus materials.For a 30 amp circuit you need 10 gauge wire with two conductors and a ground. The white wire must be wrapped with red tape at both ends to indicate that it is not a neutral. Hopefully the electrician knows this.240 volt circuits do not use a neutral normally.Is there a spare 30 amp dual breaker in your power panel or do you need to purchase one for the panel?Is there space for an additional dual breaker in your panel? A 30 amp device on a 30 amp breaker would make me nervous.I would go to at least a 40 amp breaker which requires 8 gauge wire.Breakers are sized to protect the wire. FusionEnergi 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earthdog Posted March 28, 2013 at 02:35 PM Report Share Posted March 28, 2013 at 02:35 PM According to the Lowe's web site the GE unit has a built-in button for zero energy usage so you don't need a separate switch.The GE is listed as 7.2 KW instead of the normal 7.6 KW.That gets it down to 30 amps instead of the 31.7 required for a 7.6 KW unit.The question is what plug is installed on the GE unit. My 3.8 KW came with a 6-20P plug installed.I think the next larger size is a 6-50P plug.If the GE unit has a 6-50P plug then you need a 6-50R outlet and a cover plate to match.Is the electrician supplying the wire? I doubt it unless that was $75 plus materials.For a 30 amp circuit you need 10 gauge wire with two conductors and a ground. The white wire must be wrapped with red tape at both ends to indicate that it is not a neutral. Hopefully the electrician knows this.240 volt circuits do not use a neutral normally.Is there a spare 30 amp dual breaker in your power panel or do you need to purchase one for the panel?Is there space for an additional dual breaker in your panel? A 30 amp device on a 30 amp breaker would make me nervous.I would go to at least a 40 amp breaker which requires 8 gauge wire.Breakers are sized to protect the wire.Murphy, Thank you so very much. Ok I will go for the 40amp breaker then. They are providing the wire (all of 2 feet) and the rigid conduit. We are replacing an 80Amp breaker for an old warehouse furnace thats now gas. Sorry to drive you nuts with questions. So since the GE is 7.2kw not 7.6kw is it not the right purchase for the future? Should I buy something else the $899.99 was a fair deal and they were going to price match me to $849.00? Thanks again for you time and expertise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murphy Posted March 28, 2013 at 02:58 PM Report Share Posted March 28, 2013 at 02:58 PM It's hard to say. The difference between 7.2 and 7.6 would only matter at the beginning of the charge cycle. I don't have my car yet so I don't know what the charge profile looks like. Based on other battery charging systems they start off at a high level but quickly start reducing the charge level. It can't stay at full current for the whole charge especially with Li-Ion batteries. It has to sort of sneak up on the full charge condition because it is dangerous to overcharge a Li-Ion battery. That is the reason all Li-Ion batteries have built-in charge controllers to prevent overcharging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howardbc Posted April 1, 2013 at 11:13 PM Report Share Posted April 1, 2013 at 11:13 PM Wow, my head is spinning. I haven't picked up my Fusion Energi yet but am getting a little nervous about the charging process. I will be going with just the 110/120v wall outlet to begin with since I am retired and don't drive every day. I have an electrician (Mr. Electric, who installs garage chargers for Ford) coming out next week to look at my setup. He won't charge me anything just to come out and look, so I figure that can't be bad. I think I will wait to charge the car until Mr. Electric (Arizona electrician) does an inspection. That will be 4 days after I pick up the car and I'm not planning on any long trips before the electrician comes out. Just a little nervous about unintentionally over-loading the circuit. Am I being a ninny? Bobbie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter80 Posted April 1, 2013 at 11:22 PM Report Share Posted April 1, 2013 at 11:22 PM (edited) Assuming your electric panel is safe, you will not have any issues charging. If you overload the circuit, your fuse will blow or your breaker will trip. That's what they're meant for. And, should they do so, you will know you need a new, higher capacity feed to charge your car. Now as far as safety in the long run, you will want to determine how many outlets are othe circuit you plan to use to charge with the 110-120v charger. The manual recommends a dedicated outlet, but if you're only using the one outlet at a time, then multiple outlets on the circuit is fine. Not ideal, but still safe. Myself, until I get my GE Wattstation chargepoint up, I have a garage outlet right below the panel in my garage. It is the only outlet on the circuit, but I use it for power tools and such when I'm not charging. It is also used to power the cable tv booster amp 24/7. This is very little power draw, but nonetheless still shows a dedicated circuit and outlet for the 110-120v charger is a bit overkill IMHO. (Edited to restore formatting. Grrrr!! Why won't it keep it when it is posted?!!) Edited April 1, 2013 at 11:26 PM by Scooter80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pluggedin Posted April 1, 2013 at 11:23 PM Report Share Posted April 1, 2013 at 11:23 PM Wow, my head is spinning. I haven't picked up my Fusion Energi yet but am getting a little nervous about the charging process. I will be going with just the 110/120v wall outlet to begin with since I am retired and don't drive every day. I have an electrician (Mr. Electric, who installs garage chargers for Ford) coming out next week to look at my setup. He won't charge me anything just to come out and look, so I figure that can't be bad. I think I will wait to charge the car until Mr. Electric (Arizona electrician) does an inspection. That will be 4 days after I pick up the car and I'm not planning on any long trips before the electrician comes out. Just a little nervous about unintentionally over-loading the circuit. Am I being a ninny? BobbieYeah Bobbie, I think so. First, the breaker in your electrical box will trip if you overload the circuit and, second the car will not accept the charge and show a fault has occurred. Double protection. However, there are others far more qualified to answer this then I. Maybe they will wade in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
47Minutes Posted April 3, 2013 at 06:22 PM Report Share Posted April 3, 2013 at 06:22 PM I am planning to put my house on the market in a couple months so I'm not interested in spending the $ on install for a 240v charger right now. In my garage I have two existing outlets. One is on the ceiling where the GDO is plugged in. I believe this one to be on the same circuit as the family room based on the label. This one would be pretty usable if not for being on the ceiling as I need to take the included charger with me to work to plug in. Otherwise, the "family room" is rarely used during the hours in which I charge so it is effectively dedicated. The 2nd is a GFI plug on the back wall and is linked to two other GFI plugs in the house. A kitchen one where the coffee pot is and the guest bathroom that only gets used for a night light. Where I had my concerns about using this one is I have a spare fridge in the garage that is plugged into this outlet. Fortunately, all of my breakers are at least 20 amp. I looked up the fridge and found that at peak load it pulls 6 amp. So with the 12 amp from the charger I figured I'm ok. I've been charging it there for a week with no issues. Now come summer in TX the fridge may be pulling closer to that 6 amps and things may change, but I hope to be out of the house by the time the temps really make that box work harder. It isn't ideal as it is not dedicated, but I'm not putting any money into this house that I don't have to get it sold. I'm pretty comfortable with the GFI outlet being able to trip on overload and also the 20 amp breaker. Alternatively I would have to look at climbing a ladder every night and morning to hook up unplug the charger to take it with me for work charging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rspray Posted April 3, 2013 at 09:42 PM Report Share Posted April 3, 2013 at 09:42 PM Anyone have any reason why the following L2 charger (for $595!) wouldn't work for the Energi? http://www.clippercreek.com/products.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murphy Posted April 3, 2013 at 10:09 PM Report Share Posted April 3, 2013 at 10:09 PM I'm pretty comfortable with the GFI outlet being able to trip on overload and also the 20 amp breaker. GFI outlets don't trip on overload.They trip when the currents in the hot wire and the neutral wire are not exactly equal.That would indicate that current is going somewhere it isn't supposed to, like through someone's body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murphy Posted April 3, 2013 at 10:11 PM Report Share Posted April 3, 2013 at 10:11 PM Anyone have any reason why the following L2 charger (for $595!) wouldn't work for the Energi? http://www.clippercreek.com/products.htmlGive us a hint. There are 6 chargers on that page and none of them have prices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Fusion Posted April 4, 2013 at 01:07 AM Report Share Posted April 4, 2013 at 01:07 AM Anyone have any reason why the following L2 charger (for $595!) wouldn't work for the Energi? http://www.clippercreek.com/products.htmlThis thread talked about it. It's the LCS-25. Sounds like it should be fine on the Energi's http://fordcmaxenergiforum.com/topic/1034-march-madness-sale-on-clipper-creek-240v-charger-595/ I ordered it (Shipped today), so I hope it's all good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rspray Posted April 4, 2013 at 01:58 AM Report Share Posted April 4, 2013 at 01:58 AM Yes, the LCS-25 is the model I was referring to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earthdog Posted April 4, 2013 at 09:08 AM Report Share Posted April 4, 2013 at 09:08 AM This thread talked about it. It's the LCS-25. Sounds like it should be fine on the Energi's http://fordcmaxenergiforum.com/topic/1034-march-madness-sale-on-clipper-creek-240v-charger-595/ I ordered it (Shipped today), so I hope it's all good! These guys have a local office for me, they were kind enough to give me a loaner to test and it being installed Friday so I will let you know. Mr. Fusion 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rprobst Posted April 4, 2013 at 08:32 PM Report Share Posted April 4, 2013 at 08:32 PM This looks like a great charger. Small size and a good price. Mr Fusion and Earthdog, I'm very interested in your opinions after you've tried it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Fusion Posted April 4, 2013 at 09:43 PM Report Share Posted April 4, 2013 at 09:43 PM This looks like a great charger. Small size and a good price. Mr Fusion and Earthdog, I'm very interested in your opinions after you've tried it. Will do. Although I was just told my Energi ETA got pushed back to 4/12, which is the day before a 12 day vacation, so it'll probably sit at the dealer for 2 weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pluggedin Posted April 5, 2013 at 02:19 AM Report Share Posted April 5, 2013 at 02:19 AM Will do. Although I was just told my Energi ETA got pushed back to 4/12, which is the day before a 12 day vacation, so it'll probably sit at the dealer for 2 weeks.Well, I hate to hear that. But, assuming you are not driving on your vacation, the car will sit anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Fusion Posted April 5, 2013 at 03:15 AM Report Share Posted April 5, 2013 at 03:15 AM Well, I hate to hear that. But, assuming you are not driving on your vacation, the car will sit anyway.It was going to sit regardless. It's our tradition to drive the Mustang on this trip. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.