NEMA 6-20 charging at home

[MOMSDDOCHI]

I purchased a Model Y last week. I'm trying to charge at home, but there is a 240V line in my garage. Can I install a NEMA 6-20 here? There is a water heater together. I don't know much about electrical technology.....
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[Sophias_dad]

Just FYI, this is usually one of the things you figure out BEFORE you drive home with your new EV.

No, you can't just add a new 6-20 outlet to that circuit. All of the available power is going to the hot water heater. Even if it wasn't, EV circuits must be dedicated to only charging the EV, not shared.

You need to call an electrician to get the job done more safely than you can do yourself. Note that I intentionally omitted 'right', since I'm jaded as a result of seeing so many 'electrician did X' stories here on TMC.

 

[Cosmacelf]

You cannot piggyback onto the 240V circuit that is currently being used for the hot water heater.

Looks like your only option right now is to charge at 120V/12A with a Tesla Mobile Connector and a NEMA 5-15 adapter.

But 120V charging is rarely a good long term option. I would call an electrician and ask them for options. If you want, you can describe your house a bit better and we can also give you options. Like, where is the closest electrical panel relative to your garage? And maybe a picture of that panel.

Also, reading this might help you: Advice for EV Charging in North America

 

[flai54]

Simple answer NO. You need to create a new electrical circuit line and hire an electrician to do so. The EV charger should be the only circuit for that circuit breaker.

 

[ewoodrick]

I purchased a Model Y last week. I'm trying to charge at home, but there is a 240V line in my garage. Can I install a NEMA 6-20 here? There is a water heater together. I don't know much about electrical technology.....
.

The circuit is sized for the water heater. If the car happens to be charging and the water heater comes on, the breaker trips. And no, you can't just flip the breaker back on. Aside from not being up to code, water heaters turn on at random times.

You will need a different circuit installed. In the meantime, you can use an ordinary 120V 15A plug and it will give you about 60 miles in 12 hours.