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Message
re: Electricians of OT - options for installing a dedicated 60A 220V circuit...
Posted on 11/10/25 at 2:21 am to BigPapiDoesItAgain
Posted on 11/10/25 at 2:21 am to BigPapiDoesItAgain
The usual answer to your question is replace some of the single breakers with tandem breakers to free up the space for a 60A dual pole breaker.
The issue with that is the load center you posted has a 100A main breaker. The load center MAY be a 200A panel with a 100A breaker in it but it is likely not. There is a tiny chance you could add a 60A breaker depending on what the FLA draw for those 2 AC units is.
Let's go thorigh the potential scanarios:
1. the load center is a 100A load center, it is POSSIBLE you could free up space with tandem breakers on some of your smaller circuits and add a 60A breaker if you overall draw is low enough... unlikely
2. the load center is 200A rated but just has a 100A main breaker If this is the case you could add a 200A main breaker, free up space with tandem breakers and add the 60A 240v circuit BUT that would mean the ampacity of the service cable coming in would have to be at least 200A. This may or may not be the case.
3. The load center is 100A BUT it is wired with service cable with a higher ampacity. In that case, it MAY be possible to wire a separate sub-panel beside it for the dedicated 60A 240v circuit.
The reality is nobody can tell you exactly what can and can't be done without getting inside the box and taking deeper stock of what you actually have. It could be relatively cheap or fairly expensive.
Get more than one quote and be sure they let you know exactly how they plan to do it. It may be that someone is thoughtful and avoids a lot of the costs where someone else just hits the easy button and plans to approach it like adding a 60A subpanel in a remote place. The latter may be what is required but will have the highest cost but that is the easy way to quote it since it doesn't require using anything already in service.
The issue with that is the load center you posted has a 100A main breaker. The load center MAY be a 200A panel with a 100A breaker in it but it is likely not. There is a tiny chance you could add a 60A breaker depending on what the FLA draw for those 2 AC units is.
Let's go thorigh the potential scanarios:
1. the load center is a 100A load center, it is POSSIBLE you could free up space with tandem breakers on some of your smaller circuits and add a 60A breaker if you overall draw is low enough... unlikely
2. the load center is 200A rated but just has a 100A main breaker If this is the case you could add a 200A main breaker, free up space with tandem breakers and add the 60A 240v circuit BUT that would mean the ampacity of the service cable coming in would have to be at least 200A. This may or may not be the case.
3. The load center is 100A BUT it is wired with service cable with a higher ampacity. In that case, it MAY be possible to wire a separate sub-panel beside it for the dedicated 60A 240v circuit.
The reality is nobody can tell you exactly what can and can't be done without getting inside the box and taking deeper stock of what you actually have. It could be relatively cheap or fairly expensive.
Get more than one quote and be sure they let you know exactly how they plan to do it. It may be that someone is thoughtful and avoids a lot of the costs where someone else just hits the easy button and plans to approach it like adding a 60A subpanel in a remote place. The latter may be what is required but will have the highest cost but that is the easy way to quote it since it doesn't require using anything already in service.
2
Posted on 11/10/25 at 3:40 am to BigPapiDoesItAgain
Smart home panel + appropriate battery and the EV charger from EcoFlow. Can also so as partial home backup.
Posted on 11/10/25 at 5:52 am to yakster
quote:
Sell the Ev and buy a real car.
Well depending on what electrical upgrades the OP needs it might not be a bad idea with gas at 2.30 a gallon.
An electrician could run you 2 grand or more and then you may have some sheet rock work to patch any holes. Definitely will eat into any “savings potential” an EV may have over a traditional ICE car.
Don’t forget any permits you might need for electrical work depending on your jurisdiction. Some may come and pass easily while some maybe officer hardass and look for anything wrong.
Posted on 11/10/25 at 6:11 am to Obtuse1
quote:
the load center is 200A rated but just has a 100A main breaker If this is the case you could add a 200A main breaker, free up space with tandem breakers and add the 60A 240v circuit BUT that would mean the ampacity of the service cable coming in would have to be at least 200A. This may or may not be the case.
It’s a Murray panel, so the highest main breaker that will fit in there is a 125A (the style changes for 150/200A breakers)
Posted on 11/10/25 at 6:29 am to BigPapiDoesItAgain
Post a picture of your main break box that feeds that sub panel. Where the wire from your electrical company come into your house.
Posted on 11/10/25 at 6:37 am to bee Rye
quote:
It’s a Murray panel, so the highest main breaker that will fit in there is a 125A (the style changes for 150/200A breakers)
That gets a little more interesting if the service cable can handle 125A. It would be interesting to know the exact draw of the charger and AC units. They all have to use 125% protected to satisfy the NEC since they are all considered continuous load. There may not be sufficient ampacity left over for the rest of the draw on all the other branch circuits and the "heater" (bathroom?) and the water heater.
After a think and a Google: The EV chargers for 60A circuits are 48A of draw (11.5kw) which makes sense as 48x1.25=60. Say the AC units are 15 amp draw (rough avg for 3T units) they would only account for ~38A. If this were the case 125A might be enough but 100A is definitely not.
Posted on 11/10/25 at 6:44 am to AllDayEveryDay
Possibly would need a new meter pan also.
Posted on 11/10/25 at 6:48 am to Btrtigerfan
quote:
You aren't getting 60A out of that one. You're going to need to grab another feed from the box at the meter.
This is the answer if you have an external box near your meter dedicated to 240V circuits
Posted on 11/10/25 at 7:25 am to Obtuse1
If the house only has a 100A service.
Change the service to 200A, put a 200A combo meter pan, run you 60A Charger and 100A panel out of the combo meter pan. Done.
Change the service to 200A, put a 200A combo meter pan, run you 60A Charger and 100A panel out of the combo meter pan. Done.
Posted on 11/10/25 at 7:45 am to kengel2
quote:
If the house only has a 100A service.
Change the service to 200A, put a 200A combo meter pan, run you 60A Charger and 100A panel out of the combo meter pan. Done.
It is unlikely the house only has a 100A service because the panel shown is a second panel added with an expansion/reno. I would bet the meter/pan is on the outside wall opposite the older panel. The service would likely have been replaced with a 200A (or larger)service if the house originally only had a 100A service.
Posted on 11/10/25 at 9:34 am to East Coast Band
quote:
Kudos for having a marked panel.
I've bought 3 "used" houses in my lifetime and none of the panels ever had any identification as to what breaker went to what.
Frustrating
Not so fast....15A breaker labeled water heater....
Posted on 11/10/25 at 9:56 am to Obtuse1
They actually make EV chargers with built in load shedding capabilities. OP should look into one of those, they are made for this exact scenario
Posted on 11/10/25 at 9:59 am to kengel2
quote:
Change the service to 200A, put a 200A combo meter pan, run you 60A Charger and 100A panel out of the combo meter pan. Done.
Sure, sounds simple enough. But, once you have to file the permits, you will now have to do install the new panel up to current codes. With arc fault, GFCI and surge protection requirements changing since the last panel install, you could be looking at $5-10k for the upgrade.
Posted on 11/10/25 at 10:13 am to Obtuse1
quote:
It is unlikely the house only has a 100A service because the panel shown is a second panel added with an expansion/reno. I would bet the meter/pan is on the outside wall opposite the older panel. The service would likely have been replaced with a 200A (or larger)service if the house originally only had a 100A service.
So the "main house" is a 90+ year old structure that had the plumbing (well most of it) and electrical modernized by one of the previous owners, so there is no K&T wiring left. The main house has a panel that runs two A/C units, a tankless water heater, oven/stove, fridge, lights, etc.
We bought the house in 2013 and addeed 1800 ish sq feet heated plus a two car garage (multi-level with garage on slab and main structure attached to "old house" on pier and beam which we finished in 2015) - architect and contractor did a beautiful job staying true to the American four-square/craftsman style of the original structure.
The box in question in the garage shares a common wall with the master bathroom closet, with the floor of that bathroom being several feet above garage slab, the initial few feet of the garage external wall is cinderblock construction up to the level of the floor on the main structure then typical sheetrock over 2x4 studs. Service comes into that panel underneath the house from the panel at the meter located on the other side of the old house. The garage panel in question serves lights, one package HVAC unit, one split HVAC unit and a takless water heater.
I am not sure what the Amp service is on either the main panel outside or the panel in the "old" house is.
Again, I'm just doing due diligence and determining how much of a PITA installing a home charge would be, because that would be a deal breaker if this little project is not feasible and/or ridiculously expensive, no need having an EV if I don't have home charging.
When I get home this evening, I'm gonna take pics of the other panels and post them in case anyone is interested. I'll have my electrician come out when I have a day that I can be home.
Posted on 11/10/25 at 10:42 am to BigPapiDoesItAgain
So this might be a stupid question as well, but could the electrician just run romex off of the main outside breaker panel where the meter and my generator plug in is (presuming open spots) to where I want it in the garage?
I know the breaker would be fairly remote from where the wire would terminate, but would that matter? Would be probably about a100 foot run, which there is Romex coming from that panel to the one in the garage already of course.
I know the breaker would be fairly remote from where the wire would terminate, but would that matter? Would be probably about a100 foot run, which there is Romex coming from that panel to the one in the garage already of course.
Posted on 11/10/25 at 10:51 am to BigPapiDoesItAgain
A 60A circuit would require #8 I believe. Over 100', you may need 6 or 4. What you're asking would be setting up a new main panel off your existing meter, which may be possible depending on what you've got coming in off your primary, and what your meter can support. If your have two panels already supporting the older structure and newer addition it may not be possible. You'd have to ask a local electrician. Regional code may not let you either. I was required to have two meters for my home and shop, both are 200A service.
Posted on 11/10/25 at 10:52 am to bee Rye
quote:
They actually make EV chargers with built in load shedding capabilities. OP should look into one of those, they are made for this exact scenario
Teslas (not sure about the other EVs) also allow you to adjust the amount of current drawn when charging, so he doesn't necessarily have to draw the full 48A if it's causing tripping issues.
Posted on 11/10/25 at 10:54 am to BigPapiDoesItAgain
quote:
So this might be a stupid question as well, but could the electrician just run romex off of the main outside breaker panel where the meter and my generator plug in is (presuming open spots) to where I want it in the garage?
You're generally only allowed to have one feeder to a building. There are exceptions but none of them apply here.
Posted on 11/10/25 at 10:59 am to BigPapiDoesItAgain
quote:
EV wall charger. Haven't done or bought anything yet, but doing some due diligence.
You really don’t need 60amps, but you will need 240v for anything above 10m/hr charge.
It looks like space is your issue, you need to put some tandems in there to free you space.
Posted on 11/10/25 at 11:05 am to BigPapiDoesItAgain
Looks like you have plenty of 15a and 20a next to eachother that can be on tandem breakers. Basically just need 2 which frees up the space you need. I’d put another subpanel off of those two breakers so you have more room in the future and run the EV off the sub panel.
As stated previously, 60a is typically overkill, charging speeds increase a lot more from 15a to 30a. Just something to consider.
As stated previously, 60a is typically overkill, charging speeds increase a lot more from 15a to 30a. Just something to consider.
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