A manual shutoff within direct sight of every WC or other EV charger is both code and a specific requirement in the Tesla installation instructions.
My installer showed me the instructions indicating they had to install an emergency disconnect. The county inspector also indicated that he wouldn’t have passed it without. I had objected to giving up the wall space in my garage, as we have had 8 other WC installations in other locations without it. Must be a new thing. I get why, but in my case the main box breakers are within 20 feet of both WCs, so it seems superfluous.
The summary version. This is a new home (new build) and the builder had two Tesla Wall Chargers installed as apart of their build out. So when we bought the home, it was already configured/live.What a nightmare...but at least it was not a worse nightmare...
And sorry if this was already mentioned (6-pages already and I did not read everything), but Tesla literally forced me to go through Q-Merit to get a licensed electrician that they approved of to install my home charger. Maybe it was because I have a Foundation Cyberbeast that came with a Powershare Gateway....although I didn't even have them install the Powershare, only the charger.
So, anyway, I am just wondering how this could even happen if you hired a Tesla approved electrician....but obviously, in this case, I assume you didn't.
I don't want to throw any salt on your wounds...but this seems to prove the point that you should not try to save a few bucks on things like electricians. Even I was second-guessing the $1,500 install charge and contemplating paying a neighbor down the street less than half of that, but after seeing your story here, hell no. Family safety is too important to cut corners to save a few bucks.
Please don't take this the wrong way, because you didn't know, and it's not your fault, but this incident seems a perfect fit for the following meme...it's like picking up pennies in front of a steam roller...it's just not worth it...
This makes perfect sense, and the primary reason I no longer trust any tradesman without double or triple checking behind them.
Man, I am so sorry you are going through this. But at least your family is safe now.
Still, isn't it bad practice to rely on a downstream connection for grounding though? Sort of like not using a duplex outlet as neutral continuance for a split neutral branch circuit .
Yep! In practice, it's technically correct to have an equipment ground lug for each separate enclosure for sure ... however when I am lazy and can't be bothered on my own personal stuff, I rely on the mechanically connected lug from the other equipment and the fact that he has a path to ground from the armored BX cable lol.
The amount of things that would need to go catastrophically wrong for the ground to completely fail would be infinitesimally small, and by then you very likely have much larger issues to worry about; like the tornado that twisted your house into a pretzel to make that scenario even plausible.
Having said that, if you want it done completely right, that disconnect switch should be using a grounding lug/terminal block.
It does look aluminum. Are there ANY states that allow for house wiring to be aluminum?
I guess “properly sized and terminated” is the real trick, eh?
But isn’t that what professionals are for? If I want it done improperly, I’ll save money and do it myself
I think you can use wire nuts for two 6awg, with the right wire nut?
most state codes do not allow that.I think you can use wire nuts for two 6awg, with the right wire nut?
Best practices may be another discussion... but I do not believe this violates code, unless there is a recent code change.
Michigan allows it and aluminum is commonly used for higher current branch circuits, but not under #8. The strands were not twisted by the installer, it is manufactured with the twist and then compressed.
I only know Virginnia's and VA. follows NEC code and according to the National Electrical Code (NEC), specifically Article 110.14 (Electrical Connections), two 6 AWG wires can be connected with a wire nut, provided the wire nut is listed and rated for that specific combination of wire sizes and conductor materials (e.g., copper or aluminum).
stranded wire in higher gauges because solid would be unusable at that size.
Aluminum has a tendency to expand and contract with the heat change as loads change, thus loosening connections. The utility company failed to pull the meter and check the connections at my MIL's house when she was having electrical issues. Electrician came and pulled the meter... aluminum service wires were loose and could have caused a fire. The utility had to replace the meter box and the meter as both were badly scorched.
