Tesla Wall Connector Installation with MC cable
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- Опубліковано 8 лют 2025
- In this video, Chris installs a Tesla Wall Connector in his new house using a 60-amp circuit breaker and 6/2 MC (metal clad) wire.
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Refer to the Tesla Wall Connector Manual: handydad.tv/twcm
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In other words… You already had it torqued perfectly because of pure, raw talent!
Great job and the garage is looking good! From what little bit I’ve seen it looks like you moved to a beautiful area. Great job, dad!
Actually I may have overtightened them a little 😳 but I wasn’t about to back them out.
Love my garage now! I can get to my tools without having to move the cars.
I’m thinking I’ll do another smart home tour as an excuse to show the new house. But I’ll wait for my daughter to move out because our dining room is currently a storage unit for all her stuff.
@@handydadtv Us dads should get together and start a U Locket storage biz with all the extra room we will have when the kids finally move their stuff out. My kids are in their 40’s… If you want to start this storage empire with me, I should be ready in another 10 years or so! 😂😂
Not a fan of this approach, and I'm plenty old enough to know how tight things need to be by hand. Torque values exist for a reason. I already had an inch-lbs torque wrench on hand when I installed our NEMA 14-50 plug for EV charging, because many things on a modern ICE vehicle are torqued in inch-lbs.
As an electrician I think the man did a great job 👏 for an amateur. Yet I would add this safety point!! Put the panel cover back on and stand to the side before turning Any breaker on!! I once had a faulty breaker explode. These two safety steps are all that kept me from getting bathed in metal shards and sparks!! Trust me on this 😂.
Thanks for the tip 👍🏻
Thank you for your thorough explanation, your video was very helpful to get an idea of what my project is gonna look like. You're either a good electrician or a professional handyman. Regardless, thank you. Watching you from Addis Ababa.
I am neither an electrician nor a professional. But thanks!
You saved me about 1,700 bucks. Thanks man. Excellent video.
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
I like your workshop corner in the garage, nicely organized!
Thanks 😊
I enjoy your videos. You are very good at explaining what wire and parts you use and why. I appreciate that.
Thanks. I try to anticipate questions. 😊
You are fortunate to have your power panel in your garage.
Oh I know it! Just that short 25’ cable was $80! Copper is expensive.
@bootlegsnackz Good luck 🍀
My panel was in the garage and we had to do a 50 ft conduit run.
Most new builds in my area have a subpanel in the garage.
3/4 to 1/2 conduit reducing bushing. threads onto 1/2 FMC connector. attach to 3/4 opening on wall connector. Use w reducing washer.
Thanks for the tip! I honestly expected 6/2 MC would have been 3/4” so that’s what I bought originally. I had to run out to Home Depot in the middle of the installation, a common habit for me, and I couldn’t find any reducers. It was a weekend so the electrical supply was closed. I had to improvise.
I think you need a plastic bush on top of the lock nut on the panel
9:15 you can use 3/4” to 1/2” reducing washers. Put one on each side and that will make the knockout on the Tesla wall plate fit the MC connector.
Thanks for the tip
Curious why you wrapped the white wire instead of just using white neutral black hot
Awesome video, definitely convinced me to just have a professional install
Because the white wire isn’t a neutral. It’s a hot wire.
Commend you on your efforts for the informative video and being able to finish it without blowing up the panel.
YIKES!, You have an open HOT panel with a metal 4' outlet stick leaning in front of it.. very dangerous, so glad it did not accidentally fall onto the panel and short out the wiring. Please be more careful .. is does not take much to have an accident with electrical.
I'm electrical contractor over 34 years, .. suggestions to improve your project as required by codes check your local building & safety it may change per your location ... use emt conduit instead of mc cable on surface mount applications on drywall since it's exposed and if below the garage attic joist members. Fasten your emt conduit min 12" from junction box or in this case starting from tesla charger at either end and every 4' running length. You don't have to but I lightly twist stripped ends not to get the "whiskers" to stray on the terminals and apply a layer of antioxidant paste on these strands only since most lugs are aluminum.
Going from a 1/2" connector to putting on a 3/4" connector on the tesla charger housing do not do this. The 3/4 connector was not intended for this application. Please use reducing washers. They look like flat disks with a hole in it. In this case, you would get 3/4" to 1/2" reducing washers because you are going from 3/4" hole to 1/2" . Nice video, clear voice will lit area no annoying music.
Thanks for the advice.
Thanks for the video I’m still scared i will f something up so im going to just pay someone but you definitely had me taking notes and everything
I respect that 👍🏻
How much did you pay someone to install it? Was the panel close to where you installed it?
You can use reducing washers and MC connectors those connectors are for flex conduit if you use two different connectors can cause it to have problems it’s not made for glad you used red heads it’s always good to protect the wire good job on your insulation
Thanks
Use a 3/4- 1/2 reducing washer next time instead of two flex connectors. Works better!
Thanks for the tip!
Thanks HandyDad! Do you have a link to the bushing and connectors (for the knockouts) that you used?
No I bought them locally.
Great video, thanks
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
Thank you very much HandyDad. That will help a lot when time comes for my turn. Can't wait.
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
Thank you for the excellent video! Is it permissible to install this type of wire inside the wall for aesthetic reasons?
Yes
Thanks, Dad! This was a great video.
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
You can use aluminum wire for the circuit however, you must use copper wiring for the final terminal connections. The charger is not designed to accept aluminum wire. You can use an appropriate (Polaris) connector, to joint the two types of wire (copper/aluminum), then run, say, the final 8 inches or so, into the wall charger.
I’m sure that would be a more cost effective option for people with long runs. Thanks.
If you use aluminum wire, you must increase the wire size and the conduit size accordingly.
@bills6946 Good point.
Every about 150ft you should upsize your wire
Thanks
How warm do the cable and breaker get after an hour at 48A?
I don’t know. I don’t charge at that rate.
Great Video. Thank you for sharing. Have a nice weekend. May I ask, for homes , how many amps for Main Panel breaker ?
I am fortunate to have 200-amp service in my panel.
Thank you Handy dad. My question is did you connect the ground wire to natural or grand ?
In my circuit panel, the grounds and neutrals are on the same bus bar.
Pro safety tip. Never stand directly in front of the panel when turning on the breakers. Always stand to the side as much as possible. There should be a minimum of 3 feet of space available all around the panel.
Thanks
I'm no electrician so I must ask, why is this necessary? Fire hazard?
@@JamarD421 We call that Arc Flash. When a defective breaker is open (not only defective, sometimes it happens), it creates an explosion/ blast.
It is unlikely to happen on a small 220v residential panel. Most of the time, this happens (rarely) on big industrial panels above 600v.
@@jordan4599 Okay. Just looked that up and holy shit that is nothing to play with! Duly noted sir if I'm ever in front of a breaker I'm moving my ass to the side! Rare or not that's a precaution I'm willing to take. Thanks for that new bit of knowledge.
@@JamarD421 One other safety measure related to this is when you stand to the side, use your non dominant hand to flip the breakers. That way, if one does explode, you still have your good hand to use in the interim while the other one heals.
14:50 torque the breaker connections before connecting breaker to the panel. Avoids unnecessary stress on the bus bars.
Another good tip
*Excellent Video!!!*
Thanks so much 😊
Great video , just wondering, Does the app tell you temp of the unit if overheating or any danger ?
It will stop or slow charging and notify you of the issue either through the app or lights on the front.
But it’s never happened to me, so I’m speculating.
You can use reducing washer for MC connector
I couldn’t find one at HD.
Question: How did you finish the MC-through-the-drywall penetration below the panel? Is there a plate for that? Thanks.
No, it’s still open but hidden by my workbench. If it was visible, I would patch the drywall and caulk around it.
Awesome tutorial!
Can you use MC clad for outdoor install of the tesla wall charger?
Thanks in advance.
No it’s not waterproof.
What type conduit would you recommend for outdoo? Thank you.@handydadtv
@Truth_Seeker_79 You’d need to check local codes, but there are flexible conduits that are waterproof. It depends on your situation.
Nice work. Is that a single pole 240V breaker or a dual pole?
Double pole
Nice job sir
Thanks 😊
thanks good to know the conduit hole is 3/4 inch.
Yes
Could you please provide a link to MC cable fittings you used in this video. It looks like 1/2in trade size FMC fittings from the Home Depot are just a little to large for the 6/2 MC cable. Thank you.
I don’t have a link for the fittings. I just bought them off the shelf.
Quick question, are you charging the car with the door closed and the wire under the door?
Rarely. Only if I’m storing something large in the garage.
What size ground wire did you run?
Whatever was in the 6/2 cable.
Why not use a reducing washer 3/4 - 1/2
I couldn’t find one
Why did you wrap the white cable?
Because it’s a hot wire. Since white is a reserved color for neutral, you need to indicate that it’s repurposed as a hot wire.
@@handydadtv Why not just used black for hot instead of wrapping white?
@vshanmugam 2-conductor cable has a black and white wire. Since this is a 240-volt circuit, they are both HOT wires. I wrap the electrical tape to indicate it’s not a neutral wire.
When you charge how fast do you set it on your mobile app? You said in your vlog that 48 amp is to fast for you just asking since I don’t have any idea about charging and I always charge mine to 48 amps as well. Thanks
I normally charge at 15 amps. That’s plenty for me to recharge overnight.
@@handydadtvAt 15 amps wouldn’t it be the same as a normal mobile charger that plugs into 110v?
@archebaldo6155 No, it’s double. 15 amps at 220 volts is the same as 30 amps at 110 volts.
@@handydadtv ah thanks. That makes sense.
Use reducing bushings for 1/2 inch the 3/4
Now you tell me 🤣
How much was it for the materials not including the 500$ charger?
It all depends on your brand of circuit panel and distance to your charger.
A couple comments: the Tesla torque for 6ga is 50ft-lb, above my torque screwdriver's range. I used a torque wrench, and 50 was really a lot, well past my hand-tightened guesstimate. MOST important, though, was my use of liquidtight 3/4" flex conduit for the 6 foot run from the subpanel; I'd run the 6ga THHN before bending and attaching the flex to the wall for easier handling, then used a 90degree bend plastic fitting into the bottom of the charger unit. After wiring all, I discovered that the main Tesla unit will NOT fit onto the wall mount, because the plastic fitting compression nut is too close beneath the unit. This seems like such a common option for installing, that the Tesla info needs to clearly describe where such standard fittings are NOT going to work. I am trying to figure a workaround, but it seems that a straight connector is the only option, to make the final entry to the Tesla mount unit, or else other conduit with smaller profile is the only alternative.
Bummer
nice video dont forget to label the panel.
Of course. Thanks.
So this doesn't use 6/3 wire?
It doesn’t need a neutral.
Why or what is the difference charging at 48amps vs lower?
More current = more heat = more risk
Code states that #6 Romex is only listed for 50 amps, which is commonly used for electric ranges. #6 thhn is good for 60 amps in a raceway , But the MC is a wiring method, so it is probably only good up to 50 amps also.
Max charge rate is 48 amps so that’s why the instructions say to use 6 AWG.
#6 thhn, not romex
My 6 AWG wire is too big for some reason... I'm installing 60v breakers any recommendations?
Too big for what?
Great job. Luckily I hired an electrician to hook mine up, it wasn’t cheap but I have all my fingers.
Good move
Is your new house
Yes it is.
What app are you using ? I have the Gen 3 Universal Charger and not sure where I can set the amps to
You can set the charging rate in the Tesla app or on the car’s display.
I have a Seimen panel, i am seeing a variety of 60 amp Seimen breaker available, do you know which one is a better fit putting cost aside?
This is my first experience with Siemens, and I have only used genuine Siemens breakers.
@@handydadtv Right, I am seeing two 60 amp Seimen breaker for the choosing ... So, not sure which is the right one.
@colinslam1950 I used the Q260.
What wire gage are you using?
6 gauge wire, per the instructions.
Why did you go all the way to the bottom of the wall, only to go up to the power box. If you had gone across the wall to the power box, you would have used less wire and conduit.
Good question! All the house wiring goes out the top of the panel so I definitely wanted to come in from the bottom. The hole in the drywall was left there by a previous electrician who ran a power line outside so I reused it instead of making another one to save a few feet of wire. I went over the top because I wanted the workbench tight to the wall and planned to put the slat wall above it.
One more point ( sorry hadnt watched to the end) NEVER TURN ON BREAKER WHILE THE COVER IS OFF.... AND ONLY TURN ON BREAKER WITH YOUR LEFT HAND INCASE A WIRE SOMEWHERE HAS GOTTEN DAMAGE AND THERE IA A SHORT TO GROUND OR PHASE TO PHASE
Thanks.
At minute 9:00 of the video, what size is the connector fitting?
Not sure. Probably 1/2”.
A reducing bushing
👍🏻
Would have looked so much better in ridged conduit. Also, why not just run into the top of the panel w/ the MC? Would have looked much better than that big loop.
There are a lot of videos using conduit so I wanted to show an alternative. I went through the bottom because there was already a hole in the drywall and all my household circuits go out the top so it’s very crowded up there.
3/4 to 1/2 inch bushing or reducing washers are available
Thanks for the tip!
Nice
Thanks 😊
👏👏👏👏👏
Thanks 😊
I'm pretty you can't terminate mc at a plastic enclosure.
Why not? You’re the first to mention this.
you are incorrect to say that is a 60 amp breaker! It is clearly a 30 amp breaker!! check your code carefully: in some areas you could use a 60 amp breaker and charge at 48 amps!
The 30-amp was an unused breaker. Zoom to 14:08.
@@handydadtv ok, so say what is the new breaker and why?
60 amp because that’s the max the Wall Connector can use.
@@handydadtv ok thank you. Next why 6 AWG on a 60 amp breaker. A long run may require 4 AWG. Some codes allow 6 AWG on 60 amp for how long of a distance? The 48amp is - or is not? - guaranteed and code-following to be the max load on that 6 AWG.
@rvadataguy4459 I have a short run and followed the instructions for the Wall Connector. If you’ve got a long run, call an electrician to help size your wire.
Mmmm i also cant believe nobody has brought to you attention the use of 2 connectors is a big no no but also i dont know where you were taught to un wind the MS. Cable you should be using your hacksaw to cut the sheath then slide the cut end off so you dont damage the cable inside.
Thanks for the advice.
I thought The best practice is to torque it not tighten, wiggle and tighten again
Stranded wire can loosen after wiggling so electricians told me to wiggle and tighten again.
Didn't need a torque wrench on a breaker
They have torque specs on them.
You mean this is all these electricians are charging hundreds of dollars to do? That’s it? Yeah I’m bout to do this myself.😅 the charger even comes with installation instructions on DIY
It’s much harder if your panel is on the other side of the house. But if it’s in the garage, it’s not hard. Just tighten-wiggle-tighten the connections.
Never use your hand as a hammer, your older self will thank you....
My mother used to say the same thing when I’d open something with my teeth. 😂
BTW, are you by chance, THE Joe Blow from Idaho?
@@handydadtv negative
330.12, MC is not permitted to be installed where subject to physical damage. Exposed installation under 72-96 inches from the floor is almost universally considered subject to physical damage. Some areas say 6', some 8', some 7' 6", but no one allows exposed MC or NM under 6'.
When it comes to exposed runs in a dwelling unit, including garages, MC gets you no further than NM. The prohibition on installing where subject to physical damage is exactly the same.
Even if your AHJ is okay with your install 99% of those out there, and 100% of good ones, are not. This is very bad for educational content. MC is not a cheat code. It is always better than NM, but not always good enough!
Also, be very careful with garages. Because it's tucked in the side it's defensible here, but if you had popped out of the wall at that height (bumper/snowblower height) at the back or side of the garage that would be installed where subject to severe physical damage. You are fairly unlikely to get tagged for severe physical damage in a single family dwelling, though.
Thanks so much for the info. Especially the NEC reference. Most critics just say “wrong” (or worse) and give no supporting details.
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I replied to your email. Thanks.
As an electrician I think the man did a great job 👏 for an amateur. Yet I would add this safety point!! Put the panel cover back on and stand to the side before turning Any breaker on!! I once had a faulty breaker explode. These two safety steps are all that kept me from getting bathed in metal shards and sparks!! Trust me on this 😂.
Thanks for your videos 📹 carnal
My pleasure!