A range of different factors needs to be considered including electrical availability and space constraints in setting up your electric car charger at home. If you’re eager to get started however and want to get in on the ground floor, keep reading!
What Is an Electric Car Charging Station?
An electric car charging station is an electrical outlet that’s specifically wired to charge an electric car. It’s called a charging station because it can be connected to the regular power outlet in your home; allowing you to charge your car in your garage, along the side of the road, or at your office.
What Types of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Are There?
There are three main types of electric car charging stations. The type you choose will depend on where you plan to use it. If you’re planning to use your electric car charging station at home, you’re likely to choose:
Level 1 charging station:
Level 1 charging uses 120-volt power, which makes it suitable for overnight charging. Its main benefit is that it does not require an additional electrical circuit in the house.
Level 2 charging station:
A Level 2 charging station can be used on any regular wall outlet in your home. It also requires a dedicated 240-volt circuit in the house, meaning you’ll need to hire an electrician to install it for you. It’s a bit less expensive to set up, but you’ll still pay a hefty amount in installation costs.
Level 3 charging station:
A level 3DC Fast Charging station is called that because it can “fill up” a car battery in about 1hr 10 min. These high-capacity charging stations are much harder to find and require a special, high-capacity electrical circuit in the house.
They’re also the most expensive option, but they do recharge the battery more quickly and make long-distance travel more feasible.
6 Steps On How to Setup Electric Car Charging at Home
- Find a convenient location for your charging station
This is the first step, and it’s likely to be the most time-consuming! When deciding on a location, keep in mind that you’ll need to have access to a working electrical outlet.
- Call your electrician and tell them what you want
Once you’ve decided on a location for your charger, let your electrician know. They’ll then ask questions about what type of charge points you plan to use, the number of ports, and other details to help them get the process started right away.
- Lift and move things around a bit
Once your electrician gives you the go-ahead, they’ll come over and put the electrical box where you want it. Once this is done, they can start to build your home electric car charging station.
- Add supports to your electrical box
Your electrician will now add some steel supports to one side of the charging station enclosure so that all of your wirings fit within their space!
- Install the permits and put in a handle
After they’re installed, your electrician will install some sort of permit plate so that you can put the charging station handle on it. The permit plate is where you’ll hang your charging station if you want to use it.
- Install the electrical box so that it’s flush with the wall!
After adding the handles, your electrician will begin to fill in the electrical box with concrete and sand so that it’s flush with the wall!
Conclusion
It is important to consider all the requirements listed above when installing your charger. Make sure you contact a competent electrician and inform them if you discover any fault in installation in your home.