A lot of times folks who use the wrong size circuit breaker may discover that their Tesla wall charger is not working. To prevent this issue, it gets compulsory to verify that your using right size breaker.
So, what size breaker for Tesla wall charger should you use? Depending on the outlet type, the size of the breaker could be diverse. Like:
- 15A – 50A breaker for NEMA chargers.
- 15A breaker for Gen 1 chargers.
- 15A – 100A breaker for single-phase Gen 2 chargers.
- 6A – 32A breaker for three-phase Gen 2 and 3 chargers.
- 15A – 60A breaker for single-phase Gen 3 chargers.
- 40A – 100A breaker for HPWC chargers.
Keep on reading to know this in detail!
The Breaker Size To Use For Tesla Wall Charger!
It’s natural to get curious about the circuit breaker size for the Tesla charger. The answer can vary based on the wall connector type. Let me explain it in a detailed way below:
NEMA Charger
Tesla charger breaker size for the NEMA-type outlet is rated differently. For the NEMA 14-50 outlet the circuit breaker would be 50A recommended. Then again, the NEMA 14-30 outlet contains a 30A circuit breaker.
FYI, Tesla suggests installing 240V outlet for Tesla charging with a 50A circuit breaker. In some NEMA wall chargers, Tesla suggests using 15A or 20A based on the recharge rate in kilometers per hour.
As the outlet need to use the right size circuit breaker to get the right charge, it’s essential to check the size that Tesla offers in the user manual.
Thanks to the circuit breaker operation in the wall charger, one can easily understand how many KWH to charge a Tesla.
Gen 1 Charger
In the Gen 1 wall charger (the old type), Tesla recommends using only a 15A-rated circuit breaker if the AC supply is 120V, 208V, or 240V.
Gen 2 Charger
The Gen 2 wall chargers usually use single-phase or three-phase circuit breakers to get the better charging experience that Tesla suggests. Let me explain what size breaker for the Tesla wall charger (Gen 2):
1-phase Circuit Breaker
Some Gen 2 wall chargers with single-phase power is rated to use 100A single-phase circuit breakers. Although the rating is set to the max level, you can adjust the circuit breaker rating from 15A – 100A.
3-phase Circuit Breaker
For the Gen 2 wall chargers with three-phase power, Tesla suggests using a 3-phase circuit breaker rated for 32A per phase. One can adjust the level of the circuit breaker from 6A – 32A on the wall connector.
Gen 3 Charger
To get the highest power, Tesla Gen 3 wall connectors (the latest type) offer different sizes of single-phase and three-phase circuit breakers.
Sometimes, the electrical Gen 3 wall chargers don’t suit the max rate even after changing the Tesla charge limit setting.
In that case, you need to select a lower amperage configuration that is given below based on circuit breaker type:
1-phase Circuit Breaker
| Circuit Breaker | Output (Max) | Power Output At 240V |
| 60A | 48A | 11.5 kWh |
| 50A | 40A | 9.6 kWh |
| 40A | 32A | 7.6 kWh |
| 30A | 24A | 5.7 kWh |
| 20A | 16A | 3.8 kWh |
| 15A | 12A | 2.8 kWh |
3-phase Circuit Breaker
| Circuit Breaker | 1-phase Power Outlet (kW) | 3-phase Delta Power Outlet (kW) | 2-phase with Neutral Power Output (kW) | 3-phase WYE Power Outlet (kW) |
| 32A | 7.4 | 8.5 | 14.7 | 22.1 |
| 25A | 5.8 | 6.6 | 11.5 | 17.3 |
| 20A | 4.6 | 5.3 | 9.2 | 13.8 |
| 16A | 3.7 | 4.2 | 7.4 | 11.0 |
| 13A | 3.0 | 3.4 | 6.0 | 9.0 |
| 10A | 2.3 | 2.7 | 4.6 | 6.9 |
| 8A | 1.8 | 2.1 | 3.7 | 5.5 |
| 6A | 1.4 | 1.6 | 2.8 | 4.1 |
HPWC Charger
Tesla home charger breaker size can differ in most wall connector types except for the HPWC (High Power Wall Connector).
This kind of charger is rated to use 100A (max) circuit breakers if the HPWC contains 120V, 230V, and 240V. One can easily change the current setting from 40A – 100A based on the home or office locations.
What Size Breaker Do I Need For A Tesla Charger?
For the Tesla wall charger, you don’t need to use a specific size breaker. It’s because this has been set during the installation procedure of the circuit breaker on the wall connector.
As there’s a setup of charging limit which is set to use only 80% of the circuit capacity, you’ll able to charge the car no matter what size circuit you use.
The easiest way to decide what size breaker to use in the Tesla charger, ask yourself these questions:
- How much power do you want to run in the Tesla? If you want to feed your car a full 48A power, then it’s best to use a 60A circuit breaker.
- How fast do you want to charge the car? For the fastest charging, it’s best to pick a higher amperage configuration.
- Wants the safest way to charge without catching fire or other harm. To charge the wall connector in a safe way, it’s wise to use any size circuit breaker with a suitable wire.
Wrapping Up
To ensure the max protection of the power supply through the wall connector, we all should use the right size breaker for the Tesla wall charger.
Here are a few things that I’ll suggest considering along with this:
- Never use the wall connector if it contains cracks.
- If using a high load of power with the circuit breaker on the wall connector, ensure to use the right size of wire as well.
- Always read the user manual of the wall connector before using them in your Tesla.
Hope you find it helpful!
