ChargePoint Home Flex installed, no more amperage setting in app

[broncoaz]

I hired a local electrician to hardwire my ChargePoint Home Flex charger hardwired on a 60 amp circuit, he completed the install this week. The distance from the panel to the charger was about 45’ across the basement and through the outer wall of the house just above the foundation. He ran 6/3 Romex on a 60 amp breaker, then removed the outer casing to convert to PVC conduit for the exterior run. I haven’t seen the final bill yet, but the estimate for the EVSE install and 30 amp generator input to the panel was $1800, but that was estimated with a 14-50 plug and GFCI breaker (Neither of which were used). I also had him add a 20 amp circuit for my basement fridge and chest freezer. if I were doing it again I’d have just done it myself to save some money, he did exactly what I would’ve done.

The charger works fine and puts out 48 amps as designed. Most of the time I don’t need the full 48 amps, when I was researching this charger people said you could adjust the amps on each connection from the app. I can’t see where I would do that, and when I looked into it apparently ChargePoint removed that feature from the app in May 2022. I’m kind of bummer about that as most of the time I wouldn’t need or want 48 amps, but I do want the capability just in case. I’ll probably be stuck setting the charger to 40 amps and running to that way. Most of the time I come home at 5-7 pm and don’t leave for work before 7 am, so I have plenty of time to charge slower at 40 or 32 amps. I’m going to email ChargePoint and ask if there is anything that can be done, but I’m expecting a “sorry, dumb people ruined it for everyone else” answer.

I would like to have a charger smart enough to automatically adjust the amperage to the lowest setting necessary to charge the truck to the desired level by the specified time. Slower charging is better for batteries, so if I have 12-14 hours I don’t need a full 40 or 48 amps charging fast to finish by 1 am when I leave no earlier than 7 am.

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[vacasity]

I also have a charge point home flex and another annoying thing is it doesn't list the miles correctly that are added to the vehicle. Is there anyway to change the way it projects the miles added?

 

[Tyleem111]

The only way I have seen to set the amperage is at first set up (or if you reset it and set it up as new again). The support says you can adjust the amperage in the settings but it is NOT there. Hopefully they fix this.

 

[shutterbug]

I also have a charge point home flex and another annoying thing is it doesn't list the miles correctly that are added to the vehicle. Is there anyway to change the way it projects the miles added?

Miles guestimate in your vehicle is just an estimate based on your driving history, An AC charger can only give you an estimate based on what you tell it your vehicle is. It has no way of knowing your driving history and it has no way of knowing if you selected the correct vehicle. This applies to all AC chargers, not just ChargePoint.

 

[Pioneer74]

If he used 6/3 Romex and kept the sheathing on any part of the installation, you shouldn't be charging at 48 amps.

 

[JustB]

If he used 6/3 Romex on any part of the installation, you shouldn't be charging at 48 amps.

I just bought a ChargePoint as well. I was going to run 4/3 but everything I read about it said the connections in the unit will not accept a wire larger than 6 gauge.

 

[Pioneer74]

I just bought a ChargePoint as well. I was going to run 4/3 but everything I read about it said the connections in the unit will not accept a wire larger than 6 gauge.

You could run 4/3 to a box and use 6 guage wire to the unit through liquitite. Or use 6/3 Romex and limit it to 40 amps.

 

[RickLightning]

I would like to have a charger smart enough to automatically adjust the amperage to the lowest setting necessary to charge the truck to the desired level by the specified time. Slower charging is better for batteries, so if I have 12-14 hours I don’t need a full 40 or 48 amps charging fast to finish by 1 am when I leave no earlier than 7 am.

No such thing exists. Car determines what it asks for, which is 48amps. Charger supplies the most it is set to provide.

JuiceBox lets me adjust to any amperage up to the max.

 

[broncoaz]

If he used 6/3 Romex and kept the sheathing on any part of the installation, you shouldn't be charging at 48 amps.

He had the code book out and was showing me it was good for 65 amps at whatever temperature, so it was exceeding the 120% rule at 48 amps. He mentioned running 4 gauge but cited that the charger lugs wouldn’t take it without using reducers. I’m probably going to limit it to 40 amps anyway, if so I’ll swap the breaker back to a 50A.

My bigger concern was him using 10/3 Romex on the 30 amp generator input. I would’ve used 8/3 for that part.

 

[Pioneer74]

He had the code book out and was showing me it was good for 65 amps at whatever temperature, so it was exceeding the 120% rule at 48 amps. He mentioned running 4 gauge but cited that the charger lugs wouldn’t take it without using reducers. I’m probably going to limit it to 40 amps anyway, if so I’ll swap the breaker back to a 50A.

My bigger concern was him using 10/3 Romex on the 30 amp generator input. I would’ve used 8/3 for that part.

Romex falls under the 60 degree column, not the 75. It's only rated for 55 amps because the sheathing doesn't allow for an air gap on the conductors.

 

[broncoaz]

No such thing exists. Car determines what it asks for, which is 48amps. Charger supplies the most it is set to provide.

JuiceBox lets me adjust to any amperage up to the max.

Good, so Ford can program the truck to do what I’m asking for at some point in the future with an OTA update. Seems like the utility companies would be asking for something like amperage on demand for reducing the draw on the grid as EV’s become ubiquitous.

One of the reasons I chose the ChargePoint was that my utility offers an incentive of $200 per year for allowing them to remotely turn down the amperage in the summer months to reduce strain on the grid.

 

[broncoaz]

Romex falls under the 60 degree column, not the 75. It's only rated for 55 amps because the sheathing doesn't allow for an air gap on the conductors.

Thanks for posting that. I’ll question him on it when I receive the bill. It’s not a major issue as I was leaning towards reducing the charge to 40 amps for the health of the battery anyway. Had we done a 14-50 connector I’d only be at 40 amps anyway, and still hardwired since the ChargePoint recommends not installing on a GFCI breaker. I need to figure out how to reset the charger, I think I need to remove it from my account and set up again as new.

 

[PV2EV]

Thanks for posting that. I’ll question him on it when I receive the bill. It’s not a major issue as I was leaning towards reducing the charge to 40 amps for the health of the battery anyway. Had we done a 14-50 connector I’d only be at 40 amps anyway, and still hardwired since the ChargePoint recommends not installing on a GFCI breaker. I need to figure out how to reset the charger, I think I need to remove it from my account and set up again as new.

Correct, delete it in the app, and install/set it up again to adjust the amperage.

 

[jimfigler]

K

If he used 6/3 Romex and kept the sheathing on any part of the installation, you shouldn't be charging at 48 amps.

Right, Romex is rated at 55amps but it’s acceptable to be served by a 60amp breaker. But then using the 80% rule a 60amp circuit should only be operated at 48amp. 50amps would need a 70 amp circuit.

 

[broncoaz]

I removed the charger from my account and set it to 40 amps when I reconnected.

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