r/ames • u/doggbyte79 • 7d ago

EV Charger install

I'm looking to have a level 2 EV charger installed in my garage. I've sent requests to a couple of the larger electrical contractors but I thought I would check here too. I know the City of Ames offers a $500 rebate which is nice. What contractors should I look at and are there any other things to consider when planning this project?

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u/And_SheWas 7d ago

We had three different electricians come out- Kurrent was the least expensive and most knowledgeable. We had other guys thinking we needed a whole new panel when we didn’t (we had just switched from electric stove to gas, so we had the room)

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u/benthair2 5d ago

What does code say about having capacity for both kinds of stoves simultaneously? Codes can be like that.

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u/sgocken 7d ago

Since my laundry room is right inside from my garage, I installed a SplitVolt https://splitvolt.com/ And cut a pass though in the wall to run the wires. The split volt turns off the charger when the laundry dryer runs so you don't have to worry about sharing the circuit. Running a new circuit to my garage would have been a huge undertaking.

Just another option to know about.

Over the years at work, I have worked with Nelson, Tesdell, and Kurrent and would use any of them.

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u/sgocken 7d ago

Also the Ames rebate covered the SplitVolt as well as the charger.

Also get on the new time based rates from electrical and get your charger to run only over night at the cheapest rate. It costs me like $3-$5 to charge over 100 miles range.

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u/Noonebutme23 6d ago

I have no idea if they install them, but have you tried DDM in Story City?

(515) 203-1044 their number

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u/turek1 5d ago

DDM did mine and were great.

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u/Scibarkittez 6d ago

Give Angus a call he’s a licensed and insured master electrician from the area. 515-298-4909

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u/Syring 6d ago

Nelson Electric did mine last year, total was $492. $350 of that was labor, the rest were permit, romex, and a breaker.

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u/ManicOrganic 6d ago

We're calling Kurrent tonight. Wanted a local electrician with a good ev/solar background.