Not long ago, one of our customers came to us with a special request. The customer had purchased an electrical vehicle and found that Level 1 charging at their home was too slow for their needs. A Level 2 charger was the answer but their home's circuit breaker panel did not have sufficient capacity to add an additional 240v, 40 amp circuit breaker for the charger. The cost replacing their existing panel or adding a new sub-panel was more that they wished to spend so we worked with their electrician to develop an alternative.
The couple had an existing 40 amp circuit breaker associated with an electric range. Since the range was typically not used after 10 PM, the homeowner was able to install one of our Model 1475 WiFi Load Transfer Switches. The app associated with the switch allows pre-determined scheduling to remove the range from the circuit and replace it with the Level 2 EV charger for a fast, overnight charge. In the morning, the Load Transfer Switch automatically transfers power back to the range before breakfast, all completely transparent to the homeowner. Of course, the power can also be transferred manually at any time through the smartphone app or convenient front panel control on the switch.
An additional benefit from this arrangement is that the power is automatically removed from the outdoor EV charger during the day when the home owner is away, thereby preventing power theft. We also offer our Model 1470 Heavy Duty Load Controller for those who only want to disable outdoor EV chargers when not in use.
Both Model 1470 and Model 1475 are available with ratings up to 60 amps, and in your choice of compatible automation technologies including WiFi, Bluetooth, Insteon, Z-Wave, ZigBee and others.
Contact us for additional information concerning our heavy duty 240v switches or to help you with your custom requirements.