Hello.. I am an new Kona Limited EV owner and wanted to know if anyone here has had experience ordering a Dryer Buddy or similar device to switch between dryer and EV plugs? Thanks.
I have built and used devices similar to the "Dryer Buddy" First the negative side. Where I live in California they do not meet the building code and are therefore are not legal. In addition the "Dryer Buddy" does not list and certifications such as UL listing. Therefor if there is a problem is caused by the use of a device like this then an insurance company would not cover it as it is an illegal and unapproved device. Will it work. Yes if done properly. In my case I used the device as a temporary means while I was building a new garage with proper wiring and dedicated circuit breakers. I used a spare circuit breaker box with a breaker for the dryer and a breaker for the charger each one independent. I added a plug to the box that I plugged in to my existing 14-50 welding outlet. All the wiring in the box exceeded electrical code requirements. I only used one device at a time. I also closely monitored it during used for any problems or excess heat. If the "Dryer Buddy is code legal in you area it could be a in expensive option to re wiring. However a lot of areas have rebated that cover the expense of installing a dedicated circuit and plug. Where I live Southern California Edison has $1500 in rebates that more than cover the cost of proper installation of a new plug and circuit.
Just wanted to say thank you for all this awesome information. Also, I've added a pic of one version of the DryerBuddy, but their website seems to offer a number of variations now.
I think that it's easy enough to install a 10-30 or 14-50 outlet if the breaker panel is not too far from the garage. Depending on distance to the carging location, this should run between $50 and $150 for materials and between 30 minutes and 2 hours of work.. It really is very simple to install as long as you follow proper safety. It took me about 40 minutes to install the 14-50 outlet beside my breaker panel.
Not always so easy and cheap. I had a 30 ft run to my main panel that I had to punch through 2 concrete/brick walls. In the end I decide it was easier to install a sub panel closer to an indoor and outdoor 14-50 outlets. After the the appropriate conduits, wiring, sub box and fuses. I think I was into it for at least 6- 8 hours of my labor and around $300 in materials. At least I did not have dig up any concrete. It really is one of those situations where your mileage will vary.
Thanks.. so if I were to put in a dedicated circuit for EV? Should I go for a 50 or 40 amp socket? I talked to an electrician and he says either should be fine for my panel, but he's going to get back to me on the costs. I still may purchase the Dryer Buddy temporarily though.
I would go with the 50 amp as that will allow for maximum charging in the future. The only difference should be wire size (#6 vs # 8) and circuit breaker. The Kona will only draw a max of 32 amps on a level 2 charger but better to have excess capacity for future products then to be upgrading at some later date for future products or cars.
I'm sure that the Dryer Buddy will work just fine even though it's not the preferred solution. Again, it all depends on your setup and how close your breaker panel is to where the car will be parked.
The Dryer Buddy seems overpriced for what it is.. I spent $300 on materials and about 2.5 hours to run a new 14-50 outlet 60 ft to my garage. Most of that cost was due to the long run of copper and the armored conduit to surface mount it most of the way. Hands down, installing a 14-50 outlet is the best long-term plan, IMO.
