Many American drivers are choosing electric cars to cut\ndown on the use of fossil fuels. Electric cars can be charged at home, often\nusing a standard outlet. If you\u2019re thinking about buying an electric car, it\u2019s\nimportant to understand how to charge it safely to avoid over-taxing your\nhome\u2019s electrical system and possibly sparking a fire. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
An electric vehicle may be plugged into an outlet in a\ngarage or outdoors, using equipment rated for outdoor charging. Before\nattempting to charge your electric vehicle, check the owner\u2019s manual or the\nmanufacturer\u2019s website for instructions. Although many types of electric cars\ncan draw power from a standard three-prong, 110-volt outlet, some need wall\nconnectors specifically designed for that make and model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Level 1, 110-volt-compatible connector kit works with a\nstandard wall outlet. It can provide sufficient charging capacity for most\nelectric vehicles and for most drivers\u2019 needs. With a standard outlet, it may\ntake 18 hours or longer to fully charge an electric car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you drive more than 40 or 50 miles per day or need to charge\nyour vehicle faster, you can purchase a Level 2, 240-volt wall-mounted charger.\nThat can cost thousands of dollars and must be installed by an electrician. A Level\n2 charger is equipped with standard safety features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you aren\u2019t sure if your home\u2019s electrical system can\nhandle the demands of charging an electric car, have an electrician inspect it\nfirst. If the wiring is damaged or outdated, or if a component was installed\nincorrectly, that can increase the risk of an electrical fire. If appliances\nthat use a lot of energy are on the same circuit, they may not be able to get\nenough power. That can cause the circuit breaker to trip and possibly spark an\nelectrical fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want to use a Level 2 charger, an electrician will\nhave to inspect your home\u2019s electrical system and tell you if it has a high\nenough capacity. If not, the electrician may be able to add circuits to allow\nyou to charge an electric vehicle. You might need to obtain permits for\nadditional circuits from your local government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Using an extension cord can increase the risk of an\nelectrical fire. If possible, plug your electric vehicle\u2019s charging cord\ndirectly into a wall outlet, not into an extension cord. If you must use an\nextension cord, use the shortest one possible, and make sure it is a high\nenough gauge to handle the current.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s also important to have the right insurance coverage\nfor both your vehicle and your home. Petruzelo Insurance can help you compare auto<\/a>\nand homeowners insurance<\/a>\npolicies from several top companies and find multi-policy discounts and other\nways to save money. Contact us<\/a> today to\nlearn more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Many American drivers are choosing electric cars to cut down on the use of fossil fuels. Electric cars can be charged at home, often using a standard outlet. If you\u2019re thinking about buying an electric car, it\u2019s important to understand how to charge it safely to avoid over-taxing your home\u2019s electrical system and possibly sparking […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2738,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2736","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.petruzelo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2736","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.petruzelo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.petruzelo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petruzelo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petruzelo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2736"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.petruzelo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2736\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2739,"href":"https:\/\/www.petruzelo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2736\/revisions\/2739"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petruzelo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2738"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.petruzelo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2736"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petruzelo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2736"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petruzelo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}