How to use 120V circuit breaker with 240V circuit breaker?

Question

I am doing a panel schedule for a new house. I have multiple circuit breaker for my receptacles lights, appliances etc. my question is that mainly I am using 120v single pole 20 amp circuit breaker for garage receptacles. but I must include an EV charging station, and by code this receptacle must be 240V.

So without including EV charging outlet (or counting this as normal outlet) I can put 10 receptacles in one 20 amp circuit breaker which is 120V single pole.(1 outlet is 1.5amp - max 10 outlets= 1800 watts). Do I have to assign a different circuit to EV charging outlet since this requires 240V?

This question also rises up when I try to classify the washer and dryer in the laundry room. The washing machine can run on 120V receptacle, but the dryer needs to run on 240V receptacle, and when I do the panel schedule, I'm not sure how do I have to specify between two. From what I can understand by reading online, I can run double pole 120v which creates 240v. Then assign washer and dryer receptacles into one circuit breaker that is 30 amp 2 pole, 2 receptacles, 5500 watts. (and the maximum wattage I can use for a 30 amp X 120+120=7200). Is this possible or do I have to separate each receptacle to it's own circuit? What if I run the washing and dryer machine together, now I am overloading the circuit.

Answer 1

TLDR: For large appliances there is a short list of specific appliances that need 240V. So you simply identify them by name.

EV? Where did that requirement come from?

A dedicated EV charge circuit is not required in the NEC electrical code. It may be required in local building codes.

What NEC definitely does say, is that any EV charging circuit must be dedicated. That means it can't have ANYTHING else on it.

The simple thing to do

Your best bet is simply run 12/2 Romex from the panel to a junction box in a non-idiotic location for an EV wall unit. Cap off the wires and put a blank cover there. Use a label maker to write "EV Charging" (don't call it a "charger" lol).

This will allow charging at 100+ miles per 10 hours, which will satisfy most needs.

Putting a receptacle there is sheer madness. Most 240V EVSEs (charge gateways) that are wall-mounted don't and shouldn't use a receptacle - it creates an unnecessary requirement for the circuit to be GFCI Protected with a $100+ breaker, which is foolhardy since EVSEs already contain a smart GFCI, that's literally their whole purpose (mostly). You don't need a GFCI breaker on a GFCI receptacle!

No receptacle should be installed because one of five things will happen:

• absolutely nothing.
• the next person will install a wall unit EVSE and hardwire it.
• the next person will install a NEMA 6-20 receptacle for the maximum speed of the circuit, 240V/20A, and also a $120 GFCI breaker at their expense, and plug in a travel or wall EVSE. Dumb, but not your problem.
• the next person will install a NEMA 5-20 GFCI receptacle for 120V/"20A" level 1+ charging.
• the next person will install a NEMA 5-15 (normal) 120V GFCI receptacle for level 1 charging.

All of those are allowed on a 20A breaker, so you can just install any random $13 20A 2-pole breaker that matches your panel brand, and declare victory. If they wire the outlet 120V they can just move the white wire to neutral. You must label the white wire with tape to indicate use as a hot wire.

The municipality may push back

"need a receptacle". No, you don't. The requirement is moronic. You should absolutely fight city hall on this one. You shouldn¡t fit a receptacle - that should be done by the person installing the EV charge equipment to suit THEIR needs, which I covered in the previous list. It is absolutely wrong to select a socket before those needs are known.

"No GFCI breaker" again premature, as 3 of the 4 cases above don't need a GFCI breaker so the $120+ is utter waste.

"EV circuit needs to be 50A" that's poppycock. 50A is gross overkill.

Honestly if they are fixated on high-power charging, the best thing to do is run empty conduit typically 3/4" of ENT "smurf tube", PVC or ideally EMT. That will allow the EV buyer to install any wire they want. (though it's a kindness to the puller to use non-flex conduit as much as practicable).

This question also rises up when i try to classify the washer and dryer in the laundry room. The washing machine can run on 120V receptacle, but the dryer needs to run on 240V receptacle.

The 240V receptacle is only used for the dryer, so it is correctly labeled "dryer". The 120V circuit is labeled "laundry".

The garage general-use circuit is "Garage". The EV circuit is labeled "EV" or whatever you put when you labeled the blank junction box cover.

Answer 2

A few pieces of this - and there is a lot more to learn after...

Many circuits are required to be dedicated, either to a single receptacle or device or a single purpose. Some specific examples:

• Dryer - This is 240V, 30A. It can (technically, there are complications doing so, but in theory) have multiple receptacles. But it can't be shared with 15A and 20A circuits (it is 30A) or with 30A water heater or EV. (Well, EV gets interesting, but hardwired is better...)
• EV - Not required in most places. So could be "anything". But if you hardwire an EV (which is preferable for a bunch of reasons), it needs a dedicated circuit provisioned to match the equipment configuration, which could be anywhere from 20A to 50A, normally 240V.
• Laundry room - needs a 120V circuit (I think 20A) for the washer, can be used for other stuff in the laundry room but can't go elsewhere.
• Kitchen - needs at least 2 20A 120V circuits (could be a 240V circuit that splits to serve two times 120V, known as an MWBC) to server countertop receptacles. Can serve certain receptacles in related rooms but not "receptacles everywhere" or lighting or built-in appliances (with some very limited exceptions)
• Bathroom - needs at least 1 20A 120V circuit for receptacles. Can be shared with lighting in same bathroom or receptacles in other bathrooms, but not lighting or receptacles in other rooms.
• Circuits are classified by their current - 15A, 20A, 30A, etc. With certain exceptions (primarily related to ovens and cooktops) a circuit is a particular size based on built-in appliances or receptacles (each size has a different receptacle type, mostly) and you can't mix/match. So a 30A circuit can't have 20A receptacles, even if their is enough power based on all the loads to make it work.
• Washer and dyer are normally two separate circuits. The exception is a stacked/connected washer/dryer pair where it is designed to be run on one circuit (one appliance plugs into the wall, the second appliance plugs into the first appliance). But you can't just "add things up" on your own.

And once you get past all the specific requirements, you need a few circuits for lighting and for general receptacles (which almost always means 120V unless people have specific requirements for 240V).