Recharge Rescue La Mesa: Everything About This EV Charging Circuit Was Wrong

Why It Matters

Improper home‑charging installations can cause dangerous overheating and costly downtime, highlighting the need for qualified electricians and adherence to electrical codes as EV ownership expands.

Key Takeaways

• Improper wiring caused overheating and breaker failures in EV charger circuit.
• Six‑gauge ROMX wire was undersized and damaged, violating code.
• Master electrician replaced conduit and installed THHN wire to eliminate heat.
• Wallbox Pulsar Plus charger functioned; issue stemmed from wiring, not unit.
• Proper load calculation confirmed service capacity, avoiding unnecessary upgrades.

Summary

The latest episode of "Recharge Rescue" follows Tom and master electrician Matt Trout as they travel to La Mesa, California, to troubleshoot a home‑charging system that has repeatedly failed for Navy engineer David, a 2023 Rivian R1T owner.

David’s email outlined a 100‑foot run of six‑gauge ROMX cable feeding a hard‑wired Wallbox Pulsar Plus on a 60 amp breaker. Multiple electricians could not pinpoint the cause, but measurements showed the breaker heating, audible arcing, and a humming wire—symptoms of undersized, damaged conductors and improper splicing that violated NEC code.

Matt’s crew performed a load calculation, confirmed the service panel was adequate, and identified the culprit: the ROMX wire, partially exposed across a garage door and spliced in the attic, was not rated for continuous 60 amp draw. They removed the faulty conduit, installed continuous six‑gauge THHN in proper conduit, and left the third‑generation Wallbox in place, noting that the charger itself was operating correctly.

The fix underscores that EV charging reliability hinges on code‑compliant wiring rather than the charger brand. Homeowners and installers must ensure conductor sizing, secure routing, and proper terminations to prevent overheating, equipment failure, and potential fire hazards as EV adoption accelerates.

Original Description

In this Recharge Rescue episode, I travel to la Mesa, California, to fix David's home charging problem.

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Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:38 The problem

08:52 The Qmerit electrician examines David's problems

14:44 The repair begins

16:04 The electrician, Matt Trout, explains what was done

20:42 We swap the Wallbox Pulsar Plus out for an Enphase IQ 2

21:50 I talk to the homewoner, David, once we finished

26:28 My summary of the rescue

35:59 Outro

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