Fasteners for Wall Mounted Electric Vehicle Chargers
With gas prices on the rise, more and more consumers are looking into purchasing electrical vehicles. When you add the devastating effects of climate change to the volatile gas prices, many people who were on the fence about buying an electric vehicle before have now jumped into EV car ownership head first.
With so many new EV owners out there, thousands and thousands of electric vehicle charging stations will need to be installed, in both residential and commercial settings. Depending on the type of charger being installed and the substrate it will be mounted to, the fasteners needed for mounting the charging station will vary.
When it comes to wall mounted electric vehicle charging stations, the majority will be installed in single family residential properties, most often in an existing garage.
If you’re going to be mounting your EV charger to a wood framed wall where you can mount directly to studs, the best fasteners to use are lag screws, more commonly known as lag bolts. If you’re mounting the EV charger to a wood framed wall where a stud is not accessible, drywall anchors should be considered, as they have considerable pull out strength in common materials, and are likely able to hold the weight of many home chargers on the market.
On the other hand, if your wall mounted electric vehicle charging station is to be mounted to a concrete or masonry wall, you need to consider different fastener options. When mounting to a solid concrete wall, either wedge anchors (expansion anchors) or concrete screws should be considered. If your substrate is a masonry wall, wedge anchors are out of the question, but concrete screws may still work. Another option for both masonry and solid concrete wall installation is the use of chemical anchors, better known as epoxy anchors, with threaded rod.
If your wall mounted EV charging station is going to be installed outdoors, where it will be subject to harsh weather conditions, then the material and/or coating on the fastener must also be considered. In most cases, the best materials for outdoor fasteners is going to be either stainless steel or DURA-CON Corrosion Resistant coating.
As always, you should follow the charger manufacturers’ instructions, as the advice given above are just general guidelines and not based on specific engineering. If you need help finding fasteners for your wall mounted electric vehicle charging stations, contact Mudge Fasteners at (800) 634-0406.