How To Safely Charge Your Electric Vehicle
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- Опубліковано 15 лип 2024
- Electric vehicle charging is safe, as long as it's done properly. I sit down with Qmerit EV charging installation expert, Matt Trout, to discuss how to make sure your EV charging equipment is installed properly.
This video is powered by Qmerit, North America’s leading provider of installation services for EV charging, home energy storage, and other electrification technologies. See how Qmerit is making the energy transition easy for home and business owners: qmerit.com/ev/charge
Check out Sandy Munro's video on this topic: • Home Charging Installa...
Chapters
0:00 Introduction
3:07 Interview with Qmerit's Matt Trout, an EV charging installation specialist
5:24 Hardwired vs plug-in EV charging
11:34 Hire an EV charging specialist, not just any electrician
14:39 The new code requires GFCI-protected outlets, which may cause nuisance tripping
19:14 My recommendations for safe home electric vehicle charging
26:05 Outro
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This video is exactly what I needed. I also watched the Munro Live video and got freaked out. I originally had a certified electrician come out and hard wire a Tesla wall charger, but my bill never said about what type of breaker and wire/gauge. Out of concern I had a separate company come out and "double check" the work and all is good. I mentioned about the continuous load and he said that the #6 Romex is fine. This is contrary to what you're mentioning here. If I ran at a lower amp would that be safer (say 30a or 35a)?
So many electricians will tell you #6 ROMEX is fine because with just about any other electrical equipment out there, it is OK - but not for the continuous loads of EV charging. If you dial it back to 40-amps you'll be fine and you'll barely even notice the time difference in charging.
We turned ours down to 24 amps for our plugin it's 5kw plenty of power for us to fully charge overnight. Now the cord doesn't even get warm.
If it gets warm you are loosing energy to heat, fight the resistance.
When someone states a particular wire is fine it depends on how long the run is. You have to calculate voltage drop for distance.
@@kaydeanda2182 That's part of it, but 6-ga ROMEX is against code for 48-amp charging no mater how short the run it.
What is the breaker size and what setting do you have the wall connector on? I think there might be some confusion with that part of the video. If you have a 50 amp breaker and the Wall Connector (EVSE) is set at 40 amps, then the #6 NM-B (Romex) is to code.
You’re doing the EV community-and particularly the newbies-a huge service by explaining these considerations without alarmist clickbait. Thanks, Tom!
Thank you, Vlad.
Excellent point made in this video. I've been retired now since 2010, and was an IBEW & UAW electrician for 30 yrs and 25 yrs electrical technician with the FAA. These are all excellent suggestions for a common sense home owner who wishes to wire his own charger circuit. But if the electrician you hire doesn't already know everything you've talked about in this video you'd probably be better off following all these suggestions and just wiring it yourself.
I at first had a portable charger that I was plugging and unplugging, then saw the Munro Video and decided to get a wall mounted one. This video confirms that. Thanks
I had my solar installers add a 14-50 for charging. I just paused the video and went out and checked. Looks like they did it right. Dedicated circuit, THHN AWG 6 in conduit, Hubbell receptacle in a metal box. Thanks for doing this. I don't need to make any changes, but the peace of mind is nice.
Good to hear. After 6-8 months of use, shut off the breaker (make sure it's the correct one!) and check to make sure the connections in the outlet are all still nice and tight.
@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney Excellent advice! Just over 35 years ago I worked as an electrician's mate (no license or education), so I'm just familiar enough to be dangerous, but I did break out my in/lb torque driver while I was out there. It was more than a quarter turn before it clicked over on the 75 in/lb spec setting, so they had loosened a bit.
@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney Another good point. In fact home owners would be wise to make that an annual home inspection. But not just for the charger circuit. Turn the main service breaker off. Remove breaker panel cover and tighten all breaker screws. Once any breaker screw begins to arc the breaker itself may not trip but the loose wire connection at the breaker will begin to heat up and start a fire. Another reason to use metal conduit versus electrical pvc conduit.
The great thing about the tesla is that you can adjust the charge Amperage on the vehicle screen. So although I have a 50 Amp breaker and capable of charging at 38 Amps (75% of 50amps), I charge my EV at 18 Amps. This keeps the whole charging system cooler. Hot wires means wasting energy in the form of heat. You don't need to charge at high amps if you are charging overnight for 8 hours or more. BTW, I used the proper 6 gauge THHN and a High grade wall connector. If your connector does not use an Allen wrench to tighten the wires, and uses a regular screwdriver instead, you know you have a fire-starter. Also the only time I charge at home at 38 Amps is if I need to charge at about 28 miles an hour. Otherwise a slow 15 to 18 amp slow charge is the best. Your equipment will love love you for it.
actually you are wasting more energy by charging too low. Most efficient charging rate is around 32A.
Been driving all electric for a decade now, and I have never had an issue with home charging. The way we had our electricians wire up for our NEMA 6-50 plugs was to have a dedicated breaker on the main bar that runs directly to that outlet only. Have never had an issue, and that is even including during the hot summer months here in Las Vegas. Like you said at the end of the video, so long as you have an electrician set it up for you, they will be able to advise you on whether you are going to draw too much on that outlet.
Very comprehensive explanation of the charging problems.
Thanks Tom for being so thorough. This should help alleviate new EV owner’s concerns.
Thank you for this video, I was one of your followers that emailed you!
Thank you, Tom. Great addition to Sandy's video (and a little easier to understand). Good job.
Great video. Thanks. Had to convince engineer husband to hire electrician but so glad I did.
A big benefit of an outlet is if you need to have warranty work done, the home owner can unplug the unit and have it serviced vs needed to have an electrician come out to unwire it and then come back and rewire it back up.
I was going with the portability until I saw your video. Thank you
Wow, very informative especially being that I am picking up my new EV tomorrow. Thanks to your video, I will hire an electrician that specializes in EV charging installations because I am not willing to take any risks.
Great video and a thanks to Munro Live for bringing this issue to light for most of us. Probably will save homes and lives. Thanks Tom.
I'm looking into purchasing a VW ID.4 right now and this video was incredibly helpful. Thanks so much Tom.
Great video Tom! Everyone who has an EVSE installed, or who just uses a 120 V outlet to charge their car, should watch this.
The cheat sheet for safe charging at 19:14 is very useful, thanks Tom.
There needs to be a national standard set for home EV charging installations. My first NEMA 14-50R install failed - aluminum wiring and residential 14-50R installed by an electrician who obviously didn't know what he was doing (and it could have caused a fire). Replaced it with a hardwired system by an electrician who's rated to do EV charge station installs. No problems since.
7:55 mark “If you live in a cold weather area like I do. My garage gets down to, like forty degrees.” That’s called “Fall” in Chicago.
Great info, Tom and Matt, thanks. I immediately signed up for my local QMerit installer to give me an estimate. Cheers and drive safely.
I highly recommend a minimum of 3 quotes because pricing varies greatly. Try to give all electricians the same specifications such as #6 THHN copper wire, 60 amp beaker, hard wire connection for 48A continuous. If the high price quote adds so called “safety equipment”, ask the other electricians if it’s needed.
So I just checked my connections (installation was a year ago) and one of them was loose. I guess this will go on my 8 month to do list. Thanks again Tom for bringing this important information to the EV community.
As an EE with over 30 yrs experience, I installed a 50A line for the Tesla mobile connector in my garage. Make sure you do the wiggle test on each conductor and re-torque each lug if needed. One of mine slightly loosened after 6 months producing heat.
30 hours of experience? That’s almost a whole work week! 😜
@@Pythonzzz John, thank you for catching my typo error. Despite proofing, I missed it probably due to old age. It's 30+ years experience. Original text corrected.
@@johnpoldo8817 Haha, I was just poking fun. I knew what you meant.
I was about to install 12$ NEMA outlet, I didn't even know about thhn wires existed and you saved me. This is video is a lifesaver.
Excellent info. You answered A LOT of questions I had. I'm sending this link to my electrician / handyman.
Really excellent information ... Thanks much !
Thanks, Tom! This is very helpful.
Thanks for the Great Info! just had my Ford Pro charger installed. i only running it at 64amps which is plenty
Great video and lots of useful information. I did have a ChargePoint installed, hardwired and connected to a 60amp breaker. So far it’s been working great.
At least once a year, preferably 6 months, pull the breaker and check the breaker to bus bar connection to make sure it is not black (black indicate a poor connection). I would also recommend that you always charge at the slowest rate to get your EV charged to the amount you want at the point in time when you want to leave again.
Thank You for supporting Electric Vehicles and for All that you are doing for our Planet Earth... Peace.. Shalom.. Salam.. Namaste 🙏🏻 😊 🌈 ✌ ☮ ❤
Qmerit installed a Pass & Seymour 14-50 outlet in my garage as part of the promotion when buying a Chevrolet Bolt EUV. Since the OEM EVSE with the Bolt only draws 32 amps, it has a greater safety margin, but I'm definitely going to check on it after six months of use.
Great Video Tom!
I just uploaded a video to my channel of me plugging in my Tesla Model Y out my kitchen window from my apartment that’s in the city.
I hooked up an L6-30 Hubbell Receptacle 5 years ago to a 2 Pole 30A breaker.
In 5 years I’ve unplugged it once. It always stays plugged in. In one of my videos I mention exactly this, that you should never unplug the EVSE.
My EVSE is only 20 Amps.
I did not hire an electrician. I’ve hooked up 9 EVSEs in the past 10 years for me, family and friends so far.
I always use copper wire, Hubbell receptacles and direct runs.
Unfortunately I’ve never re-torqued the connections of this circuit.
I guess I’ll add that to my to-do list for this weekend.
Thanks Tom!
Sandy's video and yours with both of your experts is spot on. I had an electrician install my NEMA 14-50 outlet. I have a 200 amp circuit and he spec'ed it well as well as installing a higher grade outlet. My EVSE and outlet are outside. The outlet is in a weather proof box. Since the outlet tops at 50 amps the car is only drawing 32 amps. Fortunately the EVSE and even my car can go even lower than the 32 amps which is great. I charge at night off peak and only need a couple hours then I'm back at 80%. The wires aren't hot which is key. The breaker isn't hot either which are all good things. And since I use the parent company the electrician works for, for other licensed and dedicated services such as plumbing and HVAC they will be coming out periodically to check their work, my EVSE and all of the electrical in the house to make sure I'm good to go.
Excellent video.
I found your channel through Auto Focus and Out of Spec UA-cam channels. I'm so glad I found your channel.
This was a great video thank you for making this one I really needed it because I wasn't sure which way to go as far as outlet or hardwire.
as usual fantastic content. Thx Tom.
Excellent video, something no one is talking about.
Great video as always. Will be sharing this on Torque News. Tom, one thing I would further stress is pulling a permit. Pretty sure all municipalities require a permit for a new 240V outlet or circuit. When you pull a permit, you don't have "an" electrician on the job, you have two. Yours and the town's inspector, who is responsible for knowing all of the current codes and should also be up to speed on EVs, given this is the second decade of the modern EV era. . Between them, if they cannot figure out how to safely install an EV charger these things should not be in any home. I'm having yet another home completely updated to accommodate an EV charger and will be following our advice to the T. Cheers
So informative! Thanks for making this video.
Great information - thanks!!
Thank you for the great video - a must for EV owners. Having been "involved" in developing Article 625, hardwiring is definitely preferred for installing an AC home charger (EVSE) and connecting with a "range" plug should be avoided for all the reasons you stated and more. Class A GFCI works with both grounded and double insulated equipment and thus the 5 mA trip level and 0.5 allowable leakage levels. Since the EV must be grounded, a "ground monitor interrupter" (GMI) and "charge circuit interrupting device" (CCID20) in the EVSE provides an equivalent level of personnel protection without compromising the physiological effects. The CCID also does a self test every time prior to start up and thus no test/reset buttons that aren't normally used as required. A Class A GFCI breaker subverts the CCID20/GMI and will trip unnecessarily and turn system off until human intervention.
I just finished watching Sandy Munro's video which you referenced and then stumbled on yours. As I commented there, I live in Mexico, we have very few EVs right now but it's growing. However, our electric utility CFE, will install a separate meter for a dedicated service for EV charging which I think is a really good idea and should eliminate these problems. Maybe the U.S. should consider doing that to avoid these issues.
Great video--thanks for making it. This comment partially echoes some previous posts ... here's some good advice for everybody: set the amperage limit to reach your target level by the time you need it, but not higher. That way, you're stressing the wiring less, which is safer. I also prefer my energy going to the batteries, not heating the wires. Charging at 20A for 5 hours, then sitting for 5 hours, is not as smart at charging at 10A for 10 hours.
7:55 “a cold weather area like I do here, my garage gets down to 40°F” oh, that cold, huh? The reason I’m not DIYing an EVSE install this winter is that I don’t t know how I’m going to uncoil and bend the wire to install it at -25°F! Hello, love and thanks for all your quality work from Minneapolis.
Thank you!
Great video with the recommendations. I just installed a Tesla wall charger a few days ago with Romex and just swapped it out after seeing this video. Thank you for this.
Thanks Tom! Having an electrician install the hardwired Tesla connector at my dad’s house in about a week. Thanks for this info!
No 6-ga ROMEX, even if he insists that it's OK!
You got it! Making sure this point is driven home
Good video. Safety is the best approach. Thermal expansion and contraction is a fact of electrical connection points. Low Resistance is critical in an electrical connection. A loose connection creates higher resistance and more heat (linear for resistance, squared for current; I-squared x Resistance = watts (heat)). Thanks for the video.
I remember people arguing with me about hardwired units being superior for years. Glad you’ve changed your mind; hopefully others do, too.
Thanks for the video. This video is about safety. Don’t mess with electricity. There are many things I will try to diy , this is not one of them because I don’t have expertise , experience. The risk is not worth it. If I can afford an EV, then I surely can afford the electrician to professionally install the outlet as well.
Recently we installed one 11kW 3-Phase Charger from PRACHT Alpha Productline in our Holiday House and its working awesome on my MYLR 2023. We were afraid of doing this since it is in Bosnia where Electricity is very sketchy and old installations also. My Uncle came over and installed this thing in 3hrs. He did it like a pro since he works for the town in the electric field. I measured Temps with a Temp Camera and everything seems fine! :)
You're asking great questions - Thanks! I hope these questions are addressed with Vehicle to Grid usage demand requirements coming soon.
I believe the conditions in this discussion are all due to load demand.
Something that we've done on our own for the last six years, is installing a load rated Fusible Disconnect with Fast Acting Fuses between the EV Charger outlet and Power Source (this design has saved bigger problems). Consider this option as the most direct method, such as with Air Conditioning Units (HACR rated Circuit Breakers only) on the Panel Supply to handle continuous demand issues . All these Electrical Standards are part of NFPA 70 for A/C equipment currently. Also, any Aluminum on the Panel Buss, Circuit Breakers, and Wiring is a low standard to handle the heat without upsizing for demand, at best for heavy demand products. Commercial Systems are Copper for good reason.
Another option is using a Smart EV Charger outlet that can be set to power transfer of 60 to 80% based on Existing Panel load calculations. Be Safe
Qmerit's electrician did an install of an outlet in our garage. First he shows up with a $12 dollar range 14-50 outlet, second no torque driver, third strips the wires way too much and fourth his company never got a permit even though GM paid them $250 for it. I had a Hubbell 14-50 but he didn't have the right box for it. I complained to Qmerit and sent them a photo of the install, wish I could send it to you, showing the wire connections.
Very good suggestion to have a dedicated 120V outlet if those garage outlets were installed long time ago. When I first used a random 120V outlet in our garage to charge our Leaf many years ago, we had some really bad smell in my office once in a while and it lasted for months before I realized 1 of the outlets inside my office close to the garage got so hot that it released that smell so I traced the wires going to the garage and is actually piggy-back connected from that hot outlet. Good thing back then there was no 48A charging otherwise the house would have been burned down.
Thanks, insightful...
Hi Tom. Such a great video with really pertinent info. Does it make sense to add a link to each of your previous EVSE video reviews and to your comparison guide table?
Even in my new modular home, the breaker lugs on my electric furnace needed retightening on the breaker after a couple years. All heavy duty/high current electrical connections need to be checked for proper torque every couple of years.
🔌🔌This is well done and I stress some older garages and even new ones where the local city inspectors(AHJ) are still on an old NEC code cycle and may not be using 20 amp receptacles per the 2020 changes in NEC section 210.11(C)(4). I have seen older fried overloaded 15 amp receptacles in the garage when working for Leviton. Also, keep in mind car chargers are full amperage cyclic loads, unlike resistive electric stoves and dryers. This means it is critical that all connections need to be torqued properly and wire nuts in junction boxes need to be done properly. I am old school. I preferred insulated tap connectors that are properly torqued down instead of wire nuts for cyclic power loads. I was called out in the field to write up occurrences with breaker and connection failures on industrial DC chargers for electric forklift trucks which have similar electrical characteristics as car chargers when working for Square D and Thomas and Betts. 🔌🔌
This is for those of us who live in an EV wasteland where there are few if any electricians who regularly install EV home chargers.I was lucky enough to find a licensed electrician who had installed a few home chargers in the past 6 months.My area does not even require a permit.He put in a dedicated 50 amp circuit breaker in my panel for a Lectron 40 Amp maximum plug in for a 14-50 plug.He had to use a junction box to make the run from my panel which is in my laundry room inside the house to the plug inside my garage.I have a 2021 Leaf with a 62 kw battery and when I charge it with the J-1772 plug it never gets above 27.6 amps while charging.I suspect that the car will not accept anything higher and perhaps that is why the charger doesn`t even get that warm.It would be useful to know what vehicles were being charged on those melted plugs that were shown.Some vehicles were meant to charge faster and can accept more amperage while others are energy sippers and take much longer to charge,like my Leaf.Nothing except the charger gets warm so far.The metal plug and junction box housings are cold to the touch.Tesla and Rivians and many others may charge faster but maybe that should be mentioned when comparing failure rates of home outlets etc.My question is are all EV`s charging rates created equal in terms of potential plug and wiring failures.I also saw Sandy Munro`s video and wow,it definetely got my attention!Thanks for the follow up video clarifying some of the issues.
The more amps you pull, the higher the potential for failure.
I charge a Fiat 500e on a 20A GFCI receptacle/circuit here in Nevada. After a couple of years, there was clear 'heat' damage at the plug, black and brown burn marks and brittle plastic. Part of the problem may be that the home was originally wired with ALL exterior and bathroom circuits through one GFCI plug in the garage. So, for even level 1 chargers, depending on circuit load, damage can occur. Though no fire and the circuit still worked. I have since replaced with a new receptacle.
Thanks,
COOP
...
Tom, you did a great job and I would only add that a 20 amp 110 outlet is known by not just its vertical slots for the plug, but one of them has a horizontal slot. That socket is rated for more current which is what you need as well as the breaker to be rated at because it’s a continuous load. #followeverypointpeople
Gary, Most homes have a "Push in wiring" for their receptacles. This is junk, and can overheat, especially when it comes to running a 120 volt EV charger. I overheated the 120 volt exterior receptacle at my house too. The replacement plug has the wires wrapped around the screw on the side of the receptacle.
Another type is a clamp on type of wire holder, found on the $7 receptacles at Home Depot, not the $1.25 receptacle. You can ask the guy at Home Depot to show you the difference. Usually someone there is knowledgeable enough to know the difference. (You slide in the wire to a space where the metal square piece clamps down on the wire when you tighten the screw).
@@Kangenpower7 I also had an outlet starting to char and since I'm charging a PHEV on 120v I got another EVSE that was adjustable and I noticed that anything less than 10 amps didn't make any heat. So I went for nine amps. Which is plenty to charge the car overnight.
Also, I replaced the outlet 😁 you know it was possibly very old. Anyways, this house is from the '80s
Never listen or take advice from a Home Depot employee
EVER
I installed my own 240 outlet and I'm not an electrician, just spent time learning how to do it. It was very easy because the breaker box was on the other side of my garage wall, so only a distance of around 6 inches through the wall. Bought a $9 nylon 14-50 outlet and used copper wire and made sure it was all to code. I keep the Tesla Mobile Connector plugged into the outlet at all times and bought another Mobile Connector to keep in my Model 3. I constantly check the outlet box for heat and it's never been hot. The Mobile Connector cable itself has been slightly warmer than the outlet box. At some point I'll probably upgrade the 14-50 outlet to a more expensive version. And I'll most likely check the torque of the wiring periodically. But it should be noted that I also have reduced the charging Amps to 20 via the Tesla App, so there is less of a strain and because it can slowly charge all night and give me the range I need.
I understand these guys are trying to warn people about the dangers and are being extremely cautious, but this notion that you need to hire “EV charging specialists” is highly overblown. Installing a 240v connection is probably one of the most basic things any professional electrician can do with their eyes closed, and that is really all that they’re doing, it’s not rocket science. Tesla wouldn’t sell the mobile connector with a NEMA 14-50 adapter if it was unsafe.
I had an electrician install a charging outlet on the side of the building. It's a straight run to a closeable RV box. I built a little house to protect it. I don't run more than 32 amps through it and I haven't had any over heating problems. My car usually charges in less than two hours. I rarely unplug the charging station. It seems to be an industrial outlet. It's very hard to plug in and unplug.
I do check for tightness and everything is good.
I would say over rate and under use.
I did have an instance while charging when an appliance was inadvertently left on and the main circuit breaker was tripped. I now try to be aware of how many appliances are operating in the house. With electric heat running in the winter it poses a challenge sometimes. Good reason to turn off the lights when leaving a room.
FWIW, I did it myself and I have considerably more DIY electrical experience than most folks. This video is dead on, pay someone. Doing it yourself correctly requires a lot of homework. You have to buy a torque screwdriver and torque all the connections to spec., handle heavy gauge wire that is far more difficult to work with than regular household Romex, etc. And FWIW, think carefully about how fast you actually need to charge. I put in a 50 amp circuit but bought a 32 amp max EVSE. I figured out the relative speed difference between maximum 40 and maximum 32 amps wasn't going to matter to me, and so I saved money on my EVSE AND have the peace of mind that I'm not pushing the circuit, the wiring and the plug to anywhere close to their rated limits. It is probably marginally easier on my batteries as well. If I eventually need to buy a new, higher amp EVSE I will likely pay a professional to hardwire it.
I'm a DIYer myself. Years ago I did install my own EV charging equipment, but I've seen too many people have problems - it's just not worth the risk.
Tom, I agree a hard wired installation would be best for safety and reliability. Mechanically a superior connection than a contact surface to surface tensioned connection. ✅
I agree I wouldn't use a receptical for any charger capable of charging at more than 30 amps. All larger chargers would be much safer direct wired to an appropriate breaker with properly sized THHN wiring.
Pull a permit! This requires load calculations. Don’t plug and unplug EVSE and there will be far fewer (if not 0 ) issues. I almost never unplug my two EVSEs.
I had an electrician install an outlet on the front corner of the building with a 60 amp breaker and built an enclosure to keep it dry. It has worked quite well and has had no overheating problems. I have a 32 amp station plugged in and the car doesn't charge more than 2 hours as a general rule. I used to take the station on the road and charge at RV parks as needed.
I believe you'll find your charger is actually a 30 amp charger. A clamp on amp meter is also a good way to determine if your breaker and wiring are properly sized for your charger.
These outlets have been used in RV parks and individual homes for plugging in RVs since there creation many moons ago . They are constantly used being plugged and unplugged and loads can be sustained . It's a receptacle like a 120v outlet . Yes better quality is better but I have seen some of these outlets still working in RV parks for 50 years or longer .
I had my NEMA 14-50 installed TODAY by an electrician who said that he bought “quality” materials for EV charging. I have a Wallbox EVSE. When he was over he said to put the ground up and bend the pigtail cable. I had him put the ground down anyway so I could have the wire have a gentle curve. Now I’m doubting this guy bought quality materials especially after he said the receptacle cost $20. He installed a the nema 14-50 in a plastic box using 10ft of 6gauge wire… I wish this video came out one day prior so I could have backed out or at least verified that understood he needed to buy quality materials. I did have an inspector come out and he said everything was good… Not quite sure what my next steps would be to make sure my outlet can handle the 40amp load for 7 hours. I’m sure it’ll be fine since I normally charge 2-3 times a week. But the peace of mind knowing it was done correctly would be nice.
I did receive a quote from Qmerit but their quote was more than double every local electrician.
The electrician didn't do some things right but they were correct in wanting to install the NEMA 14-50 outlet with ground up. All 240 V outlets' standard configurations have the ground pin on top. You would need to move your Wallbox EVSE if it's already mounted so the input wire isn't bent to much. It's best to wait to wall mount your EVSE until after the outlet is installed.
Hey Tom!
I have been watching every one of your videos on charging electric cars. I really appreciate your knowledge and experience! I just got my 2023 Audi Q4 e-tron. I love it. I am hoping you can recommend a home ( SoCal )charger for me.
You have them all. Any advice?
Thank you for your time and keep the videos coming. I need all the help I can get!!!
Simple Observation might catch issues. Look at the plug and outlet for any color change. If the color is OK, place your hand on the plug (when the vehicle is charging) , it should not be hot, only slightly warm. Any Fails above, then STOP using and get it fixed.
Good information
I watched Sandy Munroe's video. I charge at the local Naval Air Station.
My level 2. charging adapter has amperage adjustment so I set mine to charge at 20 amps which get my 20-80% done overnight with no problem, 10 amps below the 30 amp rating of the circuit, I did replace the outlet with an industrial nema30 cost $45.00..
Excellent information Tom as always. It's been 8 months so time to check my connections.
I do have a Charge Point Home Flex (Per your review recommendation) that has been in service for 8 months now. I only use it 1-2 times per week. The Charge Point is on a dedicated 50 amp circuit and is set to 40 amps. After watching this video I am wondering if I should hard wire it.
So I just checked my connections and one of them was loose. I guess this will go on my 8 month to do list. Thanks again Tom for bringing this important information to the EV community.
Picked up my 2023 F-150 XLT Lightning today, now I need a charger installed. Love all your content (Subscriber) and have been watching for a while now. Plan to have the Emporia EV 48 AMP Charger installed. What #6 copper wire should I have the electrician use? Also, going to have a NEMA 14 outlet installed too (for backup-things break). What outlet do you recommend? Thanks !!!
Thank you for the informative video. You guys covered the higher amps . I spliced an extension from my dryer outlet 240v 32amps using 8guage 40amps 600v flexible portable power Soow Cord from Home Depot. So far, it's working fine. Could this possibly cause an issue in the long run?
We just charge on a 20A 120V, and we're lucky that our garage was/is also a workshop, so filled with heavy duty GFCI plugs on dedicated circuits. We'll make some upgrades in the future for better winter charging though.
Wiring up my chargepoint home flex, I was initially going to hardwire it in, but the clip type lugs they use in the unit would barely hold the #6 wire. you could pull it out with very little effort.
I am a sparky and I can't wait for some better Chargers and outlets that have a longer demand load
Lots of 120V / 240V @ 10A to 15A J1772 charging cords using a 6-20P and not UL/CSA certified. They usually come with a 6-20 to 5-15 adapter. We have one that we love because it's portable for charging at 10A from 120V and even that warms up and I keep drooling over upgrading to a 15A one that we could use in a campground (first gen. EV - gotta charge often and never enough range to get into a campground and get back to a DC charger)! I cringe when I look at the newer ones claiming 12A, or more from 15A outlet. I used plug-in timers for water heaters - was stunned to see the plastic case charring and even the pins unsoldering themselves from the circuit board due to the heat.
Wiggling the large Guage thick strand wire while you are torquing it. The twisted strands have a larger circumference than they do when they are straight. If you tighten the wire twisted then wiggle it the strands will straighten out and then the wire will be lose.
I use Neocharge on my dryer receptacle and it is a game changer that allows no panel upgrade for 100 or 125 amp service.
Those are great options for those that don't want to upgrade for faster charging.
I have a Clipper Creek 24 amp EVSE on my Neocharge / dryer 30 amp circuit. I find 5.8 kW is plenty fast for most people’s needs.
I have reduced my charging on my wall outlet to 18-amp to be safe, until I get a wired charger. Tesla Model 3 daily driver for 3+ years. Luckily no issues with the outlet.
I have a Lectron VBOX installed on the side of my house.
I choose to have the Nema 14-50 outlet installed and then plug the Vbox to it, rather than have the Vbox hardwired.
Plugging the Vbox to the Nema gives me 40 AMPS but hardwiring it would have given me 48.
The difference is negligeable as I charge while sleeping. Not a huge difference between 6 hours and 7 hours when the car is sitting idle anyway.
Charging from 5PM to 12 AM or 2AM isn't really noticeable.
I just wanted to ensure if the charger failed I could replace it easily and quickly without having to recall the electrician.
You MUST have a professional install these things.
In the UK you cant fit EV chargers at home it's illegal plus you won't be sold the parts unless you are a qualified fitter of ev installations plus most like mine are ccs plugs with round pins 7kw with armoured cable I watch the fitters fit my system in they fitted their own fuse and went straight to main power by passing the main fuse box as they fitted a special one just for EV Charging they did an amazing job it took them all day to fit the system in so I feel safe had no problems so far the system is called easee from Norway which cost a 1000 pounds plus fitting which wasn't cheap but was well worth it as they did a tremendous job and it was bigger than the load as they do 3 phase as well but all get fitted with the heavy-duty cables and attachments I am a vehicle electrician and mechanic would I off fitted it if I could well no I would not.
40+ amps is a lot of power so knowing me I would not have had a clue what cable to fit plus my garage was a distance from the house that's why it took them all day plus the power cable was across the house so they had to feed it through the living room and the dining room through the conservatory across a beam onto the garage then right to the end mine is outside so that I can charge it inside or outside mainly its charged outside so stay safe our system is 240v all so we can also go 3 phase but that is expensive as a new cable from the mains from the road which has to be dug up which has to be fitted first then you can charge at 64+ amps and fully charge is 3 hours max.
This was so timely. Should I have an EV electrician check my outlets and box once per year? Once per 2 years? Ford recommends the car be plugged in when parked and other EV owners I talk to do that. In the Munro video there was a suggestion to only charge as needed. Very different approaches. With my mach-e I use the evse that came with the car on a 14-50 plug that never gets unplugged (maybe once a year). For my mini cooper I use a Clipper Creek EVSE designed for a 14-30 plug. That also never gets unplugged. Is it worth the expense to convert them at this point to hardwired...hmmmm? Also my electrician installed a whole house surge suppressor, no one has mentioned that in the videos???
One thing I will say most people that use plugs don't plug/unplug their chargers. I had a plug-in unit because I've owned 4 chargers over 10 years. It's easier just to plug in a new charger.
They need to create a combination arc fault breaker for these higher amperages at 240 volt . The melting is mostly caused by arc . The technology is there it's required for most 120v circuits in a house just need to require it for ev outlets
What would I have to do if I needed to install 3 chargers for my three vehicles? Btw, excellent video!!!
I watched a video where the electrician, when torquing the wire, made a point of torquing, then wiggling the wire, then torquing, then wiggling, etc. He said that was important because it's stranded wire that can shift and compress and work loose over time.
Thank you Tom. I have a question.
How hard is the hardwired recommendation? I'm asking because I fear that some day if the dedicated EVSE (got Emporia) goes bad and I need to charge the car then I can simply unplug the EVSE and use the stock EVSE from the car manufacturer.
Nice, overview on the best practices for the installation of EVSEs. But NEMA L14-50 twist lock options should have been mentioned IMHO.
And I look forward to your post on smart electrical management system, such as breaker boxes Since they can give users indications, if there's a defect in the system, before it causes a fire. Based on such parameters as voltage and amperage drops.
I've never even seen a 14-50 twist lock.
@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney or the more common 6-50 twist lock....
I inherited a bunch of twist locks from my father.... So when should I bring some by ? lol
I charge my Tesla on a 120v outlet in my apartment garage using the Tesla mobile connector. The connector would always throw an error on at 12 amps and automatically back down to 6 amps. Setting the car to draw 9 amps keeps it from throwing an error. Works fine for me.
That’s a sign something is probably wrong with the outlet. Perhaps it’s got loose connections, or it’s wired using those awful push-in connectors. I would report the problem to the apartment owner.
Hi Tom. I use a Tesla Mobile charger for day to day use plugged into a 14-30 nema outlet. You didn’t speak about lower current 240v charging in your video. Any advice? I ran a direct line of 10 gauge wire using an ordinary 14-30 outlet.
When I buy a portable EVSE, I'm doing it so I can plug into a 220v dryer plug at a friend's home for an occasional visit; once or twice a year.
Since an existing dryer plug might really be old (even though it's being used weekly for an electric clothes dryer), it might not be capable of continuous duty for EV charging (connections loosening over time).
If there is a 30 amp breaker I should be able to draw 24 amps for EV charging.
For best safety, should I charge at 20 or 16 amps so we don't overheat the wiring or connectors?
I'd only be doing this infrequently a few times a year. Looking for practical advice.
Great information Tom. I've noticed in many of your videos you mention "safety certified". How does a normal consumer know what is OK? Are there EU or other ratings that are OK or must everything only be UL certified. Any explanation of the different labs that would be acceptable would be helpful as we have a global marketplace.
UL, TUV, ETL & CSA are the four main labs that I count on
Okay 👍.
Another great video. Just a question. What type of wire do I need if I want to have a 32 amp EV charging. Greatly appreciate your response.
That decision should be made by your electrician, but 8-ga wire on a 40-amp dedicated circuit should be sufficient, depending on how long the run is.