GE Wattstation Dead

[Skotty]

My GE Wattstation is no longer working. Seems it's about 4 years old now, maybe 5. Car charges fine elsewhere. Inspected wiring at outlet and in breaker box and it looks fine. It still seems to power on but won't charge the car. The internal fuses seem ok.

After some debate, I decided to get a Clipper Creek HCS-50P with 6-50 plug to replace it. I've already got wiring and breaker to support the higher amperage. I debated getting Tesla EVSE's, but I still want to be able to charge other non-Tesla EVs in my garage. Clipper Creek has a great variety to choose from, with seemingly pretty good reviews. Hopefully it is quieter than the old GE Wattstation -- it had a super loud contactor thunk and would sometimes hum loudly while charging.

What should I do with the old EVSE? Seems like I could maybe recycle some of it, rather than just trashing it.

 

[swaltner]

You can't go wrong with Clipper Creek hardware. I personally prefer the hacker mentality and upgradability of the OpenEVSE products, but the HCS-50P will treat you well for years to come.

Regarding recycling the old EVSE, I'd remove the J1772 handle and cord from the unit before recycling it. That should be fine (a multimeter testing continuity would verify) and is still worth a fair amount.

 

[srs5694]

FWIW, I own a Clipper Creek HCS-40 with JuiceNet board, which I bought for the Chevy Volt I drove prior to my Tesla. (I "future-proofed" by buying a more capable EVSE than I needed at the time.) Like most EVSEs, it does produce a rather noticeable "thunk" when it starts or stops charging, but I've never noticed a humming noise when it's operating. It's less than three years old, so it's younger than your GE is. I don't know of any solid data on EVSE reliability, just anecdotal reports. Those suggest that Clipper Creek makes good products, but take that with a grain of salt.

As to the old unit, you might try selling it on eBay. The J1772 cable alone is likely worth a fair amount, if it's in good condition. Somebody might want to buy a broken EVSE to have the cable and a case in which to mount OpenEVSE components; or have the knowledge to repair it and re-sell it or use it themselves.

 

[Skotty]

Got the Clipper Creek unit installed. Quieter contactor than the old GE Wattstation and doesn't hum like the Wattstation either. So far so good. Tesla charging at 30 mi/hr instead of the 23 it used to get.

The charging cord on the Clipper Creek does get warm. I would have liked to have seen a beefier charge cord on it.