I have the Nema 14-50 wall connector and I noticed that the warmer the weather got the more it started to overheat to a point now that I have to use the included cable to charge my car because the 14-50 over heats way too easy. Same plug is fine with the included car adapter. I tried dialing down the amps etc.. and still no go. Anyone else have these issues with theirs?
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14-50 Wall connector over heating
- Thread starter nando2323
- Start date
dhrivnak
Active Member
No it sounds like you have a bum connector. It it gets more than just warm you may have a lose connection which is bad.
You're having issues with the NEMA 14-50 HPWC? It's throwing a 'charging current reduced' error? Is the outlet itself getting really hot (like, hot to the touch)?
If it's not, that sounds like an issue with the HPWC. If it is, that's an issue with the outlet, and you probably need to replace the outlet or tighten down the wires connected to the outlet. Either way, that's NOT good, and you should probably not be using the HPWC.
Also, how much charging current are you pulling before it overheats? It's just 40A, correct?
If it's not, that sounds like an issue with the HPWC. If it is, that's an issue with the outlet, and you probably need to replace the outlet or tighten down the wires connected to the outlet. Either way, that's NOT good, and you should probably not be using the HPWC.
Also, how much charging current are you pulling before it overheats? It's just 40A, correct?
Eno Deb
Active Member
pdx_m3s
Active Member
If the plug/outlet is getting hot, you should NOT be using that outlet under any circumstance unless you want a new house.
Note: warm is normal. So hot you can't touch it is not. I wouldn't be concerned if it was ~20 deg warmer than the surrounding environment.
davewill
Active Member
Was this one of the Tesla built 14-50 equipped wall connectors or was it one that you added a 14-50 pigtail to? Either way, you really need to figure out where the heat is coming from. It it likely a bad connection someplace. If the heat is coming from inside the unit, you should open it up a look for signs of heat (burning or melting), and check the tightness of the connections.
Plu1357
Member
HPWC uses dedicated lines and does not use NAME 14-50 plug. Mobile connector can use NEMA 14-50 plug.
pdx_m3s
Active Member
You can add a 14-50 plug to a standard HPWC. Many have done it. Absolutely nothing wrong with doing it as long as the right components are used.
You can buy a Tesla wall charger with a NEMA 14-50 directly from Tesla. It's an option. Even if OP isn't using that, you can always wire one in and it would still be fully code compliant.
See: Wall Connector with 14-50 Plug
Tesla just relisted the NEMA 14-50 wall connector, which it has sold in the past:
Wall Connector with 14-50 Plug
eprosenx
Active Member
Hrm, this is bad. You need to get to the bottom of this immediately. Not something to mess around with. Most likely is a bad connection (loose or pinched insulation) in the receptacle. Odd though that you say it runs fine with the Mobile Connector but not with the Corded Wall Connector. The mobile connector is only 32 amps vs 40, but you said turning down he wall connector did not make a difference which is also interesting. Could be a bum wall connector. Though I thought it had a thermal sensor in the plug and should throttle the car down in that case..
Nothing wrong other than it being against code since you are NOT following the manufacturers instructions. From a practical standpoint, you really want the thermal monitoring that the Tesla Corded Wall Connector plug provides.
Now I think a number of folks have gone the pigtail route and been very successful, but the above factors are things to be aware of.
I personally vastly prefer hardwired devices at these kinds of amperages, but the thermally monitored plug that the Mobile Connector and Corded Wall Connector provide are a great idea.
Sorry for the late replies I was busy yesterday, the 14-50 plug is getting warm I guess. But when I use the Mobile connector nothing gets warm and the car charges fine. This thing has been not working properly since it started to warm up outside basically, first it was saying the plug on the car side was too hot now it's saying the wall plug is too hot, I'm sure it's defective somehow. I think I'm going to give Tesla a call since the issue is definitely with the wall connector, and yes this is the one that was just re-released with the 14-50 plug I did not modify a regular wall connector.
Federico
Member
eladts
Member
That makes sense, as the HPWC supplies 40A while the UMC is limited to 32A. The heat generated is proportional to the square of the current, so it may be a loose connector in the outlet causes overheating at 40A but works fine at 32A. As other have already said, you need to check the outlet and make sure it is properly wired for 50A (40A continuous).
pdx_m3s
Active Member
Still sounds like an issue with the outlet. The HPWC is generating heat because it’s pullin more amps than the mobile connector.
Can you define warm? Like, if you have an IR thermometer, you should be able to quantify it. Just because the plug is warm to the touch doesn't necessarily mean it's defective.
Also, is the breaker backing the NEMA 14-50 a 50A breaker? Technically it's code compliant for it to be a 40A breaker, so if the wiring/breaker are 40A rated then that could be causing a ton of heat issues charging at 40A out of the wall charger.
As long as you’re okay with it invalidating the UL listing, which may cause insurance problems in the event of a fire.
I don't think so I turned the amperage down to 30A and it still had issues. Even at 15A it has issues. But like I said the mobile connector has 0 issues.
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