Charging in winter with extension cord

[lionzer26125]

So I am a new Tesla owner and have a charging question. I live in an area where we have pretty brutal winters. Prior to my Tesla purchase I got a 14-50 wall connector installed in my garage. I would like to park outside so I can let other people in my fam park in the garage because the amazing Tesla feature of preheating and preconditioning. My car does not really need the garage.

Can I use a heavy duty RV style extension cord from the wall connector to outside. I would leave it connected and the wire would be sitting outside during wet conditions as we get a lot of snow.

Also If I just left the end of the mobile connector during snow would that be a problem?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0881CT1JQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1&tag=tmc064-20

 

[Watts_Up]

For long AWG 8 extension cords, using a NEMA 6-50 plug would save weight and cost, but you need a 6-50 wall receptacle and Tesla adapter.
Anyway, you would not charge at 50 A but only at 32 A which is the maximum AC charging speed for the Model Y charger.

You should have a GFCI circuit breaker protecting from electrocution risks, however I would try as much as possible
to have the cord hanging from above than laying on the ground to avoid people walking on the cord.

If the cord is on the ground on a pathway, I would put a piece of wood on each side, so if someone walk above the cord,
this person would touch the wood and not the cord avoiding damaging the cord.

I would try keeping the Universal Mobile Connector (UMC) inside the garage, since the DC cord is already 20 feet long.
But if the UMC must be outside, I would prefer keeping it inside some kind of box, like a mail box, to protect it from the elements.

 

[KJD]

So I am a new Tesla owner and have a charging question. I live in an area where we have pretty brutal winters. Prior to my Tesla purchase I got a 14-50 wall connector installed in my garage. I would like to park outside so I can let other people in my fam park in the garage because the amazing Tesla feature of preheating and preconditioning. My car does not really need the garage.

Can I use a heavy duty RV style extension cord from the wall connector to outside. I would leave it connected and the wire would be sitting outside during wet conditions as we get a lot of snow.

Also If I just left the end of the mobile connector during snow would that be a problem?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0881CT1JQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1&tag=tmc064-20

Please do NOT do that. It will be a shock hazard and it will be a trip hazard.

How about parking the Tesla indoors only on the day it needs to be charged ? You have a 300 mile range on a Y. Use it up and then charge. It will not hurt the battery.

If that does not work for you build an outdoor charging post with a wall charger.
Exterior Mounting of a Home Charger on a Post

 

[KJD]

Here is another well done outdoor charging post.

My outdoor charging box

 

[jcanoe]

Tesla, all EV manufacturers recommend not using extension cords when charging. If you must use an extension cord (hopefully as a temporary solution) then make sure the extension cord is as short as possible and best quality.

You can leave the Mobile Connector exposed to the elements but this will probably shorten the life of the Mobile Connector.

Do not repeatedly plug and unplug the NEMA 14-50 power plug adapter from the NEMA 14-50 receptacle. The 14-50 receptacle is not designed for repetitive plug and unplug operations and will soon loosen its grip on the plug.

Do not let the Mobile Connector chassis hang supported by only the power plug adapter. The receptacle and the power plug are not designed to support additional weight. Use a wall mount bracket (available from Tesla as part of the charging cable organizer kit. ) Similar organizers, wall mount brackets are available elsewhere (Amazon, eBay, Etsy.) You can fashion your own method of supporting the Mobile Connector brick.

 

[LoL-Gas]

I have the ext cord from EVSEadaptors. Very nice construction. Never any issues. Here's a picture for size comparison to my 5-15 and 5-20 ext cords. I used ext cords for over a year, heat rain snow etc. Never had any issues. Only issues ive had is mainly with the mobile connector getting hot in direct sunlight (which happens with or without ext cords).

 

[LoL-Gas]

To further clarify on weather conditions. I would run the ext cord all the way to the car. I'd connect and toss the mobile connector box under the car to keep that out of the sun rain snow etc. The mobile connector would get wet but never submerged. There are a couple vents on the mobile connector that need to stay clear. Water can get in that way so keep that in mind as you place it wherever you place it.

The whole support needed for the mobile charger was a bigger issue with gen 1 mobile connectors. Never had any issues with the fen 2; it sits more flush and doesn't lever on the outlet like the gen 1 does.

I think tesla says to not use an ext cord so make sure you do your research on this topic. It's probably because people will use too small of a wire and try to pull more current than the cable can handle... Hear fire bad stuff... This is just my experience with it.