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rpo
Member
I can verify it will trip before you even plug the car in even if only one leg is on a GFCI circuit. I've done it numerous times on road trips.
You can't pull any power at all out of a GFCI using a Quick220. A 120V GFCI is measuring current flowing on the hot and neutral. If there is a difference of a few mA, the GFCI trips.
With the Quick220, current is only flowing on the 2 circuit's hots, and nothing on either neutral. Both GFCI's will see that condition as a ground fault, and trip.
Yes, but my point was it's difficult, if not impossible, to identify every junction on a particular circuit once the wallboard goes up and you can't see the romex/conduit. You would have to shut off the circuit in question, and open EVERY j-box in the house, check for voltage, and rule them out. That's the only way to definitively say that you have identified every junction in a circuit, and guaranteed that there are no 14Ga sections, and thereby safe to upgrade the breaker to 20A.
rpo
Member
I haven't found it to be problematic to use at all. Just plug into various outlets until you find two on separate circuits. The Quick220 lights up to indicate once you've done that. Easy.
Yup, even the LED's will make it trip, without the car plugged in.
Indeed, although I will say the chances of it having a 14-ga section in the middle is going to be rare. You typically find different wire sizes when circuits have been extended. I have found that 99% of the time (never 100%) the best indicator is going to be the run from the panel to the first point in the branch circuit, as that represents the original size of the circuit. I've seen plenty of circuits that start with a #14 to older outlets, then get extended using #12 to newer outlets that were added later. The opposite, not so much.
I just don't carry #14 with me anymore when I go to do electrical work. Of course, I don't do mass-builds of development homes, either.
That said, I can never rule out the jury-riggers. Ungrounded outlet? Just borrow an EGC from a nearby circuit. (WRONG!) No neutral in the switch box for your new lighted switches? Just find the nearest outlet and run the neutral up from it. (WRONG!) Or worse yet, just use the ground in the box as the neutral. (WRONG!) Replacing an ungrounded outlet with a grounded outlet and want outlet testers to work? Just tie the neutral to the ground terminal too! (WRONG!) Don't want to properly install a 240V circuit? Just take 2 separate 120V circuits on opposite legs and use them! (WRONG!) These are the same types that would use a garden hose with two hose clamps to extend the reach of a diesel pump whose hose was a few feet short (and yes, I've seen this before too).
Each of these will work, but they will not work safely.
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Fwiw I used my home brew quick 220 last night in a rented condo (yes I build it with indicator LEDs and relays). The condo has a dedicated 20a circuit for the washer/dryer to plug into. It also had a dedicated 20a circuit for a hot water recirculation pump. Worked great.
I did this... I added the 240V indicator light across the two hots so I would know if they were different split phases. It has been discussed heavily that this may or may not be a good idea/legal/advisable but it is certainly possible. I limited the current to 12A to stay at 80% of the individual circuits’ rating. And two short extension cords (12g).
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Electric700
Active Member
You could also have a NEMA 6-20 outlet (240 V, 20 A) installed next to one of your 5-15 outlets. You'd need the Gen 2 Mobile Connector and a NEMA 6-20 adapter as well, which you can purchase from Tesla. I think this would be safer, and your car would automatically know the maximum current (16 A for a 6-20 connection).
eladts
Member
It would be much less work and much more safe to just convert one of the dedicated 5-20 sockets to 6-20.
Darthdaddy
Member
Assuming you have circuit breakers your circuits are likely 15 amp. Check your breaker box. Did you find out 12 amp as the charge rate when charging? Your wiring is likely 14 gauge so you will not be able to up it to 20 amp (need 12 gauge).
I installed my own 50 amp circuit in my garage. Used 50 feet of 6 gauge stranded copper 4 wire rated for exterior use. Put a 50 amp 240 volt breaker in the breaker box, used a NEMA 14-50 receptacle mounted in a duplex box on the wall. Have an attached garage so was easy to drill hole from basement ceiling into garage. Ran wire on face of wall anchored every 32 inches or less with 3/4" clips screwed through drywall into studs.
Works great. Charges at 40 amps. Most expensive part was the wire. Prices vary with cost of copper. Can run $2 to $3 per foot. Worth it. Charges car in a few hours vs days.
In a short term rented condo?
Btw, I really don’t recommend doing this unless you build a unit that has relays that only energizes the output when both plugs are plugged in. If you don’t do that, then when you unplug one of the plugs, it will have 120V on the PLUG. Very dangerous.
Electric700
Active Member
Perhaps so, if the owner won't pay for the work. Instead, they might provide a rent incentive?
If you think about it, you'd be making not just your life easier, but also that of the next renter who has an EV
.I have this rigged only for when I am traveling without better options available. I have a NEMA 14-50 in my home garage.
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