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Is this plug in my garage any different than a regular plug?
- Thread starter SeanyJ
- Start date
CaptUAL
Member
It’s Labeled 15 AMPS, but that plug is a 20 AMP plug? If indeed it has a 20 AMP breaker, and there or no other things plugged into that circuit, then with the 20 AMP adaptor you would get 16 AMPS of charge versus only 12 amps using the 15 AMP adapter. Of course you may just use the regular 15 AMP plug on that outlet and thus just get 12 AMPS of charge.
Last edited:
CaptUAL
Member
Using the 20 AMP adapter though would draw 16 AMPS, unless one manually reduced the charge rate in the car or app. Otherwise the circuit would be overloaded.
Someone may have had an el-cheapo receptacle and melted it in the past. So they replaced it with a heavier duty 20A receptacle. Check to see if it is wired with 12 vs 14 gauge wire. If 12 gauge, it should be able to support a 20 amp breaker in the panel.
Also - if it is the only receptacle on the circuit, and there is space in the panel, you could look into upgrading the circuit to 240V and replacing the receptacle with a 6-15 or 6-20.
Also - if it is the only receptacle on the circuit, and there is space in the panel, you could look into upgrading the circuit to 240V and replacing the receptacle with a 6-15 or 6-20.
It is a NEMA 5-20 receptacle, which can accept NEMA 5-15 or 5-20 plugs. NEMA 5-15 is the typical three prong found all around your house.
It is supposed to be connected to a 20A circuit which would allow 16A 120V EV charging if there is nothing else drawing power on the circuit. However, if it is only on a 15A breaker or wiring suitable for 15A circuits, it should be replaced by a NEMA 5-15 receptacle.
A 15A circuit can be used for 12A EV charging if there is nothing else drawing power on the circuit.
It is supposed to be connected to a 20A circuit which would allow 16A 120V EV charging if there is nothing else drawing power on the circuit. However, if it is only on a 15A breaker or wiring suitable for 15A circuits, it should be replaced by a NEMA 5-15 receptacle.
A 15A circuit can be used for 12A EV charging if there is nothing else drawing power on the circuit.
Thanks all, apologies if this is a dumb question but how would I tell if this is the only receptacle on the circuit? I think a 6-20 plug would be a nice upgrade to my current plan of using a regular 5-15.
Here is what it looks like on my panel, does this mean it’s on the same circuit as the dishwasher?
Here is what it looks like on my panel, does this mean it’s on the same circuit as the dishwasher?
RayK
Active Member
My take on your panel, and I must preface this by saying I'm not a professional electrician, is that if you want to convert your existing outlet to a 6-20 (240V), then "yes" the dishwasher essentially is on the "same circuit". Technically, the existing dishwasher (A) and EV (B) breakers are on different 120VAC phases. You would normally replace the adjacent A and B 120V breakers with a single 240V 20A breaker. It takes up two slots much like the 15A "Heater" breaker at the bottom of your photo. In that scenario you would have to move the dishwasher to another breaker.
However, an alternative would be to see if the electrical panel bus bars extend into the area above the existing EV breaker, and if so, punch out the panel and install the new 240V 20A breaker there. You could take the existing hot and neutral wires from the EV outlet, first verifying they are both at least 12 gauge, and use them with the new 240V breaker. If the EV circuit is using 14 gauge wire, good for a maximum of 15A, then you'll be limited to upgrading to a 6-15 outlet unless you up-size the wires.
Your local electrical code may state that a GFCI breaker is needed due to the location of the outlet and/or its proximity to water or its intended usage. There sometimes can be problems with that type of breaker (falsely) tripping when using the mobile connector. From reading comments here, it appears that many people do not have any issues with the GFCI breaker, while others do. My personal take is that you should follow all of the electrical codes since your home is probably your most valuable asset, after the people who are living in it.
If I missed something, I'm sure somebody with more experience will come along and correct me.
edit: As far as determining what else may be on the existing EV circuit, I'd say turn off the breaker and see what doesn't work anymore. Find something small that you can plug into an outlet, say a manually switched night light (not one with a light sensor), and plug it in everywhere you can think of.
However, an alternative would be to see if the electrical panel bus bars extend into the area above the existing EV breaker, and if so, punch out the panel and install the new 240V 20A breaker there. You could take the existing hot and neutral wires from the EV outlet, first verifying they are both at least 12 gauge, and use them with the new 240V breaker. If the EV circuit is using 14 gauge wire, good for a maximum of 15A, then you'll be limited to upgrading to a 6-15 outlet unless you up-size the wires.
Your local electrical code may state that a GFCI breaker is needed due to the location of the outlet and/or its proximity to water or its intended usage. There sometimes can be problems with that type of breaker (falsely) tripping when using the mobile connector. From reading comments here, it appears that many people do not have any issues with the GFCI breaker, while others do. My personal take is that you should follow all of the electrical codes since your home is probably your most valuable asset, after the people who are living in it.
If I missed something, I'm sure somebody with more experience will come along and correct me.
edit: As far as determining what else may be on the existing EV circuit, I'd say turn off the breaker and see what doesn't work anymore. Find something small that you can plug into an outlet, say a manually switched night light (not one with a light sensor), and plug it in everywhere you can think of.
The 15 amp breaker would indicate that it is wired with 14 gauge wire. So if it is the only receptacle on the circuit, you'd be looking at a 240V upgrade with a 6-15, not a 6-20, receptacle. Still, it would allow more than 2x faster charging than what you have now. Lots of room in the panel for a double pole breaker.
There is no way of knowing by looking at this if there is anything else on the circuit. You'd need to follow the wire as noted above. I'd try a circuit tester instead of a light.
There could be another outlet/socket on there somewhere.
As others said this is most likely a 14 AWG size so you'd be stuck with 110V 15 Amp circuit.
There could be another outlet/socket on there somewhere.
As others said this is most likely a 14 AWG size so you'd be stuck with 110V 15 Amp circuit.
Get one of these, then turn that EV breaker off, and go around your home plugging in this outlet tester to see if it lights up or not. If its in a garage, try other outlets in the garage, or around the outside of your home first.
As a bonus, those outlet testers will also show if the outlet is incorrectly wired if it is live.
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