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L6-20 Adapter
- Thread starter ONEDVSMOFO
- Start date
Tesla doesn’t make a L6-20 adapter. It makes a 6-20 adapter. The two are not comparable with each other.
It’s an outlet at work. I don’t have the ability to do that. I’m currently just using a standard outlet, but only getting back about 25 mi of range.
I was looking into this:
AC WORKS Electric Vehicle Charging Adapter for Tesla Use (L6-20 20A 250V Locking to Tesla) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y1QRQXY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_R1cnCbSKQMGBE
I was looking into this:
AC WORKS Electric Vehicle Charging Adapter for Tesla Use (L6-20 20A 250V Locking to Tesla) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y1QRQXY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_R1cnCbSKQMGBE
Home Depot sells this adapter: AC WORKS NEMA L6-20P 20 Amp 250-Volt Locking Plug to NEMA 6-15/20R 15/20 Amp 250-Volt Female Connector-ADL620620 - The Home Depot
It should be perfectly safe to use because all it does is change the plug. Hot wires should be the same, and amps are the same. You will still need to buy 6-20 adapter from Tesla, but those are only $35 and ship quickly.
It should be perfectly safe to use because all it does is change the plug. Hot wires should be the same, and amps are the same. You will still need to buy 6-20 adapter from Tesla, but those are only $35 and ship quickly.
eprosenx
Active Member
I agree with @ivan801 This is precisely what I would do. With the right Tesla adapter it will properly limit charge current (vs with that 14-50 adapter linked to above), and the thermal detection would not be messed with. Obviously the adapter to the wall would not have thermal protection, but 20a is not that high so I would not be overly worried (though even lower amperage receptacles can melt / catch fire).
swaltner
Active Member
The L6-20 is just the locking variety of the 6-20 outlet. When using it, be sure to rotate the plug slight after inserting to activate the locking mechanism. These are typical in commercial settings. Many data centers use the L6-30 plug to connect the power strips in server racks.
If it was me, I’d pickup on of these to use the L6-30 outlet. The higher cost is because they purchase a standard Tesla adapter, the plug, and then add some labor to graft the two together. This is something your grandma could use, where something like an L6-20 plug to 14-50 receptacle adapter needs knowledge to use safely.
L6-20 Adapter for Tesla Model S/X/3 Gen 2
If it was me, I’d pickup on of these to use the L6-30 outlet. The higher cost is because they purchase a standard Tesla adapter, the plug, and then add some labor to graft the two together. This is something your grandma could use, where something like an L6-20 plug to 14-50 receptacle adapter needs knowledge to use safely.
L6-20 Adapter for Tesla Model S/X/3 Gen 2
Yes, exactly this! @ONEDVSMOFO please just get that one. Now that the EVSEAdapters site started making realistic adapters that fit right into the Tesla mobile charging cable, and properly manage the current level automatically, I don't recommend trying to do any other multi-stage adapting with other pigtails. Just get this L6-20 one that goes right into your UMC, and it's all legit and simple and safe. There are a few other odd outlet types that Tesla doesn't sell adapters for, but EVSEAdapters does.
eprosenx
Active Member
Just to clarify: Where you referenced L6-30 I assume that was a typo?
FWIW, I am not sure I am a fan of the EVSE Adapters units. I love that they are filling a market need, but I have concerns of how well they would actually sense thermal issues. My understanding is that the way they make these is to buy the Tesla unit, cut it apart, and glue the thermal sensing unit into a new connector. It is unclear if the connectors they put it in will really conduct heat well enough to be effective.
If it was me, I would buy the 6-20 adapter from Tesla and get the L6-20p to 6-20r adapter. (this would give you the option to plug into 6-20 and L6-20 receptacles with the combination of adaptors) This would have the right communication to the car about the max amp draw, so that risk is removed compared to some of the other adapter options.
This is a pretty minor note though. You will be successful with either route and there is not clarity on which one is safer. I am just expressing my personal choice. Neither solution is UL rated. ;-)
Actually, this one is UL rated: https://www.amazon.com/NEMA-L6-20P-6-20R-Plug-Adapter/dp/B00DNDYIN6 (not that it really means anything for this use case though)
swaltner
Active Member
Yes, sorry. The second L6-30 reference was a typo. Should have read “If it was me, I’d pickup on of these to use the L6-20 outlet.”
I’m fine with either the EVSEAdapter setup or a short L6-20 plug to 6-20 receptacle adapter and then the standard Tesla 6-20 plug. Both have a slight risk in that you’re not going to be measuring heat in the L6-20 outlet. We could argues about how much different the risk that is, but I personally think they are roughly equivalent risks.
For home applications (either yours or at an out-of-town friend/relative that you’ll frequently visit), swapping out the outlet is a nice solution. Since the OP is at work, I’m working on the assumption that that isn’t allowed.
There is a manageable, but greater, risk if you tried using a L6-20 to 14-50 pigtail and then the standard 14-50 adapter. Years ago, this was necessary, but know, it’s easy enough to use proper adapters that don’t let you accidentally exceed current limits of the outlets and their supporting wiring.
I’m fine with either the EVSEAdapter setup or a short L6-20 plug to 6-20 receptacle adapter and then the standard Tesla 6-20 plug. Both have a slight risk in that you’re not going to be measuring heat in the L6-20 outlet. We could argues about how much different the risk that is, but I personally think they are roughly equivalent risks.
For home applications (either yours or at an out-of-town friend/relative that you’ll frequently visit), swapping out the outlet is a nice solution. Since the OP is at work, I’m working on the assumption that that isn’t allowed.
There is a manageable, but greater, risk if you tried using a L6-20 to 14-50 pigtail and then the standard 14-50 adapter. Years ago, this was necessary, but know, it’s easy enough to use proper adapters that don’t let you accidentally exceed current limits of the outlets and their supporting wiring.
So you express your concern about the temperature sensing...
...and then you shoot it in the face.
Don't you remember? You were in this thread, where John Rowell told us how this works? He works at EVSEAdapters and is the actual guy who builds these. Here's the link:
Using old AC lines for a new NEMA14-30 outlet
He removes the temperature sensing circuit intact and installs it in the adapter plugs they make so that functionality is preserved and operates the same way it does in the official Tesla ones.
Your recommendation of just using a 6-20 to L6-20 pigtail now puts the temperature sensor about 6 to 8 inches away from the outlet so that it becomes completely useless for sensing any heat from bad wiring in the outlet. So if you actually care about the use of the temp sensor, as you say you do, then you definitely should be recommending the plugs from EVSEAdapters.
That's not true, as shown above. They do remove and reinstall Tesla's actual temperature sensor into the plugs they build, which is why they are a little spendy.
What is confusing about just ordering the adapter for the outlet you have? We're just recommending not trying to build one yourself.So confusing. Maybe I’ll forego this and stick to a standard outlet.
Just Google for "NEMA outlet chart" to see pictures of the outlet types to make sure of exactly what type your high voltage outlet is, and then you can order the right adapter for it.
So confusing. Maybe I’ll forego this and stick to a standard outlet.
It isn't confusing. But there are some uninformed people on this forum and some people that just like to throw out fairly useless warnings. Frankly, I'm tired of some people on these forums scaring people away from using perfectly good charging solutions. I've even seen people decide to not buy an EV due to scare mongering on this forum. Could people HELP rather than warn about one in a million risks? Tesla had adapters for four frigging years that had NO temperature sensors and we got along just fine.
Just buy this PERFECTLY SAFE AND APPROPRIATE adapter and enjoy your Tesla:
L6-20 Adapter for Tesla Model S/X/3 Gen 2
swaltner
Active Member
Whoops, thank you both for the correction on the construction of these products. I missed in their product description and other threads here that they maintain the thermal monitoring capabilities.
eprosenx
Active Member
So you express your concern about the temperature sensing...
...and then you shoot it in the face.
Don't you remember? You were in this thread, where John Rowell told us how this works? He works at EVSEAdapters and is the actual guy who builds these. Here's the link:
Using old AC lines for a new NEMA14-30 outlet
He removes the temperature sensing circuit intact and installs it in the adapter plugs they make so that functionality is preserved and operates the same way it does in the official Tesla ones.
Yes, I do remember that thread (I very much appreciate him chiming in with details on his solution!), however, I am not 100% confident in their solution (I asked a followup question to John about the thermal conductivity of their solution but he did not answer it). The Tesla factory adapters were designed and built with the temperature probe included in them. They are moulded connectors and so they would have been designed to put the thermistor in the exact right position in the moulded plug and be surrounded by proper type and density of material to conduct the heat to the thermistor so it can register it.
With the extremely limited information I have, I am not convinced that cutting apart a Tesla factory connector and transplanting it into an off-the-shelf field connector will result in the same level of protection.
Yeah, so the choices on the table are either the Tesla factory adapter (with factory temp sensor), PLUS the adapter (which means you don't have effective thermal monitoring at the wall receptacle but you do at the adapter to adapter connection point), OR do the EVSE Adapters thing which has the thermal probe but I am unsure how well exactly it works.
Bottom line is that I think the OP would be happy and safe with either solution. As pointed out, there are tons of EVSE's out there with no thermal monitoring at all, so it is more of a nice-to-have.
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