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Looking for a Special Charging Adapter

Biker

Member
Apr 30, 2013
106
0
Canada
Does anyone know where I could get an adapter that would connect into this type of receptacle pictured below?

3433-MMS-1450106193619-attachment1-1214151015a.jpg
 

Bound466

Member
Dec 31, 2011
221
24
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
That looks like a NEMA 10-50 connector. According to the NEMA connector guide at NEMA connector - Wikipedia.

I have a 10-30 clothes dryer adapter that I no longer use, so Tesla may have manufactured one at some point, but a quick look at their shop site doesn't show such an adapter for the 10-50.

Sorry, I couldn't be much more help.
 

Randy Spencer

Active Member
Mar 31, 2016
3,140
3,032
Alameda, CA
I was looking at Outlet Adapters : EVSE Upgrade, Low-Cost EV Charging Solutions for adapters, but not sure what you are looking to adapt to. Sorry, my Tesla is still at the factory. I assume you want NEMA 14-50 at the other end of the adapter. A quick google search returns: NEMA 14-50R to 10-50P Adapter

But for a LOT less money you could get the outlet (Shop Utilitech 50-Amp Range Power Outlet at Lowes.com) and replace your dryer outlet yourself, just flip the breaker off before doing it. Use one of the touchless electricity detectors (Shop Southwire Digital Voltage Detector Meter at Lowes.com) to be sure it's off. Once you know what size breaker your have you will know how much your can draw for your Tesla.

-Randy
 
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philgrocks

Member
May 26, 2014
57
29
Silicon Valley, CA
What breaker is it tied too?

It does look like a NEMA 10-50, but it may be missing ground, only opening up the outlet will tell (Turn off the breaker first!)

If your not comfortable with opening up the outlet or not sure about which breaker then call an electrician.
 

Biker

Member
Apr 30, 2013
106
0
Canada
It is a dryer outlet. It is in my daughter's house. She lives in Gaylord MI, which seems to be a dead zone regarding EV charging of any kind. And that is odd since it is right along I75.

I don't want to have her change the outlet because then her dryer won't plug in any more. But I might have found some NEMA 14-50R to 10-50P adapters. I think that this would work. Tesla automatically adjust for the average available so whether or not it is 30 AMP or 50 AMP shouldn't matter (I think).

Thanks very much for your replies and suggestions so far. I my ideal world there would be any kind of EV charger in Gaylord. But maybe wishful thinking.
 

Saghost

Well-Known Member
Oct 9, 2013
8,217
7,002
Delaware
It is a dryer outlet. It is in my daughter's house. She lives in Gaylord MI, which seems to be a dead zone regarding EV charging of any kind. And that is odd since it is right along I75.

I don't want to have her change the outlet because then her dryer won't plug in any more. But I might have found some NEMA 14-50R to 10-50P adapters. I think that this would work. Tesla automatically adjust for the average available so whether or not it is 30 AMP or 50 AMP shouldn't matter (I think).

Thanks very much for your replies and suggestions so far. I my ideal world there would be any kind of EV charger in Gaylord. But maybe wishful thinking.

Tesla automatically adjusts based on the plug you put on the UMC, not anything about the wiring itself. If you're adapting to a different wiring/breaker, you'll need to adjust the current in the car manually.

The car has some safety precautions if it senses excessive voltage drop in the line, but you really shouldn't be assuming that those will keep you safe.
 

Firewired

Member
May 23, 2013
705
371
San Antonio
I think that this is a great guide of EV receptacles put together by another member:

http://cosmacelf.net/Home Made Adapters.pdf

Looking at the linked guide, it does look like that a NEMA 10-50 which is described as being for old style ranges and welders.
Plug.jpeg



I have used both Cord Depot (www.corddepot.com) and EVSE Adapters (www.evseadapters.com) to purchase adapters. Both sites list an adapter for the 10-50. I personally prefer Cord Depot as I had one bad experience with EVSE Adapters where they would not answer emails or phone calls when a plug arrived that was different than described. Though I ordered from them recently and it went without a hitch, and I love the "universal adapter" they sell which fits 14-30, 14-50 and 14-60 all in one. I have gotten several adapters over the years to have in my armamentarium with travel.
 

Az_Rael

Supporting Member
Jan 26, 2016
5,602
8,752
Palmdale, CA
I don't want to have her change the outlet because then her dryer won't plug in any more

You could change the outlet to a 14-30, which Tesla does sell an adapter for, and go down to Sears or Home Depot and replace the cord on the dryer. Dryers don't come with power cords for this reason (different plugs in homes), so it should be a very simple fix.
 

brucet999

Active Member
Mar 12, 2015
2,672
1,483
Huntington Beach, CA
It is a dryer outlet. It is in my daughter's house. She lives in Gaylord MI, which seems to be a dead zone regarding EV charging of any kind. And that is odd since it is right along I75.

I don't want to have her change the outlet because then her dryer won't plug in any more. But I might have found some NEMA 14-50R to 10-50P adapters. I think that this would work. Tesla automatically adjust for the average available so whether or not it is 30 AMP or 50 AMP shouldn't matter (I think).
I have never seen a clothes dryer that requires higher than 30A circuit. Before you use any sort of adapter on that dryer outlet, you must absolutely determine what size breaker protects it. It is safe to use a 30A rated dryer on a 50A circuit (maybe the appliance installer switched the line cord with one for a stove), but if someone in the past put that 50A outlet on a 30A dryer circuit, then your 10-50 to 14-50 adapter would vastly overload that circuit. Normally, such an overload would instantly trip a 30A breaker, but if her main panel happens to be one of those old ones known to have high rates of failure (Zinnsco, FPE-Federal Pacific Electric, Bulldog Pushmatic, etc.) the breaker might not trip and a fire could result.

Even if her dryer circuit has a 50A breaker, if it is one of those problematic breaker panels I would not use it for charging an EV, even at 40A.
 

Biker

Member
Apr 30, 2013
106
0
Canada
These comments are truly helpful. I am quite sure that it is a 30 AMP circuit. They can check that for me by just looking at the breaker panel. However, I will lower than amperage from my car to ensure that it doesn't exceed 30 AMPS.

Still, why no EV chargers in Gaylord?
 

Saghost

Well-Known Member
Oct 9, 2013
8,217
7,002
Delaware
These comments are truly helpful. I am quite sure that it is a 30 AMP circuit. They can check that for me by just looking at the breaker panel. However, I will lower than amperage from my car to ensure that it doesn't exceed 30 AMPS.

Still, why no EV chargers in Gaylord?

Under NEC, anything that's over 2 hours has to use no more than 80% of the circuit wire/breaker rating - so if you're sure it's a 30A circuit, you should set the car to 24A.
 
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TexasEV

Well-Known Member
Jun 5, 2013
7,641
8,469
Austin, TX
These comments are truly helpful. I am quite sure that it is a 30 AMP circuit. They can check that for me by just looking at the breaker panel. However, I will lower than amperage from my car to ensure that it doesn't exceed 30 AMPS.
If it's a 30A circuit, you need to lower charging to 24A, not 30A. Remember continuous use should only draw 80% of the. circuit rating. That's why the 14-30 UMC adapter draws 24A max and the 14-50 UMC adapter draws 40A max. This is the danger of homemade kludge adapters, that people don't know or don't remember to set the amps down to a safe level.
 

AlanSqB

Dog Chauffeur
Mar 20, 2015
672
1,023
Gig Harbor, WA
The 10-50 doesn't have a proper ground. It's using the neutral as the ground which is not really the safest. There should actually be a ground wire from the appliance strapped to the box for safety.

See about getting an electrician out to check the circuit and put in a new receptacle that matches the rating for the wires in the run and the breaker (probably 14-30). Then get a new cord for the dryer to match.

After that then get the adapter. 14-30 adapters for the UMC used to be available. I think there are still sources.

You won't find a 10-50 adapter at the RV store because of the ground issue.
 

brucet999

Active Member
Mar 12, 2015
2,672
1,483
Huntington Beach, CA
The 10-50 doesn't have a proper ground. It's using the neutral as the ground which is not really the safest. There should actually be a ground wire from the appliance strapped to the box for safety.

See about getting an electrician out to check the circuit and put in a new receptacle that matches the rating for the wires in the run and the breaker (probably 14-30). Then get a new cord for the dryer to match.

After that then get the adapter. 14-30 adapters for the UMC used to be available. I think there are still sources.

You won't find a 10-50 adapter at the RV store because of the ground issue.
That old outlet may well have a metal box and metal conduit behind it providing a ground path for a 14-30 outlet.
 

GSP

Member
Dec 28, 2007
2,565
795
@Biker,

Check the adapter you are planning to buy to insure the neutral from the 10-50P is connected to the ground of the 14-50R.

Some adapters that are not made for EV charging are not wired to make the right connections that the car needs. The car must detect a good ground or it will not start charging. Since the neutral on the 10-50 outlet is connected to ground at the home's panel, adapters wired as described above will work. However, a separate ground wire is likely a safer solution.

I ordered a 10-50 stove cord and a 14-50R outlet made for RV extension cords from Amazon for about $30 total. It works fine, but I have to manually lower the Amps. OK for a temporary solution, but suggestions upthread to change your daughter's outlet to a properly wired 14-30 and buy Tesla's 14-30 UMC adapter are the best and safest route.

GSP
 

johnr

Member
Apr 14, 2009
358
319
Central California
Well, the easiest solution for the OP would be an adapter such as the 14-50R to 10-50P adapter from www.evseadapters.com . Normally a 10-50 outlet is good for 50 amps, in which case you would be able to charge at full power without having to adjust the current or anything, simply plug it in! However as you have confirmed that it's only on a 30 amp circuit, you would need to manually turn down the charging current to 24 amps.

@Firewired: Sorry to hear you had a bad experience, and I'm glad your subsequent orders went without a hitch. If the matter has not already been resolved, please message me your order number and the details and I'll make sure to take care of it! :)
 
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