Nema 14-50 frequent unplug and replug

[Locogallo]

Hey everyone,

Instead of getting a Tesla charger, I was thinking of getting a Nema 14-50 plug in my condo parking.

I feel like it will be better if I sell the condo one day, as it will be adapted to any type of electric car.

My main concern is:
-Does the adapter charge at the same speed as the tesla wall charger?
-Is it realistic to unplug it often so I can bring the charger with me? And are there electrocution risks with plugging and unplugging?

 

[CravenRx]

Tesla wall charger is a little faster but not by a lot and most people will not notice if charging overnight.
Tesla does recommend industrial grade outlets that cost a lot more than the 14-50 outlet you get from Lowe’s for that reason... the ones at big box stores are designed to get plugged/unplugged like once a year. I thought about just buying another 14-50 adapter and leaving that part plugged in and removing the plug from the box... but I don’t know if that’s a good idea or not.

 

[duanra]

Hey everyone,

Instead of getting a Tesla charger, I was thinking of getting a Nema 14-50 plug in my condo parking.

I feel like it will be better if I sell the condo one day, as it will be adapted to any type of electric car.

My main concern is:
-Does the adapter charge at the same speed as the tesla wall charger?
-Is it realistic to unplug it often so I can bring the charger with me? And are there electrocution risks with plugging and unplugging?

I am not an electrician but I doubt a mobile system would present risks of electrocution if used the way it was built for (mobile).
For the other question, it will make no speed difference if you don't have a long range model.

 

[jerry33]

Depending upon which car and battery you get and also what size circuit you put the HPWC on, it can be up to twice as fast in the best case. However, unless you have a short TOU electrical service, it won't matter in any practical way.

The typical 14-50 receptacle has a duty cycle of about 350 plug-ins, so that's a bit over a year's use with daily cycling, but sometimes you'll unplug it more than daily.

 

[eprosenx]

Hey everyone,

Instead of getting a Tesla charger, I was thinking of getting a Nema 14-50 plug in my condo parking.

I feel like it will be better if I sell the condo one day, as it will be adapted to any type of electric car.

My main concern is:
-Does the adapter charge at the same speed as the tesla wall charger?
-Is it realistic to unplug it often so I can bring the charger with me? And are there electrocution risks with plugging and unplugging?

I do not ever recommend plugging and unplugging a 14-50 every day. As others mentioned, it was never designed for that many insertion cycles (even the heavy duty receptacles), and it is really annoying to do every day. Generally I recommend having a fixed charging solution that you only have to plug into the car each day, not the wall also.

This topic is discussed on this forum in length repeatedly. I would recommend scrolling through several pages on the forum and reading some of the threads. You can also enter site:teslamotorsclub.com into google along with some search terms to find relevant threads. There is a lot of info already here.

I also wrote this up since this is such a common question:
How Should I Charge My Tesla? – Article625.com

To answer your questions: Yes, it charges at same speed if you have a SR or MR. No if LR (assuming your electrical service has capacity for over a 40a circuit (LR can charge at up to 48a which needs a 60a circuit).

You can unplug the UMC to take it with you, but if you want to do it daily I would not recommend it. Either buy the wall connector or buy a second UMC so you can leave one connected at all times.

There are risks of electrocution when plugging/unplugging as the connector is quite big and stiff, though probably not an issue if you are careful. I would not want to do it in the rain all the time (though in theory the code required GFCI breaker might save you if you did get shocked in that case).

 

[jerry33]

I do not ever recommend plugging and unplugging a 14-50 every day. As others mentioned, it was never designed for that many insertion cycles (even the heavy duty receptacles), and it is really annoying to do every day. Generally I recommend having a fixed charging solution that you only have to plug into the car each day, not the wall also.

You can unplug the UMC to take it with you, but if you want to do it daily I would not recommend it. Either buy the wall connector or buy a second UMC so you can leave one connected at all times.

Agreed. I've been charging using the UMC for over six years, but it only gets unplugged when I take a trip (3-4 times a year). Daily would be a royal pain, and I'd get a second one, or if the power was in a public area an HPWC (for security).

The UMC electronics will handle bad power, so I'm not convinced safety is a particular concern. RV parks would appear to be the place where it might be an issue. You shouldn't leave the electronic box out in the rain because it is water resistant, but not waterproof. At RV parks the receptacle cover protects the plug, but some other type of cover is needed to protect the electronic box of the UMC (water running down the cord into the electronic box is the issue).

 

[TiggerTime]

I have 2 14-50 plugs on a power pole that have been used for the past 30 years without any issue of them wearing out. 2 RVs and many guest with RVs of the years. While they aren't plugged/unplugged daily they have seen their fare share of use.

 

[TexasEV]

Why do you think you will be repeatedly plugging and unplugging your UMC? Unless you’re going to RV parks there’s rarely a reason to take it with you— and never a reason when you’re routinely driving around town.

Sounds like you need to read the Tesla home charging web site, then come back here with specific questions.
Home Charging Installation

 

[COrocket]

Unless you are driving 200+ miles a day, just leave the UMC plugged in at home. 14-50 outlets are relatively rare out in the wild, and unless you have a specific place in mind with several hours of time there, it really isn’t useful to carry around daily. Possibly the exception is if you were going to go visit someone for several days and wanted to trickle charge at their place on 120V.

 

[duanra]

I mentioned that before, but charging at work is a good reason to have your umc in your car. And of course, you could by a 2nd one. It works beautifully for me.

 

[mswlogo]

I do not ever recommend plugging and unplugging a 14-50 every day. As others mentioned, it was never designed for that many insertion cycles (even the heavy duty receptacles), and it is really annoying to do every day. Generally I recommend having a fixed charging solution that you only have to plug into the car each day, not the wall also.

This topic is discussed on this forum in length repeatedly. I would recommend scrolling through several pages on the forum and reading some of the threads. You can also enter site:teslamotorsclub.com into google along with some search terms to find relevant threads. There is a lot of info already here.

I also wrote this up since this is such a common question:
How Should I Charge My Tesla? – Article625.com

To answer your questions: Yes, it charges at same speed if you have a SR or MR. No if LR (assuming your electrical service has capacity for over a 40a circuit (LR can charge at up to 48a which needs a 60a circuit).

You can unplug the UMC to take it with you, but if you want to do it daily I would not recommend it. Either buy the wall connector or buy a second UMC so you can leave one connected at all times.

There are risks of electrocution when plugging/unplugging as the connector is quite big and stiff, though probably not an issue if you are careful. I would not want to do it in the rain all the time (though in theory the code required GFCI breaker might save you if you did get shocked in that case).

100% agree.

BTW to OP if you move, take the Wall Connector with you and replace it with a 14-50 when you sell it (unless buyer so happens to have Tesla). Mark it that way in the P&S because your not supposed to take things “attached” to the home unless an exception it called out. Or swap it out before listing it.

Don’t know if this is outdoors but the Wall Connector is more suited for outdoors as well.

 

[mswlogo]

Tesla wall charger is a little faster but not by a lot and most people will not notice if charging overnight.

If you call 50% faster a little I’m curious what you think a lot is

48A / 32A is 1.5

I sure notice it.

Wall Connector would require a 60A Breaker for that rate. Where a 14-50 would only need 50A. UMC is the limitation though.

 

[TexasEV]

I mentioned that before, but charging at work is a good reason to have your umc in your car. And of course, you could by a 2nd one. It works beautifully for me.

Only if you're charging by plugging into an outlet. Most workplace charging is with J1772 or Tesla Wall Connectors.

 

[JPP]

You can leave the NEMA 14-50 adapter on the Mobile Connector plugged into the wall outlet (NEMA 14-50R) and do your disconnect at the connection between the adapter and the Mobile Connector box. Get a 2nd NEMA 14-50 adapter. Then the wear and tear is on that connection and not the wall receptacle. Mobile Connector is under new car warranty.

 

[eladts]

You can leave the NEMA 14-50 adapter on the Mobile Connector plugged into the wall outlet (NEMA 14-50R) and do your disconnect at the connection between the adapter and the Mobile Connector box. Get a 2nd NEMA 14-50 adapter. Then the wear and tear is on that connection and not the wall receptacle. Mobile Connector is under new car warranty.

That makes no sense at all. Instead of wearing the $50 socket, you wear the $275 UMC. Also, it is not a good idea to leave a detachable power plug connected to live voltage while the other end is detached. The UMC have relays to prevent live voltage in the car end before it communicates with the car but the NEMA 14-50 adapter doesn't.

 

[JPP]

That makes no sense at all. Instead of wearing the $50 socket, you wear the $275 UMC. Also, it is not a good idea to leave a detachable power plug connected to live voltage while the other end is detached. The UMC have relays to prevent live voltage in the car end before it communicates with the car but the NEMA 14-50 adapter doesn't.

Is having live voltage at the adapter any more dangerous than the live voltage at the receptacle? And my drift is that if you are worried about wear and tear and failure of the NEMA 14-50R and the need to replace it (better quality receptacle is like $60-80 plus electrician $$), woult it be cheaper/better getting the MC replaced under warranty? FWIW back in the 'good old days' with my 2013 S85 and the original gen 1 UMC, I used this system with no issues. Of course now with more readily accessible Superchargers and level 2 charging, the MC in the car is less critical. YMMV.

 

[jerry33]

Of course now with more readily accessible Superchargers and level 2 charging, the MC in the car is less critical. YMMV.

Unless you want to go camping or stay at a B&B. Of course, you would only need the UMC in the car during the trip. Locally, you just leave the UMC at home plugged in. As you say, it's a system that has worked well for years.

 

[StealthP3D]

I like the wall connector. It's hard wired, fast and easy. And I can leave the UMC in the basement of the trunk for added flexibility.

 

[CravenRx]

If you call 50% faster a little I’m curious what you think a lot is

48A / 32A is 1.5

I sure notice it.

Wall Connector would require a 60A Breaker for that rate. Where a 14-50 would only need 50A. UMC is the limitation though.

Well I mean the wall charger charges at 44mph the 14-50 charges at 28ish? I wouldn’t think many people notice the difference because they just leave it plugged in overnight. If it was 100mph I would consider that a lot lol, but even then I would just plug it in when I got home and unplug it in the morning.

 

[eprosenx]

I have 2 14-50 plugs on a power pole that have been used for the past 30 years without any issue of them wearing out. 2 RVs and many guest with RVs of the years. While they aren't plugged/unplugged daily they have seen their fare share of use.

Yeah, though I would call out that the spring tension on those receptacles is likely not as good as when it was new.

You may not have issues with loose tension for an RV since they generally draw very little power compared to an EV charger which will suck down every ounce of power available for hours on end.

(Also, I bet the receptacles 30 years ago were probably better than the “value engineered” ones available today).