Nema 5-20? Moving soon trying to save money

[Jayskywalker21]

I am moving to another complex that has a garage and a 5-15 wall outlet in the garage. I am sure this has been talked about but I want to be very specific in what I'm asking. I do not want to buy a $400 wall charger and then call over an electrician for $500-600 more just to charge my car. I work from home and most days I can just plug the car in and keep it going all day. I was watching a few YT vids but wanted to take it to the forums. I was looking at this

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017EUTHC0

Then I would buy a 5-20 adapter from Tesla for a measly 35 bucks and connect it to my mobile charger WHICH came with the car when I bought it used, and just charge like that. Is this dangerous(plug into a plug, into Nema adapter to charger and then to car)?Do I need to be worried about fires for 13-14 hour charging? Could this be plenty efficient enough? I probably drive 20-25 miles MAX a day and on the weekends I'll go maybe 50-100 miles tops for going out etc etc so the charging speed shouldn't be bad. Would love to hear you guys work arounds.. however my garage will not be close to the dryer room at all.

 

[Droschke]

Not sure I understand why you need that Amazon adapter!

If your Tesla Mobile Connector has no NEMA 5-15 adapter plug, why not just buy one from Tesla?

 

[luckyj]

Good point @Droschke

Hmm, maybe the "bought it used" also means, "didn't get the 5-15 adapter"?

Ideally, get a 5-15 adapter.

I suppose you could get the 5-20 adapter, but you would have to set the charge rate while using the 5-20 so it only pulls 12 amps instead of the normal 16 (80% of rated), and you might be okay. If that's even possible anymore...

 

[Droschke]

Good point @Droschke

Hmm, maybe the "bought it used" also means, "didn't get the 5-15 adapter"?

Ideally, get a 5-15 adapter.

I suppose you could get the 5-20 adapter, but you would have to set the charge rate while using the 5-20 so it only pulls 12 amps instead of the normal 16 (80% of rated), and you might be okay. If that's even possible anymore...

Not sure why the 5-20 is even being discussed by the OP. The OP says:

I am moving to another complex that has a garage and a 5-15 wall outlet in the garage.

 

[Jayskywalker21]

Not sure why the 5-20 is even being discussed by the OP. The OP says:

Ohh… yeah I’m not thinking at all. However it was for 1 extra mile of range per hour which I guess doesn’t matter at all. However this seems incredibly slow 3-4 Miles per hour on charge. Guess I should just do a wall charger

 

[Droschke]

Ohh… yeah I’m not thinking at all. However it was for 1 extra mile of range per hour which I guess doesn’t matter at all. However this seems incredibly slow 3-4 Miles per hour on charge. Guess I should just do a wall charger

And, those adapters, like the Amazon one you link, are dumb "adapter" plugs, like plumbing fittings. They are not voltage/amps converters.

 

[kg7jo-]

Is this dangerous(plug into a plug, into Nema adapter to charger and then to car)?Do I need to be worried about fires for 13-14 hour charging?

Yes and Yes. NEMA5-15 is rated for 12 amp continuous use, while NEMA5-20 is rated for 16 amp continuous use. Not only it's a fire hazard, but it could also trip the 15amp breaker.

 

[ATPMSD]

You cannot use that adapter! If you plug in the Tesla 5-20 which I assume you have the car will attempt to charge at 16-amps. The standard 5-15 outlet is rated for 15-amps and when used with the Tesla 5-15 adapter it will draw 12-amps.

As suggest above, you should buy the Tesla 5-15 adapter!

 

[NewbyMaybe]

There's likely a j1772 charger in your area, usually 20mph, free. If you work from home then probably only charge once a month.

 

[bmah]

Ohh… yeah I’m not thinking at all. However it was for 1 extra mile of range per hour which I guess doesn’t matter at all. However this seems incredibly slow 3-4 Miles per hour on charge. Guess I should just do a wall charger

There are quite a few solutions that don't involve going the full-blown wall connector route. You could do something like have an electrician run a circuit to a NEMA 14-50 outlet (which is similar to what you'd have that electrician do anyway for a wall connector) and use your mobile connector with a NEMA 14-50 adapter. Many owners do this...I've been using this charging setup for the past 8 years.

Bruce.

 

[Cosmacelf]

I am moving to another complex that has a garage and a 5-15 wall outlet in the garage. I am sure this has been talked about but I want to be very specific in what I'm asking. I do not want to buy a $400 wall charger and then call over an electrician for $500-600 more just to charge my car. I work from home and most days I can just plug the car in and keep it going all day. I was watching a few YT vids but wanted to take it to the forums. I was looking at this

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017EUTHC0/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B017EUTHC0&linkCode=as2&tag=michiels123-20&linkId=74dda5cc5f2ee2ed478659dec6fc6b89

Then I would buy a 5-20 adapter from Tesla for a measly 35 bucks and connect it to my mobile charger WHICH came with the car when I bought it used, and just charge like that. Is this dangerous(plug into a plug, into Nema adapter to charger and then to car)?Do I need to be worried about fires for 13-14 hour charging? Could this be plenty efficient enough? I probably drive 20-25 miles MAX a day and on the weekends I'll go maybe 50-100 miles tops for going out etc etc so the charging speed shouldn't be bad. Would love to hear you guys work arounds.. however my garage will not be close to the dryer room at all.

Lots of people who don’t drive their Teslas very far charge them using a 5-15 plug. It’ll work, just keep it plugged in all the time when not driving and don’t have a charging start time. That way it’ll start charging as soon as you plug it in. And set your maximum charge to 90%, so if you drive it a lot one day, it’ll be near full.

Something to check. Even though your plug is a 5-15, it could still be connected to a 20A breaker. If it is, then using that cheater plug from Amazon would work with the Tesla 5-20 adapter. If it was connected to a 20A breaker, actually the best thing would be to replace the 5-15 receptacle with a 5-20 receptacle and then no cheater plug would be needed, and it would be a lot safer.

 

[GreenCoffee]

If you have a home run wire to the garage that shares no other outlets (or downstream outlets shared can be disconnected) , 12 gauge romex is what it would likely be even if it has a 15a rated outlet(s) (definitely confirm this first) then one could convert this to a 2 pole 20A outlet by using the white neutral wire for the extra hot leg and changing to a 20A 2 pole breaker of course, I would install the Hubbell as it's the best quality 6-20R made, you could then charge at a 16A level 2 rate
Amazon.com

 

[Cheburashka]

I use this adapter to charge my other EV.

It's superior to charging with the 5-15 because it's a little faster.

My breaker is 20a so no issues for the last year.

If the house is modern enough, then I would guess that wiring and breakers are fine.

 

[Rocky_H]

@Jayskywalker21 What you are asking about is probably not a good idea, and there are definitely better choices. I'm summarizing, but @Cosmacelf covered most of this well.

15A circuits have to have only 5-15 outlets on them. 20A circuits can have a mix of 5-15 or 5-20 outlets. So just from the outlet type, it's not sure what level of circuit that is on. And if that is just a 15A circuit, this thing you are attempting to do, to draw from it as if it's a 5-20 would be a really Bad Idea (TM) and dangerous!!

If it really is a 20A circuit, then the better thing would be to swap the outlet type to a 5-20 outlet.

However this seems incredibly slow 3-4 Miles per hour on charge.

Well, it will probably be better than that. It was about 3 mph on the only original inefficient pigs that Tesla made like my 2014 Model S. The newer ones with better efficiency will be closer in that 4+ range.

But you said you only drive about 20-25 miles average, so this should be plenty, just using the standard Tesla 5-15 plug.

 

[Jayskywalker21]

Lots of people who don’t drive their Teslas very far charge them using a 5-15 plug. It’ll work, just keep it plugged in all the time when not driving and don’t have a charging start time. That way it’ll start charging as soon as you plug it in. And set your maximum charge to 90%, so if you drive it a lot one day, it’ll be near full.

Something to check. Even though your plug is a 5-15, it could still be connected to a 20A breaker. If it is, then using that cheater plug from Amazon would work with the Tesla 5-20 adapter. If it was connected to a 20A breaker, actually the best thing would be to replace the 5-15 receptacle with a 5-20 receptacle and then no cheater plug would be needed, and it would be a lot safer.

I'm going to apologize in advance for sounding like such a noobie, but im curious. Keeping it plugged in all the time wouldn't cause issues with the tesla though? And I'm wondering about my electricity bill here as well I'm assuming it wont cost much but just want to make sure.

 

[RichAZ/CapeCod]

Ohh… yeah I’m not thinking at all. However it was for 1 extra mile of range per hour which I guess doesn’t matter at all. However this seems incredibly slow 3-4 Miles per hour on charge. Guess I should just do a wall charger

Don't get a wall charger. I wrote a book on EVs and lecture on the subject. My advice for many folks is, try using the 5-15 outlet before spending money on a 14-50 outlet. I tell them; A~B~C!! Always Be Charging!! Drive to the post office, plug in when back at home. Grocery shopping? Plug back in at home. Stay plugged in all the time!!

Look, if you get 4 mile of range per hour of charge, unless you are a commuter (which you are not) you will have no issue with keeping your EV at the SoC you desire.

Rich

Our Bolt, now our Model Y, plugged into a 5-15 outlet.
We have a 14-50 outlet on the other side of the garage for our other Tesla (M3 SR)

 

[M3BlueGeorgia]

I use this adapter to charge my other EV.

It's superior to charging with the 5-15 because it's a little faster.

My breaker is 20a so no issues for the last year.

If the house is modern enough, then I would guess that wiring and breakers are fine.

Why not have an electrician check the wiring to see if it is 20A capable, and if so, change the outlet to 5-20, then safely charge at 16A continuous.

 

[Jayskywalker21]

Don't get a wall charger. I wrote a book on EVs and lecture on the subject. My advice for many folks is, try using the 5-15 outlet before spending money on a 14-50 outlet. I tell them; A~B~C!! Always Be Charging!! Drive to the post office, plug in when back at home. Grocery shopping? Plug back in at home. Stay plugged in all the time!!

Look, if you get 4 mile of range per hour of charge, unless you are a commuter (which you are not) you will have no issue with keeping your EV at the SoC you desire.

Rich

Our Bolt, now our Model Y, plugged into a 5-15 outlet.
We have a 14-50 outlet on the other side of the garage for our other Tesla (M3 SR)

How much did it cost you to install a 14-50 outlet for the garage?

 

[Jayskywalker21]

Why not have an electrician check the wiring to see if it is 20A capable, and if so, change the outlet to 5-20, then safely charge at 16A continuous.

Will Do!

 

[Droschke]

I am moving to another complex that has a garage and a 5-15 wall outlet in the garage.

How much did it cost to install a 14-50 outlet for the garage?

Are you even allowed to install a NEMA 14-50 in the other complex you are moving to which has a garage?

If yes, the cost vastly differs based on your geography and the installation complexity. Can range from a couple of hundreds to thousands of $.