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Only 12A on NEMA 10-30 outlet
- Thread starter jvellone
- Start date
exxxviii
Member
In the OP's picture above, the car has been charging for a couple hours. We don't know if the max 12A showed at the very beginning of the charge or dropped sometime during the charge. But we do know from the OP's comments that the charger error codes indicate thermal at the outlet plug.
Just how did you come to that conclusion? I don't think there's enough information there to determine that.
ucmndd
Well-Known Member
The display shows the current charging session has added 5kwh, and was charging at 2kw (actually 2.9kw, the display rounds down), when the picture was taken.
If the car had been charging at ~2.9kw for most/all of the session that’s at LEAST an hour and a half-ish.
Absolute best case, if the car WAS charging at a full 24 amps on the 10-30 outlet (~6kw) until the moment before the pic was taken, that’s at least an ~hour in to the charging session.
Nothing in that screenshot tells me that it had been charging at the same rate the entire time. I've plugged in at the airport and seen current limits anywhere from 5A to 32A, and actual charge rates of anywhere between 0kW to 7kW.
Yeah, we can get a minimum time, knowing it's a 30A circuit, but not a maximum.
Hi everyone, thanks for all of the helpful feedback! I was back at my parents' place this weekend and was able to plug in and test again. Here's what I found:
Thank you everyone for your help! What a wonderful community.
- Right after plugging in my official Tesla mobile connector into the dryer outlet, there are no error messages flashing and the Tesla app displays a full 24A
- Within about an hour, the error message flashes and the Tesla app displays 12A max
- After a few hours of charging on 12A, I stopped the charging session and unplugged the mobile connector. The prongs of the mobile connector were slightly warm but not hot, and the dryer socket itself didn't feel warm at all
Thank you everyone for your help! What a wonderful community.
exxxviii
Member
The temperature that matters is the moment that the charger kicks the error. Did you unplug and check it then? If you checked it a few hours after charging at a reduced rate, that would not tell you much. Regardless, it really should be almost no different from outside temperature. So, the charger might be very sensitive.
I would replace the outlet with a high-grade commercial outlet, like a Hubbell, that is designed for continuous load.
Mrbrock
Active Member
While replacing with a high grade commercial outlet Is the best thing to do if you plan to use the outlet a lot, it might not be practical for occasional use. The best thing to do in this situation is to switch off the breaker for the dryer and remove the receptacle and examine it. Look for discoloration of the wire insulation as that may be signs of overheating. It may be that a wire is loose or one of the screws holding the wires in is loose. Make sure all the wire ends are clean (corroded wires cause increased resistance which leads to more heat) and fully seated under the screws and tighten everything down at least twice. Tighten as far as you can, then go back and do it again. Reinstall the receptacle and see if this fixes your issue.
Juat because the dryer has been working for 30 years doesn’t mean it is working safely. Dryers don’t detect wire temperature and reduce heating if they sense a problem. Also, the typical dryer load is done within an hour so the high temp issue the charger is experiencing after an hour isn’t a problem with the dryer.
exxxviii
Member
A Hubbell or Bryant outlet is $30. If you are recommending that someone throw the beaker and remove the original outlet for inspection... just skip the inspection step, discard the 30 YO outlet, replace it with a new $30 outlet. It is literally the same effort with a higher probability of a positive outcome.
A high grade commercial outlet is fine for occasional use.
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. I'd be willing to bet that at one time, the screws on that old outlet were tight and the wires were clean. If it happened once with that old outlet, it's going to happen again, and probably faster the second time.
Dryers do not draw continuous current. The heating element cycles on and off. EV charging requires better hardware due to the continuous nature of the load.
davewill
Active Member
Start the car charging, and after 30 min to an hour, (while still charging at the high rate, if possible) unplug the 10-30 and carefully feel the blades. If they are HOT to the touch, then that's your problem. They should be warm but not too hot to keep your fingers on.
... just a note, before doing that, make sure you stop charging and disconnect the plug from Tesla first.
Mrbrock
Active Member
I am not saying a high grade outlet is not good for occasional use. I am suggesting he probably doesn't want to spend $50 an an outlet that he uses twice a year and that a normal consumer grade outlet will be fine for this use.
So if it happens over slowly 30 years the product is trash? So if your ICE car was low on oil you should throw it out and buy a new car? There's simple maintenance that can be done to extend the life of things. If there is corrosion to the outlet, then yes, toss it. But if it is just a loose wire from repeated heat/cool cycles then tightening it up is a good solution. As far as repeating the process, that is something that was taught to me by one of the best licensed electricians I have every used. Just like doing preflight checks on airplanes. Just because it was right when you left it, doesn't mean it is right when you come back to it. There is nothing lost other than a minute or two of your time by checking your work by repeating.
Hey everyone, just an update that I got an electrician to come to my parents' house, indeed the 30-year-old NEMA 10-30 dryer outlet was shot from years of use. He replaced it with a new one - I have yet to test it.
One thing the electrician did mention is that continuously unplugging the dryer cord and plugging in the Tesla mobile connector could degrade the outlet quickly -- has anyone found that to be true? If so, what are potential solutions... a splitter?
One thing the electrician did mention is that continuously unplugging the dryer cord and plugging in the Tesla mobile connector could degrade the outlet quickly -- has anyone found that to be true? If so, what are potential solutions... a splitter?
davewill
Active Member
Unless you're planning to leave your mobile connector there, a splitter isn't going to help so much. You'd just be plugging and unplugging from the outlet on the splitter.
How often are you planning to do this?
There are smart switches you could use with the Tesla Mobile Connector and still use the dryer when not charging.
Neocharge smart splitter
Dryer Buddy
Neocharge smart splitter
Dryer Buddy
chobra
Member
Or even go all-in and install a wall connector\charger if the OP's parents house has a garage.
ucmndd
Well-Known Member
Yes, outlets like this are designed to be plugged and unplugged maybe a few dozen times in their lifetime - not several times per week.
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