Also of interest... I have a Roadster wall charger in the garage. It's a 90A circuit, has been installed for over six years, and so far zero problems.
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Congratulations - you can spend less time doing this now. On a more serious tone you're wearing out the outlet, easily negating any possible savings from the tiny idle electrical draw or the wear on the internal circuitry.
I bought a wall connector, so the NEMA issue will go away. Do have to replace the switch though.
JeffC
Member
It's safer to remove the plug from the outlet, so there's not a live pigtail hanging from the wall socket.
Overall recommendation would definitely be to leave the UMC (or new Mobile Connector) plugged in. All EVSEs are designed to use very low power when idle, and plugging and unplugging repeatedly will wear out the socket faster, which can increase resistance/heat, etc. (On the other hand, an occasional unplug and plug cycle may help clean oxidation off the contacts.)
And yes, a permanently wired and permanently mounted EVSE is technically the best: most efficient, marginally safer, potentially higher power (if needed), etc.
Ironically the ~$100 nice Hospital Grade Hubble 14-50 socket cost closes half of the gap between Mobile Connector and Wall Connector pricing.
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Nope. There is no load when you're plugging in and therefore no arcing while plugging in.
These are not failing as they are being plugged in, they fail while you put a long heavy load on them, sooner or later.
There is no reason to have a "portable" connection on such a large critical load.
Plugging in regularly does help score the contacts but can weaken the tension over time.
OP has the right plan, get a Wall Connector. Problem solved.
Makes me sick every time I see, "Hey I'm getting a new Tesla and have a 14-50 outlet being installed". Ugh.
I wish Tesla would not include the UMC so more folks would consider the Wall Connector, so much more robust in many ways.
If you eliminate the GFCI Breaker that should be on the 14-50 circuit and not required for wall connector it ends up cheaper for the Wall Connector. Oh, don't forget you have to buy the 14-50 adapter now too.
Do you have the UMC HANGING from the wall connector ?
You might want to secure the UMC to the wall so that the plug does not hang and is not under tension.
Something as simple as a hook to hang it on and take tension off the plug may work.
Looks to me like the plug was wobbling around in the socket.
Any electrical connection that is not secure is a problem.
You might want to secure the UMC to the wall so that the plug does not hang and is not under tension.
Something as simple as a hook to hang it on and take tension off the plug may work.
Looks to me like the plug was wobbling around in the socket.
Any electrical connection that is not secure is a problem.
agreed
you bought a $50-100k car and cheap out on the charge connector? I think the electrician rates drive up the price for a lot of people and discouraged them
If you use the recommended connector, it should survive well enough. It's using the $8 big box special instead of picking up the right one from your favorite electrical distributor that causes some of the trouble, and pulling the plug every day instead of leaving it that causes the rest.
JPoldo
Member
Like Haxter, I too am an EE with 25+ years of experience. And as a frugal engineer, I installed a <$10 NEMA outlet in the garage. It works great at 40A, but I only remove UMC 3-4 times/yr for trips. Even at that rate it got warm after a year. I discovered one of the screw terminals had loosened probably from repeated heating/cooling. If you have this outlet, check the screw terminals every 6-9 months. The $80 model must have better wire connections and plug contacts. If installing one again, I'd opt for the better one.
doghousePVD
My grandfather’s car
ralph142
Member
Can’t cite the nec, but it’s commonly stated on the forums that an ev charging circuit is supposed to be dedicated, and have gfi. Whether that applies to a 14-50 outlet that you plug the hpwc into may be up to interpretation, beyond my pay grade. I would sure put in a really good 14-50 if I needed the flexibility or just have the hpwc wired directly.
doghousePVD
My grandfather’s car
The code specifies a dedicated circuit for 14-50, 14-30, etc. There is code regarding GFCI breakers on 120 V circuits in garages, etc. I have looked, but not exhaustively, and have not found a requirement for 240 V outlets to be GFCI. The are a lot of blowhards on these forums who spout "facts" without substantiation.
Personally, I didn’t wait for the code to have to tell me to apply common sense.
But here you go.
2017 NEC requires GFCI 50 amp breaker for 14-50 NEMA outlet intended for EV - Tesla Owners Online
By the way don’t stick a fork in a toaster that’s plugged in, there is nothing in the code that says you should not do that.
kkillebrew
Banned
GFI is built-in to Tesla Chargers. Doubling up can cause problems in certain situations. Bottom line not needed IF your outlet is properly sized, installed, etc.
A GFCI is built into the UMC but that can’t protect the exposed outlet.
Does a hair dryer with GFCI on the cord exclude you from needing a GFCI in your bathroom outlet, If you promise to only use the hair dryer? You’re suggesting exactly the same thing.
GFCI is built into the wall connector too. But because it’s hardwired there is no need for GFCI on the circuit.
Again, this is all common sense. It amazes me how folks like to argue over this. If there is one chance in a billion it will safe a life, I’ll pay the $100 and do it. I put GFCI and AFCI on lots of circuits that are “not required”. But it is now code on EV outlets. They applied common sense.
And no, doubling up a GFCI does not cause more problems. But some GFCI breakers don’t like some loads and you have to find a compatible one. Which can raise the cost of UMC outlet even further.
ralph142
Member
I specifically said, an ev charging circuit. No idea nor do I care whether it’s generally required on a 14-50 outlet or not.
There is a copy of the new code sections in the link below. Pretty easy to find. It’s all over the net.
Don’t confuse “single phase 150V to ground or less” and not seeing any reference to 240V around the GFCI requirements. A 240V circuit is 2 hots of 120V to ground. The whole risk that GFCI is protecting against is the user being grounded and touching one of the hot leads while plugging in. It has nothing to do with 240V across the two hots. A 120V outlet has the same electrocution risk as a 240V outlet. And therefore is treated the same.
The risk of your body being between hot and neutral (120V) or between hot to hot (240v) is very low and not protected by GFCI. GFCI only protects hot to ground which is very possible in wet places like bathrooms, garages, outdoors, pools and kitchens. Regardless if it’s 240V or 120V circuits. They are all 120V to earth (ground).
Not all 14-50 are required because of applications like electric stoves because they are rarely if ever plugged in live by the end user.
The blowhards are trying to educate you and others so you don’t kill your self, your loved ones or give EV a bad rap.
2017 NEC requires GFCI 50 amp breaker for 14-50 NEMA outlet intended for EV - Tesla Owners Online
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JPoldo
Member
If you leave the UMC plugged in all the time, its GFCI will trip when there is a ground fault at the NEMA 15-40 outlet or its wiring. Charging will fail and you'll need to diagnose the problem as an open ground. Therefore, adding a GFCI circuit breaker at the panel has little value. But it does give you protection when the UMC is briefly removed.
The reason we need a ground is to force a circuit breaker trip when one of the 2 hot wires accidentally connects to a metal structure such as an electrical box or metal conduit. If that metal was electrically "hot", you could be shocked by touching it. GFCI breakers provide no protection from a shock when one of the UMC copper wires is exposed to the user.
More owners would purchase a Wall Connector if its price was under $250 vs $500.
The reason we need a ground is to force a circuit breaker trip when one of the 2 hot wires accidentally connects to a metal structure such as an electrical box or metal conduit. If that metal was electrically "hot", you could be shocked by touching it. GFCI breakers provide no protection from a shock when one of the UMC copper wires is exposed to the user.
More owners would purchase a Wall Connector if its price was under $250 vs $500.
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