It has raised lettering saying "125V 20A" but that circular 3 prong format is not in Tesla store so you might want to go to Home Depot and buy a NEMA 5-20 which is quite popular in new homes and switch that out. Tesla store does have an adapter for that for $35....this plug...
That's kind of a bad idea. That would make you use the 14-50 Tesla adapter plug, which will tell the car it can draw the full 32A, and you would have to remember to dial down the current on the screen in the car.That’s a NEMA L5-20P plug. Try this: https://www.amazon.com/Parkworld-Adapter-L5-20P-14-50R-Charging/dp/B07K66752L
Oooh, dang! Yeah, totally. The L5-20 is the same three pins, but just in a different shape, so you can totally use a cheap little converter plug like this instead of a full $59 UMC adapter plug from EVSEAdapters. Don't know why that didn't occur to me.These little guys are easy to find at the local hardware store if you want to use your existing 5-15 adapter or Tesla's 5-20 adapter.
Converting to 14-50 comes with a bit of risk. The UMC, will start pulling at 32 (or 40, depending on version) amps, That's way more than the plug or cabling is capable of handling (ie 20/16 amps). Normally, that would trip the breaker, but regardless, it would still be a fire risk.That’s a NEMA L5-20P plug. Try this: https://www.amazon.com/Parkworld-Adapter-L5-20P-14-50R-Charging/dp/B07K66752L
you’d need to decide whether it’s worth the expense - it’s not 240v.
There is one benefit: It's a dedicated circuit. While a standard 5-15 may not offer much greater speed, there's a high chance of tripping the breaker (depending on what other loads are on that circuit).To add on to TheRFMan's answer, that's also a GFCI protected outlet, probably with a very old GFCI. There's a non-zero chance that when you try to use it to charge, it'll pop the GFCI (Figure out where that is, possibly in the circuit breaker box; you should be able to just reset it if that happens).
So, I agree - there's little advantage to using that plug (with the right UMC adapters, you might get 5-6 miles of range per hour of charging, rather than 4-5), and a possibility of spending the money and still not being able to use the outlet. If it were me, I'd just use a normal outlet.
That’s a NEMA L5-20P plug. Try this: Amazon.com
you’d need to decide whether it’s worth the expense - it’s not 240v.
These little guys are easy to find at the local hardware store if you want to use your existing 5-15 adapter or Tesla's 5-20 adapter.
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L5-20P to 5-15R/20R Heavy Duty Power Adapter, 20A, 125V, 6 in. | Tripp Lite
This heavy-duty 6 in. plug adapter changes a NEMA 5-15P or 5-20P plug into a locking L5-20P plug for securing your network device into its outlet.www.tripplite.com
Good point. Although in most houses I have seen outdoor outlets are also usually dedicated circuits (but I don't think it is required).There is one benefit: It's a dedicated circuit. While a standard 5-15 may not offer much greater speed, there's a high chance of tripping the breaker (depending on what other loads are on that circuit).
Also, it's an L5-20, not a 15, so you can run at 16A @ 120V with the right adapter. You'll only get 12A from a 5-15 household outlet.There is one benefit: It's a dedicated circuit. While a standard 5-15 may not offer much greater speed, there's a high chance of tripping the breaker (depending on what other loads are on that circuit).
That's correct, although 5-20 outlets are now common in many houses, especially for garage/outdoor outlets.Also, it's an L5-20, not a 15, so you can run at 16A @ 120V with the right adapter. You'll only get 12A from a 5-15 household outlet.
Ah, sorry, the sentence was not clear. Try this version:Also, it's an L5-20, not a 15, so you can run at 16A @ 120V with the right adapter. You'll only get 12A from a 5-15 household outlet.
Actually a 120v 20a circuit will give a much bigger boost to charge rate than the difference in rating would suggest because of overhead. A 5-15 outlet gives you [email protected] or 1440w, 3-400 of which goes to overhead, leaving about 1100w (roughly) going to the battery. The 5-20 outlet gives you [email protected] or 1920w. Subtracting the overhead leaves you about 1600w going to the battery, a solid 45% improvement. Anything that increases overhead, like cold weather, makes this difference even more pronounced.Ah, sorry, the sentence was not clear. Try this version:
While compared to a standard 5-15, a L5-20 may not offer much greater speed, there's a high chance of tripping the breaker (depending on what other loads are on that circuit).