Watts_Up
Well-Known Member
Look very nice. Could show the inside of the bigger box? Can you put your mobile charger inside?
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Rate my planned charging setup
- Thread starter The Duude
- Start date
ATPMSD
Active Member
For what it is worth I learned something new today:
”Using a 50A plug and receptacle is allowed on a 40A circuit because of an exception in the Electrical Code. The exception is because 40A receptacles do not exist, or rather, are not part of the NEMA standards.”
So my prior comment
Was wrong!
”Using a 50A plug and receptacle is allowed on a 40A circuit because of an exception in the Electrical Code. The exception is because 40A receptacles do not exist, or rather, are not part of the NEMA standards.”
So my prior comment
Was wrong!
NEVER, cooper and aluminium can not be connected together because the connection will corrode.
I am sure they are talking about using appropriate lugs or panels that are rated to bond to each to make this transition, not just taping or soldering aluminum to copper directly.
Back in I guess the 70’s aluminum was allowed in branch circuits to wire houses.
There were many fires from the aluminum wiring, one issue is the aluminum expands more when heated than copper and this repeated expansion and contraction caused the wire to loosen where it was terminated, and looseness means high resistance which means heat which leads to fires of course. Other issue was corrosion which increased resistance which means heat that causes expansion that makes it loose and makes more resistance etc.
www.nytimes.com
Ome of the things that came out the investigations is to use a paste specially formulated on EVERY termination of aluminum wire, this paste is cheap and readily available,just cost the wire before it goes into the termination device.
Finally I believe code requires a breaker thats 120% of the load, so you cant use a 40 amp breaker on a 40 amp load, you need I guess a 50, but then you get into the catch 22 of can the wire handle 50 amps as you have a 50 amp breaker?
Much simpler and easier to simply get a 30 amp adapter plug for the charger and change nothing, plus its possible you don’t have a ground fault breaker, but code now requires one, so if you change anything, you have to meet current code, and ground fault breakers aren’t cheap.
There were many fires from the aluminum wiring, one issue is the aluminum expands more when heated than copper and this repeated expansion and contraction caused the wire to loosen where it was terminated, and looseness means high resistance which means heat which leads to fires of course. Other issue was corrosion which increased resistance which means heat that causes expansion that makes it loose and makes more resistance etc.
The Fire Dangers of Aluminum Wiring (Published 2006)
ACCORDING to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, an estimated two million homes in the United States were built or renovated using electrical circuits with aluminum wiring. And, according to the commission and specialists in the field, unless certain safety procedures are undertaken, every...
Ome of the things that came out the investigations is to use a paste specially formulated on EVERY termination of aluminum wire, this paste is cheap and readily available,just cost the wire before it goes into the termination device.
iDEAL Noalox Anti-Oxidant Compound 4 oz. 30-026 - The Home Depot
Use the IDEAL NOALOX 4 oz. Anti-Oxidant Compound to improve the efficiency of aluminum conductor connections. This compound provides additional inner-strand and inner-conductor current paths. For use with pressure type wire connectors including screw-on, tap, service entrance and split-bolts.
www.homedepot.com
Finally I believe code requires a breaker thats 120% of the load, so you cant use a 40 amp breaker on a 40 amp load, you need I guess a 50, but then you get into the catch 22 of can the wire handle 50 amps as you have a 50 amp breaker?
Much simpler and easier to simply get a 30 amp adapter plug for the charger and change nothing, plus its possible you don’t have a ground fault breaker, but code now requires one, so if you change anything, you have to meet current code, and ground fault breakers aren’t cheap.
Its actually required that both the breaker and the wiring be able to handle 125% of the load, so you'd expect a 50 amp breaker and 50 amp wire, but in the particular case of the 14-50, it is allowed to have it be a 40 amp breaker and wire.
I totally agree a better solution is to get the 30 amp adapter if you don't really need the extra 8 amps of charging(24A vs 32A)
I upgraded my garage panel from 40 to a 60 and installed a 14-30 outlet on a 30 amp breaker, for safe 24v charging. I didn’t want too much drain with the garage doors, lights, outlets in the garage.
I can charge to
overnight so I didn’t see the need to go bigger. I just use my mobile charger.
If you’re going to charge outside in the ice snow and rain you might consider getting a spare mobile charger just in case the weather gets to it.
I can charge to
overnight so I didn’t see the need to go bigger. I just use my mobile charger.If you’re going to charge outside in the ice snow and rain you might consider getting a spare mobile charger just in case the weather gets to it.
I have a 60 amp breaker and 6ga wire, to my WC wired direct. I didn’t want a plug as code requires a ground fault breaker for ANY plug in a garage, and the instructions for the WC specifically state to not install a ground fault breaker. I went ahead and maxed the CB and wire, because who knows what the future might bring?
Anyway I turned the charge rate down to 25 amps on the car and use scheduled charging so that it’s complete by 6:30 AM. I turned it down as I feel that almost anything will last longer if not used to 100% of its capacity, and I can’t imagine any circumstance that the car won’t be charged overnight at 25 amps, and by using scheduled charge, the car determines when to start the charge. I don’t have variable billing or whatever cheaper rates at night are called.
While it may be allowable to put a 50 amp plug on a circuit that won’t hold 50 amps, I think it’s a bad idea, reason is any reasonable person will see a 50 amp plug and assume logically that the circuit can hold 50 amps. In my opinion if you do put a 50 amp plug on a lower power circuit, you should placard the plug for the max allowable amperage, just a label maker would suffice.
ATPMSD
Active Member
Agree, with this exception:
”Using a 50A plug and receptacle is allowed on a 40A circuit because of an exception in the Electrical Code. The exception is because 40A receptacles do not exist, or rather, are not part of the NEMA standards.” In this case the receptacle should be labeled as 40-Amps.
Also if you have a 50A plug connected to a 40A, if the car loses GPS in your garage and what you set the car limit to charge at, it will default to the limit of the adapter and trip the breaker.
The guy I had install my 240 put a 14-50 outlet on a 30A breaker (not sure why that’s just the adapter I had on the mobile charger at the time) and said it would be fine….I would set the car to limit the charger to pull 22 but it would eventually bump it up to 34 (or whatever thinking it was a 50 breaker) and would trip the breaker in my panel. (I read on this forum that sometimes the car will revert to whatever the cable is not what you set the limit at). I had the guy come back and install a 14-30. No more issues.
The guy I had install my 240 put a 14-50 outlet on a 30A breaker (not sure why that’s just the adapter I had on the mobile charger at the time) and said it would be fine….I would set the car to limit the charger to pull 22 but it would eventually bump it up to 34 (or whatever thinking it was a 50 breaker) and would trip the breaker in my panel. (I read on this forum that sometimes the car will revert to whatever the cable is not what you set the limit at). I had the guy come back and install a 14-30. No more issues.
At least with the Tesla UMC(not the 14-50 hardwired version called the CMC(corded mobile connector)), the max the UMC will ever take is 32 amps so even if it thinks it has a true 50 amp outlet it won't be a problem.
The guy installing your 240 should not be called an electrician, but I guess you didn't call him one after all.
JoshFalken
Member
So sorry it took me months to see this question and reply. This is the inside after I installed it. I’ve since removed the duct tape and filled the space with caulk. Still working great after 8 months.
Watts_Up
Well-Known Member
Very nice setting. I guess you can also store the cable inside the box when not in use.
Could you give a web link for getting the box?
JoshFalken
Member
Sure, the link is below. I mounted the cord beside it. Not sure if all of it would fit inside but likely so. I used rubber o-ring grommets to protect the cord from the plastic cutting into it. Put a small combo lock on it and The high voltage sticker. The CMC is velcroed to the back of the box.
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