Travel charger pigtails I made today

[gt2690b]

I made 3 pigtails with a regular NEMA 5-15r on one end and a NEMA 14-50P, a NEMA 14-30P, and a 10-30P on the other end... plan to use them at VRBO's and RV sites... I've been at several VRBO's with electric dryers where charging from the 240 would be infinitely better than a regular 120 5-15 outlet.

I also made a 5-15P on one end with a 14-50R on the other to plug the tesla 14-50P plug into. I do plan to turn the charger down to 15 amps or so to keep things to below what code would suggest (obviously outside of legal code at this point). The cool thing with this setup is i could insert a standard extension cord (12 awg or better of course) and get at least 4KW charging at a pretty good distance from a dryer plug.

Even at 15A and 240V things are much better than 12A and 120V. This makes overnight charging possible in very remote areas. The main point is I'm running 240V on regular extension cords which is probably pretty kosher in Europe but not in the US. i looked around some and for what i can tell there is not practical reason why a NEMA 5-15 can't carry 20 amps like a NEMA 5-20 can... the plugs are the same physical area the 5-20 is just turned horizontal to differentiate itself (good idea btw) but mathematically there is no reason we can't run 20 amps on a 5-15 outlet (with 12 AWG wire).

ive been testing with my own dryer plug at my house and the ~25' standard extension cord for 2 hours now (at 20A) and things are only getting mildly warm so i'm feeling pretty good about using this at VRBOs

who wants to throw the first stone at me?

 

[Jillmark99]

The main point is I'm running 240V on regular extension cords which is probably pretty kosher in Europe but not in the US.

who wants to throw the first stone at me?

Not throwing any stones but I’m sure a lot of people will.

As long as the cord is sized properly to handle the current and you use it properly and assuming you have made the connectors properly there’s nothing wrong with running 240 through the cord. Good for you for thinking outside the box.

 

[gt2690b]

Not throwing any stones but I’m sure a lot of people will.

As long as the cord is sized properly to handle the current and you use it properly and assuming you have made the connectors properly there’s nothing wrong with running 240 through the cord. Good for you for thinking outside the box.

thanks.. heres the sitch so far cable temps still very medium:


yes i named my car "Prius" its basically the same shape blown out some

 

[jddaigle]

I also made a 5-15P on one end with a 14-50R on the other to plug the tesla 14-50P plug into.

Maybe it’s just late and I should go to bed but what would you use this for?

 

[brkaus]

Maybe it’s just late and I should go to bed but what would you use this for?

To be able to pull more than the code approved 12a from the socket. Because VRBO owners love this one little trick.

 

[buckets0fun]

To be able to pull more than the code approved 12a from the socket. Because VRBO owners love this one little trick.

Along the lines of this… some/most Airbnb owners have mega sad when charging without asking before hand.
Most properties have cameras, good luck to anyone playing with fire. Don’t be surprised if extra fees or potentially the banhammer is struck down upon your acct.

 

[LostVector]

I made 3 pigtails with a regular NEMA 5-15r on one end and a NEMA 14-50P, a NEMA 14-30P, and a 10-30P on the other end... plan to use them at VRBO's and RV sites... I've been at several VRBO's with electric dryers where charging from the 240 would be infinitely better than a regular 120 5-15 outlet.

I also made a 5-15P on one end with a 14-50R on the other to plug the tesla 14-50P plug into. I do plan to turn the charger down to 15 amps or so to keep things to below what code would suggest (obviously outside of legal code at this point). The cool thing with this setup is i could insert a standard extension cord (12 awg or better of course) and get at least 4KW charging at a pretty good distance from a dryer plug.

Even at 15A and 240V things are much better than 12A and 120V. This makes overnight charging possible in very remote areas. The main point is I'm running 240V on regular extension cords which is probably pretty kosher in Europe but not in the US. i looked around some and for what i can tell there is not practical reason why a NEMA 5-15 can't carry 20 amps like a NEMA 5-20 can... the plugs are the same physical area the 5-20 is just turned horizontal to differentiate itself (good idea btw) but mathematically there is no reason we can't run 20 amps on a 5-15 outlet (with 12 AWG wire).

ive been testing with my own dryer plug at my house and the ~25' standard extension cord for 2 hours now (at 20A) and things are only getting mildly warm so i'm feeling pretty good about using this at VRBOs

who wants to throw the first stone at me?

I can't quite follow what the point of this is. Doesn't Tesla already make many of these adapters? What does making your own get you? And how is 240v interacting with your 5-15 sockets and plugs?

 

[stopcrazypp]

I made 3 pigtails with a regular NEMA 5-15r on one end and a NEMA 14-50P, a NEMA 14-30P, and a 10-30P on the other end... plan to use them at VRBO's and RV sites... I've been at several VRBO's with electric dryers where charging from the 240 would be infinitely better than a regular 120 5-15 outlet.

I also made a 5-15P on one end with a 14-50R on the other to plug the tesla 14-50P plug into. I do plan to turn the charger down to 15 amps or so to keep things to below what code would suggest (obviously outside of legal code at this point).

The code only allows 12A continuous for 15A rated circuit. So I hope you meant 12A if you are plugging in at a 5-15 socket in the wall? It's not just the socket that is the problem (even if it can tolerate it) it's the wiring inside the wall. You can't assume that the wiring can safely handle 15A continuously.

If you never plug into the 5-15 end in the wall, and you are only using as an adapter for the extension cord for your 14-50/14-30/10-30, then that's a different case. But even then the socket itself, given the similarities between 5-15 and 5-20, most likely is only rated for up to 20A intermittent loads (which EV charging is not!) and 16A continuous (which EV charging is a continuous load).

The cool thing with this setup is i could insert a standard extension cord (12 awg or better of course) and get at least 4KW charging at a pretty good distance from a dryer plug.

Even at 15A and 240V things are much better than 12A and 120V. This makes overnight charging possible in very remote areas. The main point is I'm running 240V on regular extension cords which is probably pretty kosher in Europe but not in the US. i looked around some and for what i can tell there is not practical reason why a NEMA 5-15 can't carry 20 amps like a NEMA 5-20 can... the plugs are the same physical area the 5-20 is just turned horizontal to differentiate itself (good idea btw) but mathematically there is no reason we can't run 20 amps on a 5-15 outlet (with 12 AWG wire).

ive been testing with my own dryer plug at my house and the ~25' standard extension cord for 2 hours now (at 20A) and things are only getting mildly warm so i'm feeling pretty good about using this at VRBOs

who wants to throw the first stone at me?

As above, a 5-20 can't carry 20A continuously! It can only carry 16A. The 20A rating is the intermittent rating.
As such, if you get a 5-20 adapter from Tesla, it only allows you to charge at 16A.

https://www.reddit.com/r/TeslaModelY/comments/ze4343/using_a_520_adapter_definitely_improves_charging

 

[gt2690b]

The code only allows 12A continuous for 15A rated circuit. So I hope you meant 12A if you are plugging in at a 5-15 socket in the wall? It's not just the socket that is the problem (even if it can tolerate it) it's the wiring inside the wall. You can't assume that the wiring can safely handle 15A continuously.

If you never plug into the 5-15 end in the wall, and you are only using as an adapter for the extension cord for your 14-50/14-30/10-30, then that's a different case. But even then the socket itself, given the similarities between 5-15 and 5-20, most likely is only rated for up to 20A intermittent loads (which EV charging is not!) and 16A continuous (which EV charging is a continuous load).


As above, a 5-20 can't carry 20A continuously! It can only carry 16A. The 20A rating is the intermittent rating.
As such, if you get a 5-20 adapter from Tesla, it only allows you to charge at 16A.

https://www.reddit.com/r/TeslaModelY/comments/ze4343/using_a_520_adapter_definitely_improves_charging

No I'd be plugging into a 240v 30a socket.. and I'd set my charge to 15a or 16a

 

[gt2690b]

Along the lines of this… some/most Airbnb owners have mega sad when charging without asking before hand.
Most properties have cameras, good luck to anyone playing with fire. Don’t be surprised if extra fees or potentially the banhammer is struck down upon your acct.

What's the difference of charging vs running the dryer for 3 hours?

 

[gt2690b]

To be able to pull more than the code approved 12a from the socket. Because VRBO owners love this one little trick.

The sockets are rated for 30 and 50 amps.. I only plan on running 16a through them

 

[gt2690b]

I can't quite follow what the point of this is. Doesn't Tesla already make many of these adapters? What does making your own get you? And how is 240v interacting with your 5-15 sockets and plugs?

Tesla does make these adapters but 1) they are more expensive and 2) they don't allow for the cable length I would often need

240v is interacting fine as shown in above photo

 

[LostVector]

Tesla does make these adapters but 1) they are more expensive and 2) they don't allow for the cable length I would often need

240v is interacting fine as shown in above photo

So the point of this was to use a 5-15 extension cord to get extra length? That wasn't very clear from the initial post ... and does seem a bit backwards.

What if you had bought the following?

1. NEMA 14-50, 14-30, and 10-30 -> 6-20 adapters.
2. 6-20 Extension cord
3. NEMA 6-20 adapter for Tesla mobile connector

You can buy all that off the shelf and it would work just fine without trying to send 240v into 120v receptacles and dealing with jury rigged quality issues. It would also hardware enforce the amp safety limit and not risk an accident via software glitch or a memory lapse.

For the 120V case, it requires a bit more research, but there do seem to be passthrough 5-15p to 6-20r adapters, and on the other side, it may be that the 6-20 NEMA adapter doesn't care about the input voltage being 240V and would take 120V just fine ... but you'd have to double check that.

14-30 charge adapter - 110v/120v capable?

I'm trying to adapt to a 30amp 110v service and I'm not seeing a 110v capable plug with 30amp capability. I'd rather not use the 5-20 adapter as it's not going to get full amperage. Given that the 5-15 connector has been known to accept 240v (despite this being a bad idea), I'm curious if...

teslamotorsclub.com

 

[gt2690b]

So the point of this was to use a 5-15 extension cord to get extra length? That wasn't very clear from the initial post ... and does seem a bit backwards.

What if you had bought the following?

1. NEMA 14-50, 14-30, and 10-30 -> 6-20 adapters.
2. 6-20 Extension cord
3. NEMA 6-20 adapter for Tesla mobile connector

You can buy all that off the shelf and it would work just fine without trying to send 240v into 120v receptacles and dealing with jury rigged quality issues. It would also hardware enforce the amp safety limit and not risk an accident via software glitch or a memory lapse.

For the 120V case, it requires a bit more research, but there do seem to be passthrough 5-15p to 6-20r adapters, and on the other side, it may be that the 6-20 NEMA adapter doesn't care about the input voltage being 240V and would take 120V just fine ... but you'd have to double check that.

14-30 charge adapter - 110v/120v capable?

I'm trying to adapt to a 30amp 110v service and I'm not seeing a 110v capable plug with 30amp capability. I'd rather not use the 5-20 adapter as it's not going to get full amperage. Given that the 5-15 connector has been known to accept 240v (despite this being a bad idea), I'm curious if...

teslamotorsclub.com

I looked into exactly what you have posted and that is probably the better route but it would cost over twice as much and only be useable the one or two times a year I need it

I already have 5-15 12awg extension cords and they are useable for more things than a 6-20 extension cord and from what I can tell they physically have the same properties

But you are correct 6-20 equipment is a more elegant solution

The thing is I already had these dryer cords from my 2012 model S days when 6-20 adapters weren't a thing.. new 6-20 adapters and cables would be over $100 I might as well just drive my gas car at that point

 

[LostVector]

I looked into exactly what you have posted and that is probably the better route but it would cost over twice as much and only be useable the one or two times a year I need it

I already have 5-15 12awg extension cords and they are useable for more things than a 6-20 extension cord and from what I can tell they physically have the same properties

But you are correct 6-20 equipment is a more elegant solution

Sure. While I think you are aware none of this setup is particularly kosher, I would highly recommend you at least redo your 5-15P -> 14-50R pigtail to something like a 5-15P to 6-20R (or 6-15R if you're actually using 5-15 extension cord). There's no reason to use the Tesla 14-50 adapter with this setup ... it's just asking for trouble.

 

[gt2690b]

Sure. While I think you are aware none of this setup is particularly kosher, I would highly recommend you at least redo your 5-15P -> 14-50R pigtail to something like a 5-15P to 6-20R (or 6-15R if you're actually using 5-15 extension cord). There's no reason to use the Tesla 14-50 adapter with this setup ... it's just asking for trouble.

Not a bad idea.. 6-20r cable end $9 on Amazon and the 6-20 Tesla adapter is $35... Hmmm

 

[Rocky_H]

I think you're making use of something that is decent, which is that the voltage levels can be effectively swapped through the same wiring. And the charging system of the Tesla cable and onboard chargers in the Tesla car will happily detect and use whichever voltage level it is, regardless of the physical plug it's using.

The thing to be really careful of is enforcing the amp limits properly. So I would also reiterate @LostVector 's caution about selecting the right Tesla plug in the mobile connector to enforce the right current limit for what the outlet type is. So if that means selecting a 5-15 or 5-20 or 14-30 or whatever, then that is better than always using a 14-50 and relying on remembering to turn it down on the car's screen.

 

[gt2690b]

I think you're making use of something that is decent, which is that the voltage levels can be effectively swapped through the same wiring. And the charging system of the Tesla cable and onboard chargers in the Tesla car will happily detect and use whichever voltage level it is, regardless of the physical plug it's using.

The thing to be really careful of is enforcing the amp limits properly. So I would also reiterate @LostVector 's caution about selecting the right Tesla plug in the mobile connector to enforce the right current limit for what the outlet type is. So if that means selecting a 5-15 or 5-20 or 14-30 or whatever, then that is better than always using a 14-50 and relying on remembering to turn it down on the car's screen.

Agreed using a 6-20 adapter is the way

However remember once you set the amp limit it's geo fenced in to remember it so should be ok at specific locations but still risky... say the wife decides to try to be helpful and plug in before I set a limit BOOM

 

[EVer Hopeful]

What's the difference of charging vs running the dryer for 3 hours?

Well seeing as you asked . . .

1. you probably wouldn't run the dryer for three hours, maybe 30 to 45 minutes tops
2. it's their dryer and anything that happens is on them. Once you add your stuff into the mix ... well let's put it theis way; what if it was your Air b&B and someone did this and something happpened? Not that it would, but what if?

 

[brkaus]

A dryer will run the motor the entire cycle, but the heating element will usually go on and off during the cycle.