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Which adapter and is it safe?
- Thread starter fasteddie7
- Start date
Ugh. Nothing useful on Plugshare?
I assume you looked at all the ways you could back the car up near the edge of the concrete and make the HPWC cable reach...
Can you get to a 240V outlet such as a clothes drier outlet?
You can get a 14-50 extension cord. You can get a 30 amp adapter. The Tesla charger cord is 10 feet or so. So if you can run a cable to the drier area, you can charge.
I used such a setup recently.
The 14-50 extension cord is very heavy. The cable is the diameter of a garden hose. Mine is 36 feet, they are available up to 50 feet.
If you have a 14-50 outlet now, can you run a 14-50 extension cord off the floor so it doesn't interfere with the concrete work?
The concrete pour itself should cure within 8 hours or so, you should be able to walk on it. So there is a relatively short time when you'd be unable to plug into your outlet if you needed to unplug the extension when not being used.
If all else fails, you can rent a car for 10 days.
You can get a 14-50 extension cord. You can get a 30 amp adapter. The Tesla charger cord is 10 feet or so. So if you can run a cable to the drier area, you can charge.
I used such a setup recently.
The 14-50 extension cord is very heavy. The cable is the diameter of a garden hose. Mine is 36 feet, they are available up to 50 feet.
If you have a 14-50 outlet now, can you run a 14-50 extension cord off the floor so it doesn't interfere with the concrete work?
The concrete pour itself should cure within 8 hours or so, you should be able to walk on it. So there is a relatively short time when you'd be unable to plug into your outlet if you needed to unplug the extension when not being used.
If all else fails, you can rent a car for 10 days.
Joe F
Disruption is hard.
^^ This
What @D.E. said.
See: This Teslarati article.
Worse case, wire a 14-50 outlet into the panel and use the extension cord.
What @D.E. said.
See: This Teslarati article.
Worse case, wire a 14-50 outlet into the panel and use the extension cord.
JohnnyG
Weee!
Has anyone actually tried, and currently using some (all?) of these suggestions for adaptations?
The removable plug on the end of the UMC is actively read by the UMC. This information is used by the UMC to communicate max charge rates to the car and to test the circuit for faults. If you use the 14-50 adapter plug on the UMC, and connect it via adaptation to a TT-30, it will still only supply 120V to the UMC. I would expect the UMC to detect a circuit fault and throw an error, as it is expecting 240V. With the 5-15 ("normal" 120V plug) UMC adapter plug installed, no matter what the source is via adaptation, the UMC/car will still only allow a maximum charge of 12A. If you got the 5-20 UMC adapter plug, you'd be able to bump that up to 16A max continuous, but still at 120V.
I agree with others that have suggested having your TT-30 converted over to a 14-50 and using a short as possible extension with your 20' UMC to reach your car. If you still need a TT-30 receptacle, you can use a built/purchased 14-50 to TT-30 adapter with no problem. Bottom line, regardless of panel/breaker/wiring, the TT-30 is only rated at 30A peak (24A continuous) and only wired for 120V (hot-neutral-ground). I don't believe a UMC with the 14-50 plug on it will engage charging with one of the hot terminals dead.
The removable plug on the end of the UMC is actively read by the UMC. This information is used by the UMC to communicate max charge rates to the car and to test the circuit for faults. If you use the 14-50 adapter plug on the UMC, and connect it via adaptation to a TT-30, it will still only supply 120V to the UMC. I would expect the UMC to detect a circuit fault and throw an error, as it is expecting 240V. With the 5-15 ("normal" 120V plug) UMC adapter plug installed, no matter what the source is via adaptation, the UMC/car will still only allow a maximum charge of 12A. If you got the 5-20 UMC adapter plug, you'd be able to bump that up to 16A max continuous, but still at 120V.
I agree with others that have suggested having your TT-30 converted over to a 14-50 and using a short as possible extension with your 20' UMC to reach your car. If you still need a TT-30 receptacle, you can use a built/purchased 14-50 to TT-30 adapter with no problem. Bottom line, regardless of panel/breaker/wiring, the TT-30 is only rated at 30A peak (24A continuous) and only wired for 120V (hot-neutral-ground). I don't believe a UMC with the 14-50 plug on it will engage charging with one of the hot terminals dead.
The UMC only passes two power wires down to the car - it's just that the 120V plugs pass L and N, and the 240V pass L1 and L2.
The UMC only knows the plug ends to the point of knowing the proper maximum current level for each - I'm pretty sure it'll have no problem with 120V on a 14-50 - as long as that comes in on L1 to L2 (which is why you need an EV designed adapter which connects neutral to one line and leaves the 14-50 neutral floating instead of an RV designed one that puts L on both L1 and L2.)
JohnnyG
Weee!
Ahh, very interesting, I may have to play around and do some testing now. I know the UMC identifies which adapter plug is connected, and I know the UMC does line fault testing prior to and during charging. I've read it will throw a line fault error if your voltage drops too low, and I've read that Tesla states their 14-50 adapter voltage range is 208-250 (covering split-phase to three-phase). I assumed that below a nominal 208V it would throw a line fault error.
I guess if the ID pin only instructs the max amperage, and doesn't identify the expected voltage, that would work like a champ!
Are you sure the UMC is throwing an error for low voltage?
I'm sure that the car will, but less sure that the UMC itself will.
dgpcolorado
high altitude member
I've used a TT-30P to 14-50R adapter while camping (current set to 24 amps in the car, of course). It works.
JohnnyG
Weee!
I'm completely not sure. I've never seen it myself. I've only read where a couple people said they threw a charging error, and when their electrician checked it, they had low voltage. He then called their energy supplier and they came out to fix it. Not being there to see it, I'm now guessing that the line could have been unstable, which caused the fault, and the low voltage was probably just a bi-product.
Most of the "low voltage" errors are voltage drops. That is, the voltage detected drops as the current draw increases compared to the initial voltage before the car starts drawing current. They are detecting high resistance this way.
Probably too late now by what about this item Amazon.com: Camco 55025 PowerGrip Maximizer 45 AMP Adapter: Automotive?
of course that would only work if your two outlets are on different legs of your 240 service
Looks a bit dangerous to me. Also not sure it would work with Tesla.
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91uQC6NpELS.pdf
Says it's providing 125v on the 14-50. Very strange.
JohnnyG
Weee!
Actually, this adapter is trying to combine both hots together in parallel, to create one 120V powered leg on the 14-50 receptacle. You'd want them on the same side of the 240V split-phase. If they were on opposite sides of the 240V split phase you would have an explosive reaction.
FWIW, this is a horrible horrible horrible idea.
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JohnnyG
Weee!
Please, for the love of Tesla (and yourself, and your family) nobody buy this adapter, please!
1. If the cord is wired incorrectly at the junction, you will be shorting hot to neutral, then BOOM!
2. If one of the outlets are wired backwards, you will be shorting hot to neutral, then BOOM!
3. If the hots on each of the receptacles are coming from opposite sides of the split phase, then BOOM!
4. If you insert one plug, and accidentally touch the hot leg of the other plug to the metal box before inserting it, then BOOM!
5. If you insert one plug, and accidentally touch the hot leg of the other plug to you or a loved one, then ZAP!
6. There's no traffic cop inside this adapter forcing a 66/33 split of power between the two plugs. You will never achieve the theoretical amperage they list.
Definitions:
Boom - Best case is breakers popping like mice traps in a hail storm.
Boom - Worse case is pyrotechnic light show with melted outlets, wires, fire.
Zap - Best case is an uncomfortable tingle that you won't forget.
Zap - Worse case is death by electrocution.
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Well, looked at that adaptor more. From the reviews I found, they are wiring the hot line for each of the individual plugs to one of the hot lines on the 14-50.
So this gives L1 @ 30a. L2 @ 15a. It works for an RV because everything in an RV is apparently 120v. Nothing goes across L1-L2. I did not know this...
If I'm right, On a Tesla, it's either going to see 240v or 0v depending on the plug phase to each other. If 240v, it would be limited to
15a (derated to 12a) because of the smaller wiring in the 15a side. It isn't going to use the neutrals at all.
In an RV, the risk is that it could put 50a on one of the neutrals (if for example the 30a had a corroded neutral connection the complete circuit is completed themrough the 15a neutral). No breaker on a neutral, so bad news.
So this gives L1 @ 30a. L2 @ 15a. It works for an RV because everything in an RV is apparently 120v. Nothing goes across L1-L2. I did not know this...
If I'm right, On a Tesla, it's either going to see 240v or 0v depending on the plug phase to each other. If 240v, it would be limited to
15a (derated to 12a) because of the smaller wiring in the 15a side. It isn't going to use the neutrals at all.
In an RV, the risk is that it could put 50a on one of the neutrals (if for example the 30a had a corroded neutral connection the complete circuit is completed themrough the 15a neutral). No breaker on a neutral, so bad news.
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