MB2timer

Do you mind explaining why you agree?

SW20S

The outlets are not designed for that many plug/unplug cycles...it wears the outlet out. As was said above the rated life of the outlet is about 350 plug/unplug cycles. They just dont anticipate people plugging and unplugging 220v outlets all the time.

AppleFan1

I think I plugged and unplugged maybe 25 times in two+ years. I almost always use EA. BUT since the free charging is ending if it hasn’t already, I’ll be using the ChargePoint wall charger more frequently. For long trips, I’ll charge it to 100%.
Great info from this forum.

SW20S

Still just not a good idea. Those outlets are designed to have something plugged in and just left there. The charger is basically just like a cord when its not plugged into the car, perfectly safe to leave it plugged in.

Diesel Benz

I have the European style 3 phase 11 kW charger with a plug. Although only 16 A, I just unplugged and plugged it again after reading this thread. I thought it would be healthy for the contact surfaces to rub out any corrosion or what ever they may have. Never seen any hard facts which way would be better. I understand the max cycles for any plug and some may have a significantly lower max figure but surely these would not exist if they were supposed to be used only once! 25 times in 2 years is more or less "only once"?

Crito

Just bought a brand new house and one of the electrical outlets is so loose my surge suppressor literally fell out on its own. Duty cycle is apparently one plug-in.

SW20S

Nobody is saying that 25 plugs and unplugs will ruin the outlet, but the point is that the outlet is not designed for you to plug and unplug it a bunch of times like a 110v outlet. So if your goal is to increase safety, you increase safety by using the plug the way it was intended, which is to have things plugged in long term and not plugged and unplugged. Best case unplugging it when not in use does nothing, worse case it increases fire risk. Just smart not to do that.

MB37

Arcing is the the most likihood of melting and fire at receptacle plugs. If you have a loose receptale/plug, replace it. Make sure that the wires are torqued properly according to code. It doesn't matter how many times you unplug/plug in X number of months or years. Industrial grade or WR (water resistant) receptacles will always be more durable than your standard household ones. The reason hardwire is recommended is because it removes the unpluggable connection which presents potential electrical arcing over time.

Now, if you have leviton or household grade receptacle, the outlet/plug is tight, and the wires are torqued to spec, I personally don't think you need to replace your recepable. However, for a peace of mind, replace it with an industrial grade receptable if you plan to plug/unplug frequently. Even at 9.7kw charging, a properly installed household 14-50 will reach temps of around 116-122 F which is in normal operating temperature. When you get to l50 F, you have a problem. Assuming you have at least a 50amp breaker, you can lower our EV charger down to 32A, and that will lower the heat resistance in your wire/connection when charging. But remember, a loose connection is a problem regardless, and electrical arcing is NOT your friend. Similarly, just because your car accelerate to 60mph in less than 5 seconds doesn't mean you need to do that all the time.

lkfoster

I measured 108F at my 14-50 plug that had been charging at 9.7kW for several hours. Same surface temperature for the lead to the Charge point unit. This was at 95F in the garage.

Crito

I guess now might be the time for a friendly reminder that it's the amps that'll kill ya.... but it's the volts that make spectacular arcs of plasma.

nosnoop

A Leviton consumer grade has a torque spec of 25 in-lbs while Hubbell has a torque spec of 75 in-lbs.
Have a look at this page for a more detailed comparison: https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/thre...-guide.140694/
IMHO, replace it if you have consumer grade.

AppleFan1

Yes, I understand now. I will leave plugged in from now on.

Sparky66

Not totally correct. The wire ampacity is rated based on the termination points. I have never seen a breaker or a receptacle rated @90c. Most are 40c. As such the lowest rated termination is the maximum allowable ampacity of the cable in the table. The point is to keep the heat down so that the insulation never degrades.

hlothery

Just another word on this. I just received a $2500 check from the original installer to reimburse me for that improper install and cover my upcoming drywall repairs. I have a scheduled install of 6ga wire, directly wired to my ChargePoint Homeflex, which is currently charging my car at 32amps/7.7kW safely with the existing cable directly wired, until the new install. This new install will give me a safe circuit, capable of delivering 40amp/9.6kW of charging power without worry. Having experienced the garage fire, which was scary as heck, I would not recommend a NEMA plug installation for any home charger. Make sure you have a working 50 amp circuit, which means breaker and wire rated for that, directly wired to your charger. We thought we did, but it was not installed properly, and we didn't. Several folks have expressed reluctance to pay what it takes to do this right. My advice is, don't skimp on this. Do it right the first time, We almost lost our house. Do not make that mistake.

c4004matic

Glad that its working itself out. However there is no need to worry about a plugged install. The EQS 9.5 kw charger is amply safe with a correctly installed plug install. The big issue is the dearth of competent electricians. When I did my home install, I was under the impression that the car was going to have an 11.5 charger (it hadn't been cleared up yet) thus I has a 60 amp circuit enstalled. When I installed it in our other home I did a 50amp circuit. They both work flawlessly using a plug. The cables dont even get warm!

Surge

SW20S

I'm glad they owned up for it and made it right the only way they could...

hlothery

Surprising, but also glad. Can't change what they did, but at least I got my money back, plus some for repairs.

Crito

I don't know why this guy's videos never show up when I search YouBoob but transgender vehicle news always seems to. :hmm: I guess he's too heterosexual for their algorithm.

hlothery

Crito, that was a fantastic video, thank you so much. Wish I had seen it before my problem install. I will have mine done correctly and hard wired in about a week, can increase my ChargePoint charger's capacity back to 40 amps, and can feel safe. EVERYONE should watch this video and educate themselves about their installation. If you have a NEMA 6/50 or 14/50 plug that is not a Hubbel or similar high quality plug, you need to have it changed out before it melts down and your garage is on fire. Lesson's learned, for sure.

c4004matic

State of Charge is on my favorites. Always excellent info.

lkfoster

Just checked again after charging for over than an hour at 40a/9.8kW and 100F ambient, 130F/54C at the lead closest to the plug. I understand that my Home Depot Leviton is only rated to 50C. I down-rated to 32A and will be replacing the receptacle with a Hubbell or Bryant.

MB37

I assume you have at least a 50amp breaker and 6 AWG wiring. Amazon has the Hubbell for $50 and you will need the cover plate too which is around $8. The Leviton cover plate opening will be too small for Hubbell. Make sure to torque it to spec. I think it is around 71-75 in lb. The cable is a monster. I hope you have enough room in the box since the Hubbell connects to the back at a 90 degree whereas the Leviton comes straight in. Smart move to lower your charging to 32A/7.7kw. It should bring the temperature down to about 100-102F.