After using a NEMA 14-50 garage outlet for 5 years, I began to have problems. The outlet was installed as a EV charging option by the builder. I began to occasionally see a warning that the Model Y was lowering the charge rate from the standard 32 amp charge rate to 16 amps because the charging cord was sensing high temperatures at the outlet. The car still charged but at half the charge rate, so twice as long. It would only occasionally do this. Perplexing, but I determined that I would plug the car in daily and usually would only charge for 40 or 50 miles a day. That's only charging a little over an hour. Occasionally, I would need to charge from a remaining range of 60 or 70 miles so the length of time to charge was closer to three to four hours. There's nothing in our houses that would ever require pulling 32 amps for four hours! The wall socket the builder used in the install was the cheapest thing he could buy. That's typically a Leviton or similar at a cost of less than $10.00. After 5 years of use, mine was starting to fail, showing signs of smoking and greying, possibly caused by arcing. I researched and bought a Bryant (made by Hubbel) model #9450. About 50 bucks. The spec sheet on it shows it is made for EV charging. Although it fit the existing outlet box, it is bigger and heavier duty compared to the original. Because of this, I had to buy and install a bolt on extender and new larger faceplate for the standard metal box that held the original. Home Depot or Lowes carries those, or your electrician can provide it if he is told ahead of his house call. I thought I was okay with no problems for a couple years, but it was a false sense of security. Be safe!
Beware of NEMA 14-50 cheap plugs
Skipcam
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That, too, is currently in a state of confusion/transition.
There is currently no requirement to mark a receptacle with an EV logo nor is there a standard symbol for this purpose.
The first receptacle manufacturer I was aware of that marked certain receptacles with an EV logo was Hubbell and their other brand, Bryant.
The logo was a running change. No other changes were made, so the absence of such a logo doesn't mean the receptacle isn't suitable for the task.
There is also nothing preventing a manufacturer of a low-end receptacle from also printing an EV logo on their product.
Eventually, this may change as property damage, injuries, and deaths continue, but for now, even "$10 Leviton" receptacles are legal for EV charging and provided they are properly installed, the installer cannot be held liable for knowingly and willing choosing a $10 Leviton over a $100 Hubbell.
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Those were $180 on AMAZON/$190 if UL approved when they first appeared and they sold out in hours.
I opened up the instructions and it didn't look easy to me to hardwire, but was a breeze to our Electrician.
Astounding how fast he knocked it out.
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Incorrect. Almost all jurisdictions in the US follow the NEC which requires a disconnect only if the equipment is more than 150V to ground (a 240V circuit is only 120V to ground), or if the equipment is over 60 amps (the Gen 3 Tesla Wall Connectors have a limit of 60 amps). In other words, you do not need a disconnect within sight of the Wall Connector. That's just false.
However, a NEMA 14-50 outlet does require a much more expensive GFCI breaker, one more copper wire all the way to the breaker panel and, if the NEMA 14-50 outlet is flush mounted, it's more difficult to install than a Wall Connector. Even if it's not flush mounted it's more difficult and more expensive to install due to the useless extra wire required (not even the Mobile Connector connects to this orphan wire) and the connections on a NEMA-14-50 outlet are never as easy to secure as those in a Wall Connector (which is specifically engineered and built to make easy connections designed for continuous duty).
To some previous posters who pointed out they couldn't install a hard wired EVSE for whatever reason, yes, there are use cases where a Mobile Connector comes in handy. My surprise is the number of people who install a NEMA 14-50 instead of a Wall Connector. In most cases it's sub-optimal reasoning that gets them there. Don't be penny wise and pound foolish!
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There is still a small number number of states where this is not required since the GFCI for 14-50s didn't start until NEC 2020.
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Oh sweet, Pennsylvania is one of them. So my installation is code-compliant!There is still a small number number of states where this is not required since the GFCI for 14-50s didn't start until NEC 2020.
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