Could be the recalled connector?

 

No, it was the standard 14-50 and issue originated in the outlet, not the plug.

 

I saw this on Reddit, too. It was simply caused by extreme heat due to a bad or loose connection in the plug or socket. It could be very dirty prongs, or a very loose wire connection inside the socket. No part of the charger or cable failed here, and it's easy to repair/replace.
I really doubt that it was due to the socket not being designed for repetitive connection. It's no different, and better off, than any other socket. It's very likely that the prong was dirty or corroded.
This does illustrate an issue I often seen with regular plugs at home, though. Home depot usually has "value" and "premium" options on the shelf for each kind of outlet. The premium versions have much beefier contacts in the sockets as well as higher general build quality. The budget sockets will have problems like this within a few years of use. Go for the premium when you have the option.

 

My two cents worth....

* For a better connection, orient the receptacle so the plug and cable to the UMC point down (not sticking up and then looping down)
* Install some sort of strain relief for the UMC brick so it doesn't put weight on the connection and start to pull it out of the receptacle
* Inspect the connections, cords, plugs, etc. occasionally to make sure everything is okay
* Think about getting a HPWC (Which doesn't have these connection problems) and leave the UMC in the trunk for occasional use...

 

I am comfortable with electrical work, but certainly no electrician. I have always scratched my head at why my dryer plugs in upside down. I certainly will make note of that when I get one installed in my garage... unless of course I get the Tesla wall charger.

 

And for a very good reason.
Look at how their cord is manufactured; gravity is pulling down on the cord in such a way that the if the ground had been on the bottom, a lot of stress would be on the connection.
The ground terminal on the top, given the design of their plug, makes the most sense.

It's a classic situation of doing what makes sense as opposed to doing whatever you want to do.
Or put another way, pay attention to the application, and let that drive your installation.
In this case, having the ground up IS the most relevant thing to do.
But STRICTLY speaking it's neither correct nor incorrect, just relevant.

Yea, yea, a nitpick, I know.

 

I have a couple questions about outside charging.

1. Is it better to keep the Mobile Charger plugged into the NEMA 14-50 socket all the time outside or to unplug it each time you charge?
2. Would it be better to install a Tesla Wall Charger outside instead of the NEMA 14-50?

 

I have a couple questions about outside charging.

1. Is it better to keep the Mobile Charger plugged into the NEMA 14-50 socket all the time outside or to unplug it each time you charge?
2. Would it be better to install a Tesla Wall Charger outside instead of the NEMA 14-50?

Technically speaking, I believe the UMC is rated for outdoor use so you should be fine. That said, if my setup was outside I probably would get the HPWC. It would feel safer to me and also not have the worry of someone stealing my UMC as I wouldn't want to unplug/re-plug for every charge.

 

I have talked to two different Tesla employees in a showroom (once in Jul 2017, once in Jan 2018) and both times they recommended the 14-50 plug with UMC over a HPWC. I ignored their advice and am having a HPWC installed when my solar system goes up (next week!) because I don’t want to have to worry about the UMC getting warm when plugged into the wall but not the car and because I think I will want to daisy chain a second HPWC on the same circuit in a few years when the Model Y comes out and my house gets its second Tesla…
My electric panel also has enough capacity for the HPWC to get 60A so I can charge my LR (AWD) Model 3 at its max speed for the very rare cases I will need to do so.

My setup is indoors but outdoors I would definitely get an HPWC over a 14-50 outlet even without the other considerations above.

Also, since AWD is still a ways off I got a UMC to J1772 adapter so I can charge my Leaf with the HPWC until my Model 3 arrives (right now I trickle charge the Leaf). This somewhat negates the downside of not being able to plug anything else into the 14-50 outlet, especially since the pre-2018 Leaf EVSE doesn’t work with a 14-50 outlet out of the box.

 

Thanks for your replies. We are thinking of getting a padlock and locking the Mobile Connector cord to the house or fence or something even though it won't be visible from the street when not in use.

 

I was curious as to the thickness/diameter of the HWPC vs. the UMC cables because I'm getting a cable cover (similar to what they use for outdoor concerts) to protect the cable across a sidewalk when plugged in (once or twice a week).
Does anyone who owns both notice a big difference or is it basically minor?

Thanks.

 

@Vin, cords

 

Good call, lol. I meant cables, thx I corrected my post master obiwan

 

I was curious as to the thickness/diameter of the HWPC vs. the UMC cables because I'm getting a cable cover (similar to what they use for outdoor concerts) to protect the cable across a sidewalk when plugged in (once or twice a week).
Does anyone who owns both notice a big difference or is it basically minor?

Thanks.

Ditto!

 

Update: I decided to go a different route, even though the cable cover idea would still work. I have a good quote from an electrician who will run the wiring underground from my townhome, under the front yard about 20 ft. and then put a post with HPWC between the sidewalk and a grass area in front of my reserved parking spot
The quote includes the city permit and inspection.
The electrician was on the Tesla site as a partner, and his company has done many in the area. He said this was a pretty straight forward job.
I'll just pull up in my spot and plug the car in 2 feet away. I don't have a garage but this is the next best thing and I can't wait.

 

As someone who has dealt with cables with work, I'd definitely suggest either

A) Getting a separate charger for home and having it wall mounted
B) Getting the actual tesla charger mounted.

Plugging and unplugging cables into a wall outlet daily is going to slowly damage the wall outlet over time, leading to a loose connection, not to mention the prongs of the charger get bent every time you take them out. We all have that one outlet at home where the 3 prong plug just doesn't sit right. That's from usage. If you are just going to get 1 charger, the difference between plugging it in nightly vs plugging it in every 2nd or 3rd night can make a difference too.

 

Part of the logic for designing the Level 2 connectors was that standard wall sockets are not designed for the number of connect-disconnect cycles that EVs put them through. Level 2 connectors were designed to increase power, safety and durability over Level 1. Most sockets are designed for an endurance of a couple hundred to a couple thousand cycles; Level 2 connectors are designed for 10000+ cycles (decades of useful life with daily usage)

 

Level 2 connectors are designed for 10000+ cycles (decades of useful life with daily usage)

A J1772 connector is designed to withstand 10,000 cycles, but it applies to both L1 and L2 charging.

 

Per Tesla from an earlier UMC install guide...

Many people are picking up the $8-10 Leviton / Home Depot 14-50 outlets which are NOT "high quality" nor "industrial grade". They'll probably be fine IF you don't routinely unplug/plug the UMC, but for $40 more why not get the Hubbell and call it a day? Got mine on eBay for $40. These are the same outlets Tesla install crew use.

Hubbell HBL9450A spec sheet attached*