Melted 240V outlet (Major Disaster Avoided) -- PSA: only highly rated charging equipment

[ipca204]

An auction is not a bankruptcy proceeding. They are auctioning off their North American assets and customer base. I'll remain positive that a third party will step in.

lol... I like your optimism!

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[SteveMach-ee]

Installed this for my Ford Mobile charger:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/50-Amp-...k-Heavy-Duty-1450R-B0-R10-1450R-0B0/330996322

It's definitely much more robust than the cheap Leviton. 75 in-lb torque speced hex screws. In stock at my Home Depot. Requires a 2.465" wall plate.

 

[RickMachE]

An auction is not a bankruptcy proceeding. They are auctioning off their North American assets and customer base. I'll remain positive that a third party will step in.

I never said they entered bankruptcy. The firm they hired is Liquid Asset Partners. Most people would view an asset disposition company such as this as a bankruptcy firm.

Enel X Way USA LLC entered an assignment for benefit of creditors and yes they are selling the assets and clients. 120,000 residential customers, 25,000 commercial customers, and miscellaneous stuff.

NHTSA has launched an investigation based on complaints I and others filed. Consumer Reports has contacted the FTC. Enel-X is a huge Italy-based $60B company that does substantial business in the US and is trying to screw over JuiceBox customers.

https://liquidap.com/currentprojects/juicebox

 

[Richard L.]

lol... I like your optimism!

The manufacturer of my solar panels just announced they are going sunset. Another company stepped in and has acquired their customer base. It happens more than you realize. And I like to be positive.

 

[AKgrampy]

After reading a lot of your posts, I feel you are pretty informed level headed. guy. That being said "hundreds have melted"......that's really a bit of a stretch.....

I do not keep count but there have been greater than 20 reported just on this forum so I would imagine hundreds is an accurate assessment.

 

[ipca204]

"imagine"....ok..lol

 

[dtbaker61]

Since the pigtail’s connector is damaged, you probably are better off hard-wiring it unless you want to buy a new pigtail and have it installed. Any competent electrician can remove the pigtail and hard wire the unit. ??

or, chop off and replace both the plug and outlet, and reduce current to 32a if you want to retain the outlet for running tools or emergency generator.

 

[fleeps]

In 2017, I had an electrician install a 40A circuit and NEMA 14-50 outlet (I have no idea what brand). I had bought a Bolt, which could handle up to 30A, so I bought a 30A Clipper Creek charger. I saw no reason to upgrade when I bought my Mach-E, and I've charged from as low as %5 overnight with no problem.

 

[Blue highway]

hmm every car specific EV forum I have looked at has at least a few well read threads on melted 14-50 outlets...

Considering there are over 5 million EVs in the US at the minute, it seems to me that there have been at least hundreds of these cases, probably thousands.

 

[Scooby24]

After reading a lot of your posts, I feel you are pretty informed level headed. guy. That being said "hundreds have melted"......that's really a bit of a stretch.....

Not even remotely a stretch. Tesla's have been tracking the failures for a long time and there are a LOT of them.

 

[TheVirtualTim]

I have two EVSE's in the garage and another 240v outlet. Both my EVSE's are hard-wired.

But even hard-wire can be a problem if the installer does SERIOUSLY tighten down the lugs. When I did my install, we added wire ferrules and picked up the appropriate tool (4 jaws "square" the end of the wire inside the ferrule) and this gives a nice flat contact surface for a better connection.

IF this isn't TIGHT then all the power has to flow through a minimally sized contact surface and that can create resistance which leads to heat which leads to ... what happened here.

As for the NEMA 14-50 Receptacle ... that has to be replaced and get an industrial outlet (it should cost in the $40-80 price range and have a brand name such as Hubbell. DO NOT buy a NEMA 14-50 R priced in the $10-20 price range. Those can't handle EV charging.

WHY: Most things that plug into a 240v outlet only draw power for limited amounts of time. Even an electric oven baking something for hours on end isn't actually CONTINUOUSLY drawing power. An oven pre-heats and then starts to cycle the heating element on/off periodically to maintain the temperature. Dryers to the same thing (and they don't draw 50 amps).

But an EV ... that can pull power continuously for 6-8 hours without ever letting up ... and that's a problem for ordinary 240v outlets.

If you DO want to use another receptacle (instead of going hard-wired ... but hopefully by now you've decided to go hard-wired) then you'll need a NEW outlet AND the plug on your EVSE must be SHINEY metal. There must be no charring or blackness. The char will create resistance and resistance causes heat and you'll risk having the whole nightmare all over again. You need thoroughly clean bright shiny metal.

 

[HuntingPudel]

hmm every car specific EV forum I have looked at has at least a few well read threads on melted 14-50 outlets...

Considering there are over 5 million EVs in the US at the minute, it seems to me that there have been at least hundreds of these cases, probably thousands.

Even if my outlet had melted (it hasn’t) it wouldn’t be a story of a melted 14-50. It’s a 6-50. ??

 

[HuntingPudel]

I have two EVSE's in the garage and another 240v outlet. Both my EVSE's are hard-wired.

But even hard-wire can be a problem if the installer does SERIOUSLY tighten down the lugs. When I did my install, we added wire ferrules and picked up the appropriate tool (4 jaws "square" the end of the wire inside the ferrule) and this gives a nice flat contact surface for a better connection.

IF this isn't TIGHT then all the power has to flow through a minimally sized contact surface and that can create resistance which leads to heat which leads to ... what happened here.

As for the NEMA 14-50 Receptacle ... that has to be replaced and get an industrial outlet (it should cost in the $40-80 price range and have a brand name such as Hubbell. DO NOT buy a NEMA 14-50 R priced in the $10-20 price range. Those can't handle EV charging.

WHY: Most things that plug into a 240v outlet only draw power for limited amounts of time. Even an electric oven baking something for hours on end isn't actually CONTINUOUSLY drawing power. An oven pre-heats and then starts to cycle the heating element on/off periodically to maintain the temperature. Dryers to the same thing (and they don't draw 50 amps).

But an EV ... that can pull power continuously for 6-8 hours without ever letting up ... and that's a problem for ordinary 240v outlets.

If you DO want to use another receptacle (instead of going hard-wired ... but hopefully by now you've decided to go hard-wired) then you'll need a NEW outlet AND the plug on your EVSE must be SHINEY metal. There must be no charring or blackness. The char will create resistance and resistance causes heat and you'll risk having the whole nightmare all over again. You need thoroughly clean bright shiny metal.

I would add that now that you know that the plug has been compromised you should consider the entire pigtail as compromised, all the way back into the EVSE. Also have your electrician inspect the wiring to ensure that it hasn’t formed oxidation or begun to melt its insulation. ??

 

[shelnian]

A few more pics. Doesn’t look like the charger plug is reusable **Can an electrician cut out the plug & hardwire this unit? Assuming the unit still works.

If you wanted to just replace the damaged parts
https://www.amazon.com/Bryant-Electric-9452ANPB-Industrial-Grounding/dp/B003A48QUY
https://www.amazon.com/Bryant-9450FR-Industrial-Single-Receptacle/dp/B07R4LVX18
https://www.amazon.com/Receptacle-Outlet-Hubbell-313292-SS701/dp/B0C4NW6FK2

 

[67 Stang Convertible]

If you wanted to just replace the damaged parts
https://www.amazon.com/Bryant-Electric-9452ANPB-Industrial-Grounding/dp/B003A48QUY
https://www.amazon.com/Bryant-9450FR-Industrial-Single-Receptacle/dp/B07R4LVX18
https://www.amazon.com/Receptacle-Outlet-Hubbell-313292-SS701/dp/B0C4NW6FK2

I've got the electrician coming out after work tmw. Hoping they can just hardwire the unit (assuming the unit is sitll operational).

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