Burned out wall receptacle and plug. ugh (JuiceBox 40)

[Nemy]

My guess would be a poor wire connection inside the NEMA 14-50 box. If the same electrician who did the original install also did the repair, it's probably not something he would comment on.

This is my vote. The loose wire is probably why it worked again before ultimately failing.

One of my wires got loose after thousands of miles and charging. Maybe it was never fully tightened but somewhere I read that the heat/cool cycles (especially on an EVSE) can end up creating loose connections over time. So I've made it a point to open it up every now and then... Which reminds me that I'm due for a check-in.

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[OON7]

I had a little melt after several months. I believe it was because I used a cheapo receptacle instead of an industrial grade one. Luckily I caught it before any damage to the juicebox plug. I haven't had any issues or abnormal temps since. I definitely recommend spending the money on a higher grade receptacle than the $15 ones at Home Depot.

 

[Mrn]

I think the conduit has to be secured within 3' of the box.

Thanks for the multiple inputs. I take all safety suggestions very seriously. I need to remount the 14-50 anyway to get the 'smiley face' at the top of the fixture.

 

[agoldman]

Can you share with us the brand name of the failed 14-50? That would be a good data point to have on the forum.

Leviton. but the commercial rated brands most electrical supply places carry are in the same $10 price range. Online they have ones starting at $60 and up. Nothing really in between. I feel like the EV home charging industry is riding at the edge of tolerance. I lowered my new Charge Point Home unit from 50 to 40 amps to keep the heat down, even though the burned JuiceBox was supposed to be a 40 too. To me the Charge Point does seem to be a better built and executed unit than the juicebox, but I don't really know for sure.

 

[agoldman]

This has been discussed on the forum before, search it.

If you go to the Home Depot website, search "industrial 14-50 outlets", this pops up. Specifically mentions being usable for Level 2 charging in the specs.



https://www.homedepot.com/p/Legrand...yer-EV-Charger-Power-Outlet-3894CC6/100576604

https://www.homedepot.com/s/industrial%2014-50%20outlet?NCNI-5

The Legrand Pass & Semour 3884 seems to be what all the electrical supply outlets sell. Still, the $60+ lifetime guaranty ones must have some better components I guess. Probably should just get those.

 

[CHeil402]

Leviton. but the commercial rated brands most electrical supply places carry are in the same $10 price range. Online they have ones starting at $60 and up. Nothing really in between. I feel like the EV home charging industry is riding at the edge of tolerance. I lowered my new Charge Point Home unit from 50 to 40 amps to keep the heat down, even though the burned JuiceBox was supposed to be a 40 too,

If you were using a plugged-in version, you shouldn't have been using over 40 A regardless. You have to derate to 80% for continuous use, so 50 A max x 80% = 40 A. You can only use a 48 A setting if the EVSE is hardwired for 60 A rated cabling.

In general, you should set the charger to an acceptably low level based on your usage. I have a Grizzl-e plugged in, but have it set to only use 32 A which is also probably more than I need.

 

[agoldman]

If you were using a plugged-in version, you shouldn't have been using over 40 A regardless. You have to derate to 80% for continuous use, so 50 A max x 80% = 40 A. You can only use a 50 A setting if the EVSE is hardwired.

In general, you should set the charger to an acceptably low level based on your usage. I have a Grizzl-e plugged in, but have it set to only use 32 A which is also probably more than I need.

Correct. The Juicebox 40 was supposed to be 40, but maybe it surged or runs hot enough to melt over time.. I mistakenly set the Charge Point to 50 for a short time before lowering it to 40. I could tell at 50 the cable seemed much hotter than usual. These 14-50 receptacles really need to be rated stronger than what people use on washer/dryers. etc.

 

[notaek]

Read this: https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/master-thread-definitive-14-50-nema-outlet-guide.140694/

The Leviton unit is like a toy compared to others as it's really poorly built with smaller contacts, screw terminals without a pinch lock causing the wire to be stressed when tightened, just a cheap design.

TLDR:

• Buy Hubbell or Bryant.
• DONT BUY Leviton.

 

[agoldman]

ordered a couple of the Hubbell.

 

[Mrn]

Leviton. but the commercial rated brands most electrical supply places carry are in the same $10 price range. Online they have ones starting at $60 and up. Nothing really in between. I feel like the EV home charging industry is riding at the edge of tolerance. I lowered my new Charge Point Home unit from 50 to 40 amps to keep the heat down, even though the burned JuiceBox was supposed to be a 40 too. To me the Charge Point does seem to be a better built and executed unit than the juicebox, but I don't really know for sure.

At Home Depot they have a Leviton 50 amp model and a 30 amp model that both look the same on their website. They both cost $18. The 50 amp one is quite robust inside.

 

[Pioneer74]

At Home Depot they have a Leviton 50 amp model and a 30 amp model that both look the same on their website. They both cost $18. The 50 amp one is quite robust inside.

Just make sure your insurance is paid up.

 

[Mrn]

Ok, just noticed the 30 amp model has one smiley face and one Chevron shaped top and bottom slot besides the two long rectangular slots left and right.

 

[Fixbear]

Can you share with us the brand name of the failed 14-50? That would be a good data point to have on the forum.

It also should have been reported to the NFPA by the electrician. If the Fire Department had been called, they would have reported it. Many Electricians are not aware of the failure reporting requirement.
Resistance came from the right-side socket/pin. But The remove should have been by clipping back a few inches to further evacuate whether it was the install or receptacle that was the primary cause. The wire screw may not have been tightened to spec. Because of the heat damage, you have to cut back beyond the oxidized area and have bright clean copper with the new one. Some cheaper receptacles don't control their alloys and tempering process for the spring contacts to fit right with repeated use.

 

[Triggerhappy007]

At Home Depot they have a Leviton 50 amp model and a 30 amp model that both look the same on their website. They both cost $18. The 50 amp one is quite robust inside.

No, the 50A is not robust, it's probably the same model that burned up in the OP.

If you're putting in a 14-50 outlet, get at least a $50 Bryant from Grainger on Ebay.

 

[agoldman]

No, the 50A is not robust, it's probably the same model that burned up in the OP.

If you're putting in a 14-50 outlet, get at least a $50 Bryant from Grainger on Ebay.

Yup. The sad thing is that 90% of what is out there is the cheap stuff that can probably be safely used for a dryer, but NOT an EV. I'm really surprised this isn't more of a problem yet.

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