Charging in Rain/Snow

[timbop]

I mean, I assumed that water and electricity weren't a good mix. Thanks for the enlightenment, all.

Yes, but the engineers that designed the system are actually pretty smart. You certainly don't want to hold the connector facing up to let rain onto the contacts, but other than that the shape and design of the connector and charging protocol are such that it isn't a problem. There is also a diagnostic process that is done at the initiation of a charge session to detect if there's a short before max current is allowed to flow.

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[Maquis]

I would suggest that rain on the charger plug is not a good idea. After all it is a 220 volt receptacle and plug and you theoretically could get a nasty electrical shock/jolt if you touch a wet "hot" plug.

If you are worried about your safety, you could install a double pole, 220v GFCI circuit breaker in the electrical service panel. Theoretically the GFCI breaker would trip if there was a water induced problem at the charger cord plug and theoretically that would prevent a nasty shock hazard.


Theoretically . . . your choice, good luck.

PS: It is always advisable to have a qualified electrician install GFCI's.

If your EVSE is UL listed, it has a built-in GFCI.

 

[Vulnox]

So one thing with any electronics and water is that the water itself isn't an issue, it's what's in the water and electricity flowing where it shouldn't because of it. This is more critical with exposed circuitry than plugs, typically, because the plugs are designed already for high current flow and if you did accidentally create another path, there are components to turn off the flow to protect the vehicle. But rain is usually not going to cause this because you would need a steady link between two points that you don't want connected.

All of this comes down to, even without the engineering and protection, the odds of creating a path for electricity to go elsewhere is pretty minimal. You would almost have to be plugging in while the vehicle is submerged in a pool.

Water doesn't kill electronics, electricity does (setting aside other long term water issues, like corrosion of course), the water just gives the electricity another path to somewhere that it shouldn't be. But it needs to be a pretty steady path. You could take a computer motherboard with processor and everything and as long as it was unplugged, capacitors drained, no CMOS battery, etc, put it in a bucket of water and leave it overnight. Then take apart what can be taken apart (remove CPU and all that) and let it fully dry, and it would work fine. Because the water, essentially, doesn't matter, as long as it isn't being used by electricity to go somewhere it shouldn't.

Sorry for the long post and it's a simplified form of the interaction of water and electricity, but it's an expensive vehicle and wanted to give you some reassurances besides just dismissive posts or whatever else. Water and electricity isn't something to mess around with, but in general there are some exaggerated ideas around where the actual risk is. I do definitely agree that I wouldn't mess around much with letting snow/ice accumulate around the port too heavily, but that's more to prevent the freezing of the port or extra weight on the connector.

 

[Mach-Lee]

The J1772 connection is waterproof, and the EVSE has built-in GFCI protection. Power is only switched on when the car requests it (after the plug is connected) and is monitored the whole time. The whole setup is much more sophisticated and safer than an extension cord. You should have no concerns using it in the rain.

As mentioned, the only potential issue is snow and ice getting in the charge port or J1772 handle, making it difficult to plug in or unplug.

 

[ctenidae]

They aren't. But the car companies, and EVSE companies, know that and design for it.

I was thinking about this the other day. Fire and water don't mix, either, but no one worries about driving/fueling an ICE in the rain.

Guess we're lucky engineers have encountered this sort of thing before!

 

[squirrels2nuts]

the dealer dumbass didn't know about this when i asked him and he was just clueless about anything. tried to enlighten him for future folks

 

[generaltso]

the dealer dumbass didn't know about this when i asked him and he was just clueless about anything. tried to enlighten him for future folks

I've found that car dealers generally know very little about the products that they sell.

 

[Maquis]

I've found that car dealers generally know very little about the products that they sell.

Generally true, but I have a service advisor that wants to learn and I’m happy to tell him things I’ve discovered about the car. He even takes notes at times.

 

[Shayne]

I'm worried about inclement weather charging since I don't have a garage. I've tried some charging port covers, but they work with magnets, and the quarter panel with the port isn't magnetic. Solutions? Should I be worried about this? Can I charge in the rain regardless of coverage?

For me it was always the ice and snow on the handle button that would cause problems. This does not touch the car, stays on the handle and protects it when not in use and keeps port and handle clean.

 

[squirrels2nuts]

i love a good pink sock

 

[Shayne]

i love a good pink sock

Hey it use to be red and looked real cool . Still working after 2 years. Does the job.

 

[squirrels2nuts]

omg guys, do NOT google pink sock

 

[Fixbear]

I would suggest that rain on the charger plug is not a good idea. After all it is a 220 volt receptacle and plug and you theoretically could get a nasty electrical shock/jolt if you touch a wet "hot" plug.

If you are worried about your safety, you could install a double pole, 220v GFCI circuit breaker in the electrical service panel. Theoretically the GFCI breaker would trip if there was a water induced problem at the charger cord plug and theoretically that would prevent a nasty shock hazard.


Theoretically . . . your choice, good luck.

PS: It is always advisable to have a qualified electrician install GFCI's.

The EVSE has a GFI internal for that purpose.

 

[squirrels2nuts]

okay i think we're starting to spin our wheels here, so to say! wait... can i not close a thread?

 

[Hammered]

I wash mine while charging -- ain't skeered. I wouldn't hold a hose to the connector itself, but splashes of water aren't an issue for the connector. Observe how they mate and you'll see why it'd take submersion to do it in.

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