Charging with dryer plug?

[B177y]

L1 charging doesn’t pull 12 amps though and it pulls more like 9.5 max. It’s incredibly conservative. I have been L1 charging in my home garage which is also probably 100ft from my panel as well and it’s fine.

9.5 amps as shown in the Ford app? That shows the amperage after AC to DC converter losses in the car. L1 is terribly inefficient that way.

Check the label or documentation of the L1 EVSE you are using, most are 10 or 12 amps at the EVSE. The Ford charger included with the car is fixed at 12 amps on Level 1. If you are using an ammeter and seeing 9.5 amps at your EVSE and it is a 12 amp EVSE, you may be seeing the voltage drop/resistance at work due to the long run or wire size. If it's a 10 amp EVSE, then 9.5 is probably reasonable.

I have a Chevy Bolt that came with a 12 amp L1 EVSE. The car defaults to 8 amps for a safety margin assuming that the home's circuit has other loads on it. You can toggle it to take the whole 12 amps with the warning that your house wiring is capable and on a dedicated circuit. The MME has no such setting in the car.

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[dolvio]

9.5 amps as shown in the Ford app? That shows the amperage after AC to DC converter losses in the car. L1 is terribly inefficient that way.

Check the label or documentation of the L1 EVSE you are using, most are 10 or 12 amps at the EVSE. The Ford charger included with the car is fixed at 12 amps on Level 1. If you are using an ammeter and seeing 9.5 amps at your EVSE and it is a 12 amp EVSE, you may be seeing the voltage drop/resistance at work due to the long run or wire size. If it's a 10 amp EVSE, then 9.5 is probably reasonable.

I have a Chevy Bolt that came with a 12 amp L1 EVSE. The car defaults to 8 amps for a safety margin assuming that the home's circuit has other loads on it. You can toggle it to take the whole 12 amps with the warning that your house wiring is capable and on a dedicated circuit. The MME has no such setting in the car.

The way I read that as shown in the Ford App is 1100w / 120v = ~9 amps.

 

[B177y]

The way I read that as shown in the Ford App is 1100w / 120v = ~9 amps.

Yep, that is what is being put into your battery after the AC to DC losses. That is not the measurement of the amperage that is going to your EVSE.

 

[dolvio]

Yep, that is what is being put into your battery after the AC to DC losses. That is not the measurement of the amperage that is going to your EVSE.

Okay, I was assuming that’s what the draw reading was, not what was going into the car.

I’m not too worried about L1 charging as it’s been more than fine for us. We plug the car in whenever it’s home which is more than it’s away.

It’s about 6 grand to put a level 2 in my garage. Long run, EVEMS, charger, etc. I might do it this summer but we also want to move and it adds no value to the home.

We charge level 2 sometimes when I go to certain places like the mall or hockey rink. Level 3 once a month maybe also.

 

[HuntingPudel]

The way I read that as shown in the Ford App is 1100w / 120v = ~9 amps.

The Ford app reports what’s going into the battery, not what is being drawn from Mains power, so you are seeing the inefficiencies in voltage conversion from 120V AC to a nominal 400V DC. The EVSE is still drawing and delivering at or near 12A to the car’s internal charger. The safety of the Mains circuit doesn’t care what’s going into the battery. It depends on how much current it’s moving through itself.

 

[New2EV]

As everyone on here is saying...not recommended, there is risk.

However, I know a few that have successfully used extensions cords (not sure of the length) with dryer plugs on a regular basis. They have a Y splitter at the dryer plug so they aren't plugging and unplugging all the time and they use an aftermarket charger that's around the 18 amp range. It's about 3x faster charging than L1.

Their biggest problem is when someone starts the dryer while the car is charging and it blows the breaker. They end up with wet clothes and a car with no charge. (Not to mention only being a failed breaker away from a potential electrical fire).

Again....not recommended, not without risk, but has been done without problems. Like putting a ladder in a truck bed to reach your roof ....Your house, your car, your choice. And as that insurance commercial says... If you don't have the right coverage, you could be paying for this yourself.

 

[AtomicInternet]

I'll buck the trend and say if you have a 24 amp or less charger you should be fine. My dad's place only has a trashy old dryer plug, and I can set my charger to pull no more than 24a. It never even gets warm. Nowhere near a fast charge, but better than 120v. I'd even say a 120v would get warmer than a 24a 240v.

 

[thekat03]

Okay, I was assuming that’s what the draw reading was, not what was going into the car.

I’m not too worried about L1 charging as it’s been more than fine for us. We plug the car in whenever it’s home which is more than it’s away.

It’s about 6 grand to put a level 2 in my garage. Long run, EVEMS, charger, etc. I might do it this summer but we also want to move and it adds no value to the home.

We charge level 2 sometimes when I go to certain places like the mall or hockey rink. Level 3 once a month maybe also.

Honestly, I would just plan on level 1 charging and on the occasion where you need to charge faster, spend the money to fast charge. Keep it simple.

 

[ESJB]

I think the most practical thing to do: contact a trusted local electrical contractor (electrician) and ask them to custom-make you an extension cable. (Not sure if that's accepted practice in your part of the world, but not out of the question where I am...)

Tell them you need it to be 100 foot length (or whatever) and carry 30A (or whatever). And it needs to be weatherproof. Then let them spec and supply a suitable cable, suitable connectors, suitable outdoor sockets, switchboard upgrades etc.

If nothing else, their price quote will give you an idea of how much a safe solution will be. (Edit: or they'll try to talk you into trenching a permanent connection point, which makes sense)

 

[music_cities]

If I was running an extension cord I'd probably go for a NEMA 6-20 (20 amp) and get a charger that I can set for 16 amps or even less, maybe 12 amps. I can see wanting to get faster charging than L1 charging, but 16 amps/240V is 2.6X faster than L1 charging.

I have 16 amps/240 V charging on a hardwired charger at my ski home and it's fast enough for me. Recovers 100km in 8 hours overnight which is conveniently the distance to my city home.

See if you can put in a little subpanel with a transfer switch and a 20 amp breaker on a 6-20 plug.

 

[crownmountain]

Once upon a time ClipperCreek (now Enphase) made an LCS-30 EVSE purpose built to plug into a NEMA 14-30 30 AM "dryer outlet". Been charging my MINI Cooper S-EV for several years now. Do NOT kluge this get a purpose built EVSE for this. It is way easier to do it right than it is to put out a fire.

My 14-30 socket was installed by the builder.

 

[devmach-e]

Hey, it’s my rec property so the ability to park the car close enough to the panel just isn’t an option and the closest thing is the dryer plug. Terrain just doesn’t make it possible to move the car closer.

L1 charging doesn’t pull 12 amps though and it pulls more like 9.5 max. It’s incredibly conservative. I have been L1 charging in my home garage which is also probably 100ft from my panel as well and it’s fine.

L1 charging absolutely pulls 12A. If you are going by what the Ford App reports in terms of kW, and then dividing by 120V, then you are going to get a very inaccurate number. The Ford app just reports net into the battery, and not what it pulled from the wall. It also doesn't report line voltage or amperage drawn.

 

[dolvio]

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L1 charging absolutely pulls 12A. If you are going by what the Ford App reports in terms of kW, and then dividing by 120V, then you are going to get a very inaccurate number. The Ford app just reports net into the battery, and not what it pulled from the wall. It also doesn't report line voltage or amperage drawn.

The reason I thought it was sub 12amps is because I have Chinese Charger that I have used for years when I am work a couple times a week. When I check the Ford App while using this it shows 1.5kw. So it's pulling more than my Ford Charger that pulls 12 amps. It never blows any breaker its been on and they are all 15 amp breakers.

 

[devmach-e]

O


The reason I thought it was sub 12amps is because I have Chinese Charger that I have used for years when I am work a couple times a week. When I check the Ford App while using this it shows 1.5kw. So it's pulling more than my Ford Charger that pulls 12 amps. It never blows any breaker its been on and they are all 15 amp breakers.

To be clear, is the Chinese EVSE reporting the 1.5 kW, or is that what the Ford app was reporting? 12A at 120V is 1.44 kW. 12A at 125V would be 1.5 kW. It isn't uncommon to see 125V at the wall depending upon how close you are to the transformer off of the pole. I frequently see between 123V and 126V at the wall because the transformer for the neighborhood is right across the street from us. Is your Chinese EVSE set to advertise 16A or 12A?

 

[dolvio]

To be clear, is the Chinese EVSE reporting the 1.5 kW, or is that what the Ford app was reporting? 12A at 120V is 1.44 kW. 12A at 125V would be 1.5 kW. It isn't uncommon to see 125V at the wall depending upon how close you are to the transformer off of the pole. I frequently see between 123V and 126V at the wall because the transformer for the neighborhood is right across the street from us. Is your Chinese EVSE set to advertise 16A or 12A?

Ford App is reporting the 1.5KW. It's unlikely I am getting beyond 120 as I am 200ft from transformer.

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