Home Level 2 Charger Issues

[Garbone]

My conduit is pvc and my ground #6 copper. Florida here, I imagine with metal conduit long term corrosion may be an issue.

Sponsored

 

[Ponypower50]

My electrician tested the outlet and it registered 248 Volts and I cannot charge on a 240 V outlet just 110.

 

[Ponypower50]

I had a 40 amp, 14-50 outlet installed in my garage by a licensed electrician. He ran 4 #8 wires to the outlet. One being a designated ground. I also have a Grizzl e charger set for 32 amps. Both the Grizzl e and home charger will not charge on my 240 outlet. What am I doing wrong?

 

[Edgardk]

I am sorry but i have been very busy the last few days, after reading the last few comments since last Friday, i just want to make one comment: I was able to charge on weekends on 240V charger , the voltage was up to 257V and it was charging fine. Last weekend the voltage was 242 and i couldn't charge on 240v. I do have a smart reader and enrolled in the hourly pricing with ComEd.

 

[@kWhpony]

I am sorry but i have been very busy the last few days, after reading the last few comments since last Friday, i just want to make one comment: I was able to charge on weekends on 240V charger , the voltage was up to 257V and it was charging fine. Last weekend the voltage was 242 and i couldn't charge on 240v. I do have a smart reader and enrolled in the hourly pricing with ComEd.

Just returned from running a test with @capt_jak_harkness who has a JuiceBox and smart meter. He's been successful charging and my mobile charger works in his garage as well. But no such luck at my garage with either the mobile charger or new Grizzl-e.

My educated guess is it's in the power delivery to my home as well as some threshold in the vehicle which doesn't tolerate what's coming from either charger. Expect a software update to solve the issue soon (I hope).

 

[IL_Vet]

I don't believe I short changed my install at all.

I'm assuming you live in a state that doesn't require electrical to be installed in conduit. In IL, all electrical is required to be in conduit which serves as the ground. Mine is in 3/4" EMT from panel to outlet.

Other IL folk, am I wrong? (Or maybe a certified electrician?)

We were allowed by our local inspector to use direct burial #6/3 UF-B cable buried two feet or placed into rigid conduit and buried 1 foot. The ground wire was enclosed within the cable, so that simplified the grounding issue.

 

[Sweetwater]

I don't believe I short changed my install at all.

I'm assuming you live in a state that doesn't require electrical to be installed in conduit. In IL, all electrical is required to be in conduit which serves as the ground. Mine is in 3/4" EMT from panel to outlet.

Other IL folk, am I wrong? (Or maybe a certified electrician?)

Mine is also in conduit. The ground wire in this type of install is
very important for your safety. Sure the conduit serves as a ground
but it is not failsafe on such a load. Did you use steel couplings
or die cast? How did you bond the ground to conduit ? I am
just stating safety for you and others.

 

[CHeil402]

One note: I installed the 240 outlet and did not use a ground all the way back to the panel. I did a short ground wire from the outlet to the box, and then the conduit acts as the ground all the way back to the panel (where it's connected to neutral).

Mine is also in conduit. The ground wire in this type of install is
very important for your safety. Sure the conduit serves as a ground
but it is not failsafe on such a load. Did you use steel couplings
or die cast? How did you bond the ground to conduit ? I am
just stating safety for you and others.

Metallic conduit, by code, can serve as your ground conductor, but that doesn't mean it should. It does have to be grounded for touch safety, but it's optional to serve as the ground conductor for the outlet.

As pointed out by @Sweetwater that ground connection is now relying on all of the fittings along the way not coming lose. Hopefully they're at least compression fittings and not screw fittings, otherwise, you should occasionally tighten the screw fittings.

Last point is that the ground back at the panel should connect to the ground bar and not the neutral bar. If this panel is your main service panel, then the ground bar should be connected to the neutral at one point and one point only (which is referred to as bonding). If it's a sub-panel, it should be completely isolated from neutral. If you make multiple connections between neutral and ground you can create ground loops.

Long story short, you can use the metallic conduit as your ground conductor, but at the panel it should be connected to ground and not neutral.

 

[balataspin]

OP or someone should post some sort of update in the original post so people don't read 45 pages to come back with "still don't know"

 

[Maquis]

I don't believe I short changed my install at all.

I'm assuming you live in a state that doesn't require electrical to be installed in conduit. In IL, all electrical is required to be in conduit which serves as the ground. Mine is in 3/4" EMT from panel to outlet.

Other IL folk, am I wrong? (Or maybe a certified electrician?)

The conduit requirement is not state-wide. It applies to the Chicago area and maybe some other larger cities. It was in force in Rockford at one time, but has been rescinded there.

Metallic conduit is a valid alternative to running an equipment grounding conductor. This is a very common installation method. If you were to calculate the resistance of conduit and an appropriately sized ground wire, you'll find in most cases the resistance of the conduit is lower than the wire. Wiring in industrial settings almost always relies on the conduit for grounding - a separate ground wire is virtually never ran.

I think your installation is fine.

 

[Maquis]

Long story short, you can use the metallic conduit as your ground conductor, but at the panel it should be connected to ground and not neutral.

The conduit is connected to ground at the panel by virtue of the fitting screwed to the box itself (some special bonding may be required if the connector is installed in a concentric knockout). I don't see how, or why someone would go out of their way to try and make a connection between the conduit and the neutral bus.

 

[rajsaha]

Hi All,
New to this forum, but experiencing similar charging issues at home with a level 2 charger. Not been able to charge at hoe on Level 2 at all. My 14-50 NEMA outlet was installed by a licensed electrician last week. Similar setup as others have described where the conduit works as the ground back to the panel. Everything done to code, so I don't believe having a separate dedicated ground wire is the issue.
I'm again in the NW suburban Chicago area. Somewhat pleased to hear that not everyone in the Chicagoland area is experiencing these issues, however there are quite a few of us that are.
FYI - I've opened a case with Ford as well, and waiting to hear back from them. Its frustrating to hear no timeline for the SW update that will take care of this. I've additionally reached out to someone in Ford thru LinkedIn (ran out of options to get some real help), and hopeful I hear back with some direct pointers for a resolution. Will update here as I hear more. If anyone else has found a solution - eager to hear.

 

[jparduhn70]

OP or someone should post some sort of update in the original post so people don't read 45 pages to come back with "still don't know"

To date I am still unable to charge at home on the 240V outlet. The dealer has not given me any updates and I am in a holding pattern like most of the other people are here on the thread.

 

[Sweetwater]

Separate ground wire is not an issue with charging. It is an issue
with safety. Ground wire is so very inexpensive just run the ground.
Let's get off this topic because grounding is cheap to install and
there is no reason to keep explaining this. If you do not want to
install it so be it. In the long run if something happens to family
or friends and children touching that conduit could harm them.

 

[CHeil402]

I don't see how, or why someone would go out of their way to try and make a connection between the conduit and the neutral bus.

I agree, but that's what was stated in the post I quoted, so I made a point to address it.

One note: I installed the 240 outlet and did not use a ground all the way back to the panel. I did a short ground wire from the outlet to the box, and then the conduit acts as the ground all the way back to the panel (where it's connected to neutral).

Sponsored