NEMA 14-50 wiring question

[Chuck]

I watched the video where "industrial grade NEMA 14-50" plugs were catching fire because of lesser quality than the Hubbell connector. So I opted to replace mine with a Hubbell after 16 months of ownership. My original plug was installed by an electrician and has worked fine for 16 months.

To my surprise, when I went to pull out the original plug, it had only 3 wires. There was a ground and two black wires. Nothing was connected to the neutral connector where the white wire should go.

My question is: Do I need an electrician to come out again and install the neutral? Or can I just go along with the way it has worked since the beginning?

Sponsored

 

[Garbone]

No

 

[HuntingPudel]

There are no EVSEs that use the Neutral wire, so it’s not necessary. It's really only necessary if you want to pull 115/120V out of the outlet. That’s highly unlikely since you will probably only use the circuit for the EVSE. Since EVSEs don’t use the neutral, I have wondered why so many manufacturers settled on the 14-50p on their units rather than the 6-50p. Toe-MAY-toe, toe-MAH-toe… ??

 

[timbop]

The neutral line is only needed if the EVSE requires 120V as well as 240V, which I assume isn't typically necessary. I would say the EVSE you have (and probably the vast majority) don't need it.

 

[timbop]

There are no EVSEs that use the Neutral wire, so it’s not necessary. It's really only necessary if you want to pull 115/120V out of the outlet. That’s highly unlikely since you will probably only use the circuit for the EVSE. Since EVSEs don’t use the neutral, I have wondered why so many manufacturers settled on the 14-50p on their units rather than the 6-50p. Toe-MAY-toe, toe-MAH-toe… ??

Probably because the 14-50 is much more prevalent

 

[HuntingPudel]

Probably because the 14-50 is much more prevalent

But it wasn’t when I bought my EVSE. Back then, it was a pretty fair split between the two standards. Maybe they felt the ”oven” plug/receptacle were better suited than the “welder” plug/receptacle at some point. My 6-50r consumer-grade outlet has been just fine for nearly a decade though. ?‍?

 

[Mach-Lee]

The EVSE doesn't need the neutral wire, but technically a 14-50 receptacle has to have a neutral connected by code. I wouldn't worry about the neutral if you know the outlet will only ever be used for an EVSE.

 

[bshaw]

I believe an RV is a common example of something that will expect to find a neutral wire in a 14-50 outlet.

 

[Mach-Lee]

There are no EVSEs that use the Neutral wire, so it’s not necessary. It's really only necessary if you want to pull 115/120V out of the outlet. That’s highly unlikely since you will probably only use the circuit for the EVSE. Since EVSEs don’t use the neutral, I have wondered why so many manufacturers settled on the 14-50p on their units rather than the 6-50p. Toe-MAY-toe, toe-MAH-toe… ??

I think there will be a shift back towards 6-50 once 240V EV outlets are required in new houses by code. 6-50 saves some copper, and electricians are cheap bastards when it comes to new home wiring so they will do it to save a couple bucks.

 

[chrisGT]

I guess the installation wasn't inspected by city otherwise they should have caught the missing neutral.
I suggest that you try have the original electrician come back run a neutral because their work does not meet the electrical code and they practically "cheated" you by saving wire cost.

 

[RickMachE]

I had my electrician wire my hardwired JuiceBox, and insisted they use 4 conductor wire. I have an unconnected neutral in my box, so I can connect a standard 4 conductor 14-50 in the future.

 

[HuntingPudel]

I think there will be a shift back towards 6-50 once 240V EV outlets are required in new houses by code. 6-50 saves some copper, and electricians are cheap bastards when it comes to new home wiring so they will do it to save a couple bucks.

LOL *I* am a cheap bastard. Perhaps because of my Asian Redneck Poodle upbringing. ??

 

[timbop]

But it wasn’t when I bought my EVSE. Back then, it was a pretty fair split between the two standards. Maybe they felt the ”oven” plug/receptacle were better suited than the “welder” plug/receptacle at some point. My 6-50r consumer-grade outlet has been just fine for nearly a decade though. ?‍?

But I believe it was certainly much more common in campgrounds (@JamieGeek can confirm that) and in general in homes for appliances - I can't say I've ever seen a 6-50 in person in any home/apartment I've been in, although that isn't a very large sample size. For point of reference I've redone the kitchen in both houses I've owned and worked for a time for my brother's general contracting business.

 

[Maquis]

It’s not a code violation to not have the neutral on a 14-50 unless there is another 14-50 on the premesis with a neutral. (Section 406.8 requires all configurations of an outlet to have interchangeability).

But it’s probably not a good idea.

 

[JamieGeek]

But I believe it was certainly much more common in campgrounds (@JamieGeek can confirm that) and in general in homes for appliances - I can't say I've ever seen a 6-50 in person in any home/apartment I've been in, although that isn't a very large sample size. For point of reference I've redone the kitchen in both houses I've owned and worked for a time for my brother's general contracting business.

14-50's are in campgrounds because the RV's that use them have two A/C's: Each wired to one leg of the 120V provided--they don't actually use 240V between the two hots.

When the electrician wired our house for an EVSE back in 2013 he did a 6-50.

Sponsored