Hardwire your home charging station! Or use a Hubbel / Bryant / Cooper 14-50 receptacle, not Leviton

[DeaneG]

Many electricians do not seem to be aware that Leviton's $9 14-50 receptacle from Home Depot can be dangerous when used for EV charging.

For best long-term safety, have the electrician hardwire your home charging station instead of mounting a receptacle. This means running electrical conduit directly to the charging station, eliminating the need for a receptacle, cord and plug. The cost should not be significantly different than having a potentially dangerous 14-50 outlet installed. You can also get faster charging from a hardwired charging station if installed on a 60-amp or 80-amp breaker rather than the 50-amp maximum breaker allowed on a 14-50 outlet.

If you must use a 14-50 outlet, it should be an industrial-type receptacle made by Hubbell, Bryant, or Cooper. Leviton's $9 14-50 outlet from Home Depot can be a fire hazard when used for charging an EV. To see what kind of receptacle your electrician installed, turn off the circuit breaker to the outlet and remove the outlet's cover plate. The receptacle manufacturer name will be clearly stamped on the metal plate that supports the receptacle.

If you find that you have a Leviton receptacle, have an electrician swap in one from Hubbell, Bryant, or Cooper. The receptacle costs $75-100, plus labor. Don't try to do this yourself - the receptacle screw terminals should be properly tightened with a torque screwdriver.

Some firsthand experience talking:

 

[Bobby]

If you could distill this down to a few of the most important thoughts, I would love to include it in the FAQ on www.lucidupdates.com. The question would be: “I am planning on installing a charger in my garage. What are some important facts that I or my electrician should know? “

 

[EVCar]

Many electricians do not seem to be aware that Leviton's $9 14-50 receptacle from Home Depot can be dangerous when used for EV charging.

For best long-term safety, have the electrician hardwire your home charging station instead of mounting a receptacle. This means running electrical conduit directly to the charging station, eliminating the need for a receptacle, cord and plug. The cost should not be significantly different than having a potentially dangerous 14-50 outlet installed. You can also get faster charging from a hardwired charging station if installed on a 60-amp or 80-amp breaker rather than the 50-amp maximum breaker allowed on a 14-50 outlet.

If you must use a 14-50 outlet, it should be an industrial-type receptacle made by Hubbell, Bryant, or Cooper. Leviton's $9 14-50 outlet from Home Depot can be a fire hazard when used for charging an EV. To see what kind of receptacle your electrician installed, turn off the circuit breaker to the outlet and remove the outlet's cover plate. The receptacle manufacturer name will be clearly stamped on the metal plate that supports the receptacle.

If you find that you have a Leviton receptacle, have an electrician swap in one from Hubbell, Bryant, or Cooper. The receptacle costs $75-100, plus labor. Don't try to do this yourself - the receptacle screw terminals should be properly tightened with a torque screwdriver.

Some firsthand experience talking:

I have a a Hubble receptacle in addition to a hard-wired Charge-Point -- as a back up.,
Not sure if I saw the electrician use a torque screwdriver,
Do you happen to know the torque specification?

 

[DeaneG]

I have a a Hubble receptacle...Do you happen to know the torque specification?

75 in-lb.

https://hubbellcdn.com/installationmanuals/WIRING_PD1186_INSTALLINST.pdf

 

[EVCar]

75 in-lb.

https://hubbellcdn.com/installationmanuals/WIRING_PD1186_INSTALLINST.pdf

Thanks.

 

[DeaneG]

@Bobby
TL;DR:
It's much safer to have your electrician hardwire your charging station, running conduit directly to it instead of installing a 14-50 receptacle and using a plug-in charging station.
If you must use a 14-50 receptacle, use an industrial grade receptacle as made my Hubbell, Bryant, and Cooper. Avoid inexpensive 14-50 residential-grade receptacles available at big box stores. They can become a fire hazard over time.

 

[Halodde]

@Bobby
TL;DR:
It's much safer to have your electrician hardwire your charging station, running conduit directly to it instead of installing a 14-50 receptacle and using a plug-in charging station.
If you must use a 14-50 receptacle, use an industrial grade receptacle as made my Hubbell, Bryant, and Cooper. Avoid inexpensive 14-50 residential-grade receptacles available at big box stores. They can become a fire hazard over time.

Thanks for posting this. I know I'm at risk of being slightly off topic (because I don't have a home charger). I had a 14-50 outlet installed and plug in with the cable that came with the car. So my questions are these:
Is the type of outlet as important when not using a home charger?
And, even more off topic, what are the biggest benefits of using a home charging station over just plugging in with the supplied cable?

 

[DeaneG]

Thanks for posting this. I know I'm at risk of being slightly off topic (because I don't have a home charger). I had a 14-50 outlet installed and plug in with the cable that came with the car. So my questions are these:
Is the type of outlet as important when not using a home charger?
And, even more off topic, what are the biggest benefits of using a home charging station over just plugging in with the supplied cable?

Whether using a mobile charging cable, or a wallmounted charging station, the concerns are exactly the same.

I prefer a permanently-mounted (and hardwired) charging station because I know I'll be driving an EV for years to come, and wanted something robust, easy to use, reliable, and safe, not dangling on its cord from an outlet.

It's also possible to charge the Air up to 2x faster using a hardwired station compared to a plug-in or mobile charging adapter.

We have a Chargepoint Home Flex hardwired for my wife's car, and Lucid's Home Charging Station hardwired for mine, in convenient locations.

While you're using a plug-in solution, you can improve its safety by checking that you're not using a Leviton receptacle (see my first post in this thread). And as another test, after charging your car for an hour or so, fully unplug the mobile charger from the wall receptacle and feel the plugs' prongs. They should be warm but not hot. If one or more are hot, have an electrician replace the outlet immediately. This is a serious bit of advice, though it sounds like internet clickbait. Loose wiring to the receptacle, or poor contact between plug and receptacle, will generate heat that you can easily feel on the unplugged prongs.

 

[Worldwide Beagle]

Good questions. Your Lucid portable cable is basically a home charger, just portable. And limited to drawing about 40 amps. Wall mounted home chargers have many more features, programs, wifi, apps, can be hardwired and some go to 80 amps. I think most would suggest not using the Lucid portable cable every day for home charging. I second that, unless you semi-permenantly mount your Lucid on the wall and not unplug it routinely.


Is the outlet important! Even with the Lucid Cable? DAMN STRAIGHT. More so-read on. Makes no difference if you are plugging in a $650 Charge Point home charger or the Lucid portable cable. It's because home chargers and the Lucid BOTH draw about 40 amps or more amps. And continuous 40 amps from either will melt a $12 receptacle.

IN FACT, electricians and even Tesla states that an industrial receptacle (proper name for an outlet) is even MORE important if using a portable cord charger. Because you are constantly inserting and removing the EV cable plug into your 14-50 receptacle - something they were never really made for. Think of your dryer or stove. Only plugged/unplugged about once or twice a lifetime. Using a home grade receptacle with a portable EV cord thus doubles the chance for electrical issues. Plugging and unplugging will weaken the already flimsy contacts, then the continuous high amperage will add insult to injury, further heat weakening the weak contacts and also soften the plastic holding it all together. Double whammy.

I have been told Telsa has several good TSBs and canned service center instructions on this. The minute an owner complains about ANY charger issues with the Tesla portable cord, they are told to replace the receptacle.

 

[Worldwide Beagle]

Whether using a mobile charging cable, or a wallmounted charging station, the concerns are exactly the same.

I prefer a permanently-mounted (and hardwired) charging station because I know I'll be driving an EV for years to come, and wanted something robust, easy to use, reliable, and safe, not dangling on its cord from an outlet.

It's also possible to charge the Air up to 2x faster using a hardwired station compared to a plug-in or mobile charging adapter.

We have a Chargepoint Home Flex hardwired for my wife's car, and Lucid's Home Charging Station hardwired for mine, in convenient locations.

While you're using a plug-in solution, you can improve its safety by checking that you're not using a Leviton receptacle (see my first post in this thread). And as another test, after charging your car for an hour or so, fully unplug the mobile charger from the wall receptacle and feel the plugs' prongs. They should be warm but not hot. If one or more are hot, have an electrician replace the outlet immediately. This is a serious bit of advice, though it sounds like internet clickbait. Loose wiring to the receptacle, or poor contact between plug and receptacle, will generate heat that you can easily feel on the unplugged prongs.

We are twin sons of different mother's. Maybe we should flip a coin who gets to answer!

Maybe we should go on the road? Lewis and Martin! You can be Deano

 

[borski]

Is the type of outlet as important when not using a home charger?

Yes. Even more so.

what are the biggest benefits of using a home charging station over just plugging in with the supplied cable?

Wifi, TOU control (charging only at certain times) etc.

An example of a great feature I use with my Wallbox Pulsar Plus: there is an add on called the Wallbox Power Boost. It’s basically just a couple CTs you hook up around your subpanel mains, and a meter tracks the current going through the subpanel. Then you run a tiny communication wire from the meter to the Wallbox.

The reason I use this is that I have a 125amp sub panel / breaker, in which I have 100amp line and breaker for my Lucid charger so I can get the full 80A continuous charge. There isn’t really anything else in the garage except a few fluorescent lights, but sometimes there might be.

When the Wallbox charges my wife’s Ioniq 5, it pulls the full 48A continuous (on a 60A breaker) *unless* the Lucid is also charging, at which point it drops the amperage based on the current going through the subpanel (as measured by the aforementioned meter) so as to keep it below the 80% continuous limits as per code.

It’s great. As soon as the Lucid has filled up, the Wallbox spins right back up to 48A.

Overkill? Absolutely. But ya can’t do that with a 14-50.

 

[Worldwide Beagle]

@DeaneG it's only the Cooper Eaton 5754N 14-50 that is industrial rated, glass filled nylon body. High torque lugs. About $50.

People should NOT buy the Cooper Eaton low end, big box model 1258 for $12, with 25 in.# of torque. It's a Leviton equivalent.

 

[DeaneG]

Good point, and we can be specific. If you choose to have your electrician install a 14-50 outlet instead of hardwiring your charging station, make sure they one of these industrial-spec receptacles. They'll cost in the range of $50-$100 and have a wiring torque spec of 75 in-lb:

Hubbell HBL9450A https://hubbellcdn.com/specsheet/WIRING_HBL9450A_spec.pdf
Cooper Eaton 5754N https://www.eaton.com/us/en-us/skuPage.5754N.pdf
Bryant 9450FR https://hciapps.hubbell.com/hcipunchout/LiteraturePDFS/3B/Original_BSS57.pdf

AVOID $9-$15 residential grade receptacles like these with a 25 in-lb wiring torque spec:
Leviton 279
Legrand / Pass and Seymour 3894
Cooper Electric 30837
Cooper Eaton 1258
Hubbell RR450F
Utilitech 2106S
ELEGRP 2106S

 

[Worldwide Beagle]

That was a lot of work. Great job. The 9450 Bryant and Hubbell are indentical, except for the name. The Bryant is usually much cheaper. I have installed both. Bryant is their other named brand, but same quality.

@DeaneG , in your honor and these threads, I broke down and hard wired my plug in EVSE in my MTN home yesterday. Lucid now showing 12kw vs 9 when charging. Because of these damn threads, I was always feeling the Bryant receptacle for heat. Just in case.

While we are giving tips, Hubbell and Eaton both warn about conductors loosening in the receptacle when bending and jiggling the large guage conductors to fit it into the junction box. I always double check the tightness just before attaching there receptacle faceplate to the junction box.

I am not sure where I learned it, but I always double torque larger guage stranded copper wire, liked the 6 AWG THHN I used. Waiting a few minutes between torquing. The stranded copper does compress, as it should.

I hope we have given useful information without anyone thinking this is an easy DIY for a homeowner.

 

[Worldwide Beagle]

One last comment and I will stop!

I had a dream last night that Leviton and Legrand sued us for defamation and product disparagement. And I was worried some here might pull back their dryer to check the receptacle.

So, I will note that the Leviton, Legrand and Eaton $12 receptacles are not defective, not dangerous, not illegal, not a violation of the NEC IF INSTALLED for their intended and common use: residential ovens, stoves dryers. These are intermittent, safe and proper uses of those receptacles. If your home dryer or stove is plugged into a Leviton receptacle, you are fine. They last for decades. (When left alone)

All of our warnings and recommendations deal with selection and installation of 240v NEMA 14-50 receptacles NOW used for continuous dury, 40 and 50 amp EVSEs, electric vehicle service equipment, the proper name for what we all call Home Chargers. Now that is a horse of a different colour.

 

[DeaneG]

While looking up that info this morning, I saw that it seems Home Depot has stopped carrying Leviton's 14-50R. And Leviton now lists it as "improved" on their own website. Both could have been in response to issues, who knows. I'd still stay away from any residential/commercial receptacle for this purpose.

 

[EVCar]

Any recommendation for torque screwdrivers?
Thanks.

 

[DeaneG]

Any recommendation for torque screwdrivers?
Thanks.

I bought this one and an happy with it. Be aware though that 75 in-lb is the upper limit for this tool, and takes quite a bit of force to achieve. A small torque wrench with a range of up to say 100+ in-lb might be somewhat better suited for this task.

 

[EVCar]

I bought this one and an happy with it. Be aware though that 75 in-lb is the upper limit for this tool, and takes quite a bit of force to achieve. A small torque wrench might be somewhat better suited.

Any link to what you bought?

 

[DeaneG]

Oops! Though the price went up since my purchase. Seems easy to buy a different small torque wrench kit for less.

https://www.amazon.com/ALEAPOW-Screwdriver-15-75in-lbs-Gunsmithing-Maintenance/dp/B09YXYHVFS