New Owner here

[Tiggeri3]

Hello everyone. I just took possession of a 2017 REX in the fastest i8 blue . I am currently waiting on an OBD2 so I can change the REX control and gas tank capacity. I am also researching EVSE's and have a question for the community. I am looking at Clippercreek, Juicebox, Grizzl-e, Siemens, EvoCharge, & Tesla MCB. I have a 6-50 plug (welder outlet), but the layout means I cannot mount the EVSE directly above the outlet (conduit coming from ceiling). Given the thick and short plug cords (some shorter than others), it looks nearly impossible and probably bad to bend the cord too much. Does anyone have a similar situation and found a good solution? My thoughts are to rotate the outlet 90-degrees so cord only needs to be bent 90-degrees (trying not to do a u-bend or a s-bend). Has anyone used a short 240V extension cord to allow for better placement? Thanks everyone.

 

[PBNB]

Welcome to the forum!

I have a Chargepoint unit. I purchased the unit the has a plug into the outlet to make moving it easier down the road. I installed a dryer outlet in the carport and plug the Chargepoint into that. The cord going to the outlet is quite stiff and short but is has some flex so mine has a slight "S" bend in it.

You should be fine to bend the cord to suit your needs. I would try to keep the bend smooth to avoid kinking the cord.

 

[jadnashuanh]

WOrse comes to worse, remove the plug and cable and then hard-wire it. If you needed it to be portable, it's not a huge job to switch back. Wouldn't want to do that every day, but once in awhile, probably not a big deal.

Note that high current sockets may not work all that well if you constantly insert and remove a plug into them. The high current does raise the temperature of the contacts/prongs, and over time, the contacts start to lose their tension. WOrks much better to just plug it in and leave it, so that brings you back to hardwired as being preferable.

 

[robthebold]

Wiping action in plugging and unplugging temporary taps to remove oxidation is a well understood thing for decades now. If you notice that a plug is excessively warm to the touch while in use, check the prongs for corrosion, remove it with a scotch brite or brillo pad if you see it, and contract an electrician if those steps don't work or you're not able to perform them.

 

[PBNB]

In my case, I went with the plug-able version as I was in the middle of an exterior remodel of the house. I do not anticipate pulling the plug very often but had a to do it 3 times and once when we did some welding and I used the outlet for the welder.

For me it came down to the convenience, there is a small chance that the prongs on the plug will corrode but upon my last plug and replug, the prongs still looked clean and the charger has worked perfectly coming on 22 months of near daily use. This is mainly due to the fact that the charger and outlet are a good distance away from direct moisture and there is enough cover over the outlet to keep it dry.

I have a Flir thermal scanner which I can use to see whats happening with the temps in and around the outlet and charger.

I agree that the preferred method would be to directly wire the unit to avoid the corrosion potential.

 

[Tiggeri3]

Thanks for the replies. I had not thought about hard-wiring, as I had the 6-50 plug already. However, hard-wiring would give me more flexibility on placement. Things to consider...thanks