Extension?

[Bab]

Is there any easy extension solution? The portable 120V EVSE that comes with the Bolt (approx 7 metres) is too short to reach the closest plug at a country house.

 

[RickCH]

Use a good 12 gauge extension cord. The supplied EVSE maxes out at 12amps, so a sturdy 12ga extension cord can easily handle the current and voltage drop (assuming you're using an extension under 100 feet).

 

[LeftieBiker]

The quality of the plug and socket on the extension cord are just as important as the wire gauge. Make sure they are copper, well made, and fit snugly at both ends. And remember that with an extension cord you lose some safety.

 

[gpsman]

I have purchased a 25 foot 12 gauge.
It does not get warm at all, since it is made of the same wire in most homes.

I have used the 12 gauge a dozen or more times and sleep well with it plugged in. It’s about 150% more capable than necessary, so there is a good safety margin.

 

[cosmacelf]

Yes, any good 12 gauge cord will work, like this one
https://www.amazon.com/TES-SJTW-Heavy-Extension-Lighted/dp/B019GT5G4U

 

[drother]

Another option is a J1772 extension cord. It could be used if you were trying use a public charger that has been ICEd

 

[Bab]

Thank you for these answers. It becomes very simple.
What do you mean LeftieBiker with "lose some safety" with an extension? For the Bolt battery ? For the panel in the house?

 

[marshallinwa]

Thank you for these answers. It becomes very simple.
What do you mean LeftieBiker with "lose some safety" with an extension? For the Bolt battery ? For the panel in the house?

Most of the safety issues revolve around too small of wire gauge and physical damage to the extension cord.

Physical damage to the extension cord includes: rodents chewing on the cord, plug and receptacle coming apart from the cord, damaging the cord by stepping on it, flexing the cord enough times to break some of the wire strands, etc.

While none of these issues will directly damage the car battery or the electrical panel, they can cause the extension cord to heat up to the point in which it becomes a fire hazard. I believe extension cords and cords attached to household appliances and lamps, are one of the main causes of house fires. If the EVSE can't detect arc faults in the extension cord, then you might want to install a combination GFCI/AFCI receptacle to plug the extension cord into. Hopefully, the EVSE won't cause any nuisance tripping of the GFCI/AFCi receptacle.

Anyhow, be smart. Use a 12 gauge wire extension cord, and make sure you inspect the cord before using it for physical damage.

 

[IMAdolt]

I'm going to first say the bigger the better, Buuuut lets technical about it.

For a continuous load (anything running for 4 or more hours depending on your local code) needs a limited amp rating of 80% of the wires gauge requirement, so for a 14g wire rated for 15 amps 80% of which is 12 amps so you should be just fine with a 15 amp cord. But please go bigger if it makes you feel comfortable, it also future proofs you a bit for a better charger for negligible cost.

Realistically though since the wiring in your house on a 15 amp circuit is typically 14g buying a thicker gauge extension cord won't really effect anything as far as a breaker overload goes, you can get some garbage cords though that'll break these rules.

That's likely why the supplied charge cord it limited to a 12 amps, same goes for the plug you're plugging into and every component right up to your panel. Since 20 amp circuits are becoming more and more common as a standard code minimum it could makes sense to offer a more powerful 120 charge cord option?

 

[LeftieBiker]

Thank you for these answers. It becomes very simple.
What do you mean LeftieBiker with "lose some safety" with an extension? For the Bolt battery ? For the panel in the house?

The portable EVSE protects you against ground faults, and this ability is compromised by using an extension cord. That plus the physical risks of extending your house wiring out into your yard with the cord.

 

[IMAdolt]

Thank you for these answers. It becomes very simple.
What do you mean LeftieBiker with "lose some safety" with an extension? For the Bolt battery ? For the panel in the house?

The portable EVSE protects you against ground faults, and this ability is compromised by using an extension cord. That plus the physical risks of extending your house wiring out into your yard with the cord.

So long as you're extension cord has a ground, which anything that size would be required to have, I don't see how it can compromise the EVSE's ground fault indicator or any GFCI device "up stream"

Edit: any outside circuit by most current codes would need to be on a GFCI outlet or breaker or circuit wired in downstream of a GCI device, using an extension cord "properly" doesn't compromise any of that, old houses with out of date wiring maybe some things can go wrong but a homeowner should have enough sense to check that sort of thing out, or at least ask someone who knows and switch the duplex receptacle with a GFCI for the $10 they cost.

 

[LeftieBiker]

If the outlet the cord is plugged into is GFCI, then you're still protected, but false trips are more likely. If it has no GFCI then if you plug the EVSE into the cord, or plug the EVSE in then the cord, you aren't protected from shocks by the EVSE. You are only fully protected if the EVSE extension cord is plugged into a GFCI outlet and then left plugged in.

 

[SparkE]

Since it appears that there re several knowledgeable posters on the subject ...

What protection (if any) is provided by a GFCI that isn't actually grounded (does not have a physical ground wire)? Both for EVSE, and in general? (I live in a house built in 1962, with horrible electrics).

 

[PolarNettles]

GFCI protection does not require a ground - it triggers based on the current flowing between hot and neutral. In a proper circuit 100% of the current flowing from hot will return through neutral. If there is an imbalance - i.e. if some current is taking an unexpected path, like through a damaged wire or your body, to someplace other than the neutral wire - then the GFCI opens the circuit.

The ground wire primarily protects against wiring faults - e.g. the hot wire coming loose and touching the the metal chassis of the EVSE. If the chassis were connected to ground then your breaker would trip after a few seconds. Note that a GFCI would also trip in this scenario.

 

[SparkE]

I am aware of the benefits of GFCI sockets (I have replaced all the sockets in my bathrooms with GFCI) - and I plan on replacing the "first" socket in each room (the one that all the others chain off of) with GFCI, in order to add protection to each room.

But there are GFCI sockets with a ground wire connection - is there any additional protection with these (if an actual ground wire is connected)?

 

[PolarNettles]

In general GFCI supersedes the ground wire connection, at least to prevent electrocution.

Some (all?) surge protectors shunt excess voltage to the ground wire (in addition to the neutral). So if the ground wire were missing you would lose some surge protection.

Having the ground wire also protects you if the GFCI fails or if there's some other wiring issue that the GFCI can't detect. For instance, if the hot wire were to come loose and energize the ungrounded EVSE housing, the GFCI won't trip until someone or something actually makes contact with the housing. So you could unknowingly fry a sensitive piece of equipment if you set it down on an EVSE that had broken hours earlier. If the EVSE were grounded then the breaker would have tripped.

 

[LeftieBiker]

Yes, GFCI outlets can't detect arcing wires - that requires an Arc Fault protection or combination AFCI/GFCI outlet or breaker. I believe that an AFCI unit requires a ground.

 

[SparkE]

Still haven't gotten an answer to my question (or maybe I did and just didn't understand it) : : "But there are GFCI sockets with a ground wire connection - is there any additional protection with these (if an actual ground wire is connected)?"

Please use simple vocabulary so that I can understand.

So far, it sounds like only in extraordinary circumstances would there be a difference.

 

[PolarNettles]

Yes, GFCI outlets can't detect arcing wires - that requires an Arc Fault protection or combination AFCI/GFCI outlet or breaker. I believe that an AFCI unit requires a ground.

AFCI breakers are actually only connected to hot and neutral, no ground. I took a quick look at the Leviton AFCI receptacle installation guide and it indicates that the ground connection is optional.

Still haven't gotten an answer to my question (or maybe I did and just didn't understand it) : : "But there are GFCI sockets with a ground wire connection - is there any additional protection with these (if an actual ground wire is connected)?"

Put simply, yes, the ground wire does provide additional protection. GFCIs are intended to protect humans. My earlier examples are cases where the GFCI won't trip but the ground wire is used to protect equipment.

AFCIs, GFCIs, and ground wires all provide some overlapping protection from electrocution, equipment damage, and fire. Having more than one is better than just having one (and they're all required by code now anyway).

 

[SparkE]

But when you live in a house built in 1962 ...