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What do you mean by "overcycle"? I have a 14-50 adapter for my oem Bolt evse that I use occasionally on my 240 volt line but mostly I use without the adapter on the 120 volt outlet. I should leave the adapter plugged into the 240 volt and just unplug the evse from the adapter why?
Common 120V receptacles are built with the idea that people will be plugging in and unplugging things all the time, and are built for this use case. A normal 240V receptacle is built with the idea that someone will plug in their stove / water heater / cloths dryer once, and leave it plugged in until it needs to be replaced... not built for repeated plug / unplug cycles.

Keith
 
I think contributors are getting wound up in receptacle design and reliability in a way that is far beyond common use scenarios and actual specifications.

Is a 120V receptacle designed for 'people will be plugging in and unplugging things all the time'?

Not really.

All receptacles sold in the US need to meet UL specification 498. The common NEMA 5-15R, standard three blade 120V, meets 498. However, there are at least three flavors:

  • Standard Grade: What you buy as the lowest cost item at Home Depot. Still, the receptacle needs to pass 100 connect/disconnect cycles while 150% of the rated current is passing through the receptacle. A reasonable test from UL because connecting and disconnecting a cordset is infrequent in a home environment. That's it. 100 cycles. See [Link].

  • Hospital Grade (UL 498 Supplement SC): Identified by a green dot and simulates frequent make and break connections in a healthcare environment (plug in monitors, pumps, oximieters, etc., and then move to a new patient). These are characterized by additional mechanical and overload testing with testing limited to 150 cycles. Levitton has good pictures of test assemblies; IAEI has details on the tests.

  • Federal Spec WC596: Identified on the box as 'Federal Spec' or by 'FS-UL' or 'FS-CSA' on the metal mounting bracket (bow). Look closely at the left side of the lower mounting ear in the picture below. Tests for the Federal Specification are much more challenging mechanically. Nevertheless, the electrical contact tests do not go beyond 250 cycles, or 2.5x the Standard Grade.
Image


  • Every other grade in the store, such as 'Industrial Grade', 'Commercial Grade', 'Contractor Grade', etc. is a manufacturer's selection of applicable sections of the three UL and Federal Specification grades
So, the run-of-the-mill 120V plug was never tested to be constantly connected and disconnected.

What about a full-on NEMA 14-50R for an oven, or a 10-30R for a water heater?
  • Older receptacles such as the 10-30R may not have Federal Spec compliance to WC496. They will meet UL 498. So--They expect the same number of make-break cycles as the common 120V socket.

  • Newer receptacles like the 14-50R are common in both standard and Federal Specification grades. Again, equal to or better than the common 120V receptacle.

Summary: You cannot assume any socket is designed for more cycles without knowing the applicable standards.

And, as @ArizonaJon noted, there are categories that go way beyond the 120V home plug. Trailer park receptacle assemblies may also meet a more stringent UL Supplement SD, weather resistance. I would add Marine Shore Power receptacles covered by UL Supplement SB. These have special covers and locking mechanisms with unique NEMA locking receptacles. As an example, see the 50A 240V SS2-50R inlet:
Image


If you need to unplug 50A, 240V circuits on a daily basis (every time you leave the dock) with salt water splashing on the receptacle and deck hands often dropping shore cables into the water, get a Supplement SD connector and add it to your EVSE. It's extreme, but it's available.

Creating rituals around receptacles is probably meaningless over the limited periods that people own cars (five years of daily plug ins is only about 1,800 cycles). My feeling is a driver will get bored of dragging out a portable EVSE and plugging it in every day; the driver eventually leaves it connected or gets a permanent L2 well before any mechanical cycle limit for any family of receptacle will ever be reached.

If you are wiring it yourself, it pays to get the best receptacle specifications possible. The price difference is negligible.
 
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I have an adapter that converts NEMA 14-50P to a NEMA 6-20R.

28058


Then another adapter that converts NEMA 6-20P to a NEMA 5-20R.

28059



The OEM EVSE has a NEMA 5-15P. It stays plugged in 24x7. It draws very little power.

:)
 
I use the OEM EVSE with 110 V and 12 amps most of the time because my utility charges me a demand charge for the maximum hourly power consumption because I have solar panels. (No one else has to pay this.) This was just a way for them to recoup money that they weren't collecting for kWh. I installed a 240 V outlet and a ClipperCreek L2 EVSE before I got the panels, but I now can only use it during a sunny day or I get hit with a high fee. Even then, the utility limits the max power I can install, so I there are only a few hours per day that I can use it without going over. So, during the day, I often use the OEM EVSE in the 240 V outlet with adaptor.
 
A dash of dielectric grease is probably enough to lube up the blades of a plug. Its not like its a high speed or high pressure metal to metal situation going on there..
 

Note that this a 6-15 plug with two horizontal blades. So make sure that the adapter from the 14-50P ends in a 6-15/20R that has two horizontal blade sockets.

ga2500ev
Thanks for the correction. Yep, it's a 6-15P

6-15P
30115


6-20P
30116
 
That's correct. I've been running mine on 240 since 2017. 12x240 is nearly 3kW. So you almost get a bar an hour. I typically charge when the car hits 7 bars and set the car to stop at 18 bars. So takes about 12 hours to charge with the 12 amps on 240. Plug in before 8:00 PM, and the car will be charged by 8:00AM. Never bothered to get an aftermarket EVSE because the one that came with the car meets my needs just fine.
I just picked up my Premier today. I do have NEMA 14-50 outlet with a 50A breaker installed in my garage.
Is it really safe to plug in the stock portable charger that clearly states 120V on it, into 240V NEMA 14-50? Dealer knew nothing about it and I certainly don't want to burn the supplied charger. Thank you!
 
Keep in mind this is the internet speaking. :)
Yes it is. You need an adapter. You can make them or you can buy them. Yes the brick is only certified for 120V. Yes the adapter is non-code compliant. So it's all at your own risk.
But many people are doing this just fine. It was discovered a few years ago that these bricks are actually both 120 and 240 V.
 
I just picked up my Premier today. I do have NEMA 14-50 outlet with a 50A breaker installed in my garage.
Is it really safe to plug in the stock portable charger that clearly states 120V on it, into 240V NEMA 14-50? Dealer knew nothing about it and I certainly don't want to burn the supplied charger. Thank you!
I did this recently for my NEMA 10-50 outlet. It certainly is not “to code”, but the OEM EVSE is included with Volts and Bolts in countries with 230-240v standard home circuits and comes with appropriate plugs for those countries.

It is not unlike computers which sense 120 or 240 supply and adjust. At work, we have hundreds of servers in our data center which used 120v until we moved to a new location. We chose 240v power for all of them because they generate less heat on 240v.

All you are doing is putting 120v on the hot and neutral pins. The EVSE still only pulls 12A but the Bolt receives 2x 120v 12A feeds so double the kW.

Like a 100 watt bulb on a 1800 watt 15A circuit, the appliance pulls only what it is designed to pull. It is never an issue putting devices with lower loads an higher Amp circuits. The only risk is if the appliance isn’t capable of handling the higher voltage. The EVSE is designed to handle 240v.

Like any power cord, care must be taken to ensure solid connections. The RV world uses adapters all the time.


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Is it really safe to plug in the stock portable charger that clearly states 120V on it, into 240V NEMA 14-50? Dealer knew nothing about it and I certainly don't want to burn the supplied charger. Thank you!
Welcome to the forum. It's a big disappointment that GM doesn't provide anything official. Technically they can't with the standard plug that they chose. So the unit only states 120V on it. I still closed my eyes when I plugged it in. Initially I wanted to change out the cord and took the unit apart to do so. The cord is soldered to the printed circuit board. But clearly on the circuit board it was labeled L1 and L2. With suggestions from this forum, I aborted my attempt to replace the cord and just made an adapter with the correct connections. No modification to the EVSE was required. Just an adapter. I've actually got two of them and have them both plugged into 240V.
 
Welcome to the forum. It's a big disappointment that GM doesn't provide anything official. Technically they can't with the standard plug that they chose. So the unit only states 120V on it. I still closed my eyes when I plugged it in. Initially I wanted to change out the cord and took the unit apart to do so. The cord is soldered to the printed circuit board. But clearly on the circuit board it was labeled L1 and L2. With suggestions from this forum, I aborted my attempt to replace the cord and just made an adapter with the correct connections. No modification to the EVSE was required. Just an adapter. I've actually got two of them and have them both plugged into 240V.
Thank you very much! I did buy a welder's adapter 50CM(1.5FT) Nema 14-50P to 6-50R Heavy Duty # AWG8 STW 50 Amp Plug to 50 Amp (Welder) Socket Adapter Cable, Adapter Cord 50A Dryer 14-50P to Welder 6-50R 50A, Welding Adapter 6-50, 250V - - Amazon.com
It looks like it should do, right?
 
I did this recently for my NEMA 10-50 outlet. It certainly is not “to code”, but the OEM EVSE is included with Volts and Bolts in countries with 230-240v standard home circuits and comes with appropriate plugs for those countries.

It is not unlike computers which sense 120 or 240 supply and adjust. At work, we have hundreds of servers in our data center which used 120v until we moved to a new location. We chose 240v power for all of them because they generate less heat on 240v.

All you are doing is putting 120v on the hot and neutral pins. The EVSE still only pulls 12A but the Bolt receives 2x 120v 12A feeds so double the kW.

Like a 100 watt bulb on a 1800 watt 15A circuit, the appliance pulls only what it is designed to pull. It is never an issue putting devices with lower loads an higher Amp circuits. The only risk is if the appliance isn’t capable of handling the higher voltage. The EVSE is designed to handle 240v.

Like any power cord, care must be taken to ensure solid connections. The RV world uses adapters all the time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Many thanks! I wish they simply labeled the OEM EVSE using the usual "Input 120/240V, output..." whatever it is. :)
Sorry if this is redundant, but is it impossible to use the OEM EVSE at NEMA 14-50 and achieve 30A charge rate? Is it still limited to 2x12A? What charge rate in miles per charge hour will it result? Thank you all for your patience!
 
No. You still can't plug the OEM EVSE into that.


Many thanks! I wish they simply labeled the OEM EVSE using the usual "Input 120/240V, output..." whatever it is. :)
Sorry if this is redundant, but is it impossible to use the OEM EVSE at NEMA 14-50 and achieve 30A charge rate? Is it still limited to 2x12A? What charge rate in miles per charge hour will it result? Thank you all for your patience!
I wish they did as well. Then I would feel better about it.
No the "charge rate" doubles from the unaltered 120 (when 12A is selected).
The OEM EVSE defines the charge rate first. Then the car itself defines the final "charge rate".
 
Despite the similarity, that is not a 120v outlet on that adapter. It's a Nema 6-50r, which is similar but much larger than a household 5-15r.

The OEM EVSE with the Bolt is 12 amps, regardless of the voltage. You might consider just getting a 32 amp 240v EVSE that has the appropriate 14-50p plug on it if getting the full 7kW charge is going to be beneficial to you.
 
Is it really safe to plug in the stock portable charger that clearly states 120V on it, into 240V NEMA 14-50?
As XJ12 mentioned, if you don't believe it, take the EVSE apart and look at the circuit board. It is designed to run on 120v or 240v. I took mine apart, not because I didn't believe it, but because I'm goofy and just like to see what's inside. Sure enough, Clipper Creek guts and designed for either voltage. Been running it at 240v for months.
 
Many thanks! I wish they simply labeled the OEM EVSE using the usual "Input 120/240V, output..." whatever it is. :)
Sorry if this is redundant, but is it impossible to use the OEM EVSE at NEMA 14-50 and achieve 30A charge rate? Is it still limited to 2x12A? What charge rate in miles per charge hour will it result? Thank you all for your patience!
No, the OEM cord is limited to 12A. So, even if you could plug in to a 100A circuit, you would still only get 12A. But, because it is 240V instead if 120, you get 2x kW charging speeds.

240V * 12A = 2.88 kW. If you average 4 mi/kWh (Bolt EPA rating), you are getting about 12 miles per hour (2.88 * 4).

If you need more range, your only option is to buy faster charging equipment. Bolt can take up to 32A (7.7 kW) which will add around 30 mi/hr. 32A units require 40A or better circuits to operate safely.
 
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