Thanks for video! Immediately went to my outlet, sure enough my leviton was melted! Started searching for Hubbell bryant then decided to just hardwire it with metal box 3/4 in pvc setup. I have 2 other separate 240v outlets will make those industrial if u use them for chargers. Glad you're alive and you may have saved my life! Thanks for sharing.

Thanks a lot! I'm about to get a Tesla Model Y and your tip might have just saved my house from catching fire. Can't believe I didn't think of that, especially as an architect. Really appreciate it! 😄

I had a NEMA 14-50 plug recently installed in my garage to charge my Model Y. Three things: (1) I insisted on a commercial grade Hubbell 14-50 receptacle. They are expensive - but they are high quality and are actually called out by name in the Tesla installation guidelines. (2) I have a metal plate installed around the receptacle - not plastic like the one that charred and melted in your incident. (3) I leave the mobile connector plugged in ALL the time - I never unplug it. I would highly recommend that you buy a 2nd mobile connector and use it exclusively for road trips and leave your garage mobile connector permanently in the receptacle.

@BeardedTeslaGuy

11 ай бұрын

I have extra mobile connector that stays in each car permanently. It was a good tip a few years ago and glad I went that route.

@NO_OPEC_NO_PROBLEM

8 ай бұрын

Great advice, I’m getting my NEMA 14-50 removed and hardwiring in my CharePoint Flex. Not worth garage fire hazard.

@Reck1025

6 ай бұрын

@@BeardedTeslaGuy So your leviton outlet failed even though you didn't unplug your charger very often? That's scary!

@SSPsGoku1

2 ай бұрын

I also went the extra mobile connector route. You never know when you might forget it. I know it's ironic to recommend this on a safety minded video, but for emergencies I also carry a 25ft heavy duty 110v extension cable. I'm careful with where the cable is laying and reduce the amperage that the car is drawing if I were to use it, but it's really helpful for cabin trips to rural areas where you might be parked for a day or two and can trickle charge back up. It would also be helpful if there was ever some kind of weird emergency with the supercharger network while traveling. 110 is everywhere, but not always in range of a parking spot. To the video OP, I've always hated the 14-50 plug. It's chunky and difficult to grab without feeling like you're getting your fingers way too close. I wish a handle was standard with those plugs.

@tedmoss

2 ай бұрын

@@Reck1025 No, its inevitable.

Yeah, my electrician guy used the LEVITON one, too. I have the BRYANT recepticle in my garage but never did the swap. I think I have to now. Thank you BTG, and I wish you and your family all the best.

@BeardedTeslaGuy

11 ай бұрын

get on it! I am glad I am here to tell the tale, and to get other people educated so it doesn't happen to them!

Sorry to hear about what happened. Glad you and your family are safe and that you weren’t seriously injured I had an electrician install a 6-20 for me. I’m going to check mine as well just in case even though it doesn’t have as much power as the 14-50. Thanks for this.

@BeardedTeslaGuy

11 ай бұрын

yea, worth looking into what you have and if its a good option or not

I have a similar set up and had an event with a Tesla that was using our charger (the Tesla draws more amps) vs the Chevy Bolt that we had at the time. No fire or sparks but I could smell that something was not right and shut the circuit down and let it sit until I had a professional look over my system. The weak link in my installation were the DIY connections. To fix this set up each connection was checked and tightened and un tightened 3x to make sure that the braided wires conformed to the anchors properly. Sooo... you don't just torque it once and think that it is good! Back if off and retighten three times. It may be different with a solid copper wire but I thought this was important to share. I will replace my outlets with the better ones. Thanks and glad you and the family are safe!

You’re very lucky; Glad that you, your family & home are okay … Thanks for posting & sharing this information with us! …

@BeardedTeslaGuy

10 ай бұрын

cheers

😮 Oh wow! So glad to hear you are ok and thank you for sharing with us.

@BeardedTeslaGuy

11 ай бұрын

for sure

Glad to see you are ok, and thank you for the information. Checking my 14-50 right away.

@BeardedTeslaGuy

11 ай бұрын

happy to be here to share the warning with others!

Hey TBG, glad you're okay. I'm sorry this happened to you and thank you for sharing your experienced. I'm going to get an extra mobile charger to keep in the sub trunk and leave the other plugged in for now. I was unplugging it from time to time. It's also a Leviton but will switch it to the wall charger in time. Take care brother and a big hug to your family...

@BeardedTeslaGuy

9 ай бұрын

Best of luck!

So glad you are ok and sharing the danger of high current EV charing with home use outlet.

What a great video. Thank you for putting this on here. This will really help many people who currently have these outlets in their garages or those who want to get one.

@BeardedTeslaGuy

11 ай бұрын

I sure hope it saves someone from what could have been a terrible moment for my family.

Similar thing happened to me. In my case, cheap plug and loose clamp eventually shorted. Using contact fluid like Deoxit is also highly recommended. Finally, check your torque on the screws every 6 months. The heat-cold expansion works it loose too. Best quality like Hubble and Bryant are a must. House fire vs. a few bucks for a better plug is a no-brainer.

BTG, thanks for this info, as a new Y owner this is great to know, i was very thorough during our purchase and this was never mentioned by anyone i spoke to. Ill be sure to pass it on. 👊🏼💯Y

@tedmoss

2 ай бұрын

You could read the manual.

This happened to me, went with a Hubble because it was recommended. Have had no issues since. I also followed your video about adding the NEMA 14-50 to a Wall Charger which I now have setup. Thanks for all your great content!

@BeardedTeslaGuy

11 ай бұрын

Good to hear!

@NO_OPEC_NO_PROBLEM

8 ай бұрын

When you had your meld-down was the ambient temperature super hot?

@TheJediRevan

8 ай бұрын

@@NO_OPEC_NO_PROBLEM no, it was January.

Glad you found it before it got worse. Munro Live has an excellent video on the topic. I have had my 14-50 for 8 years now charging 2 EV's without issues. Have a 35 foot cable run from the sub-panel and 110 foot run from the main panel. The 50 amp run in the garage is in flexible metal conduit and runs through the wall into an Eaton metal external box. Was installed by an electrician who did my solar installation and I have only unplugged it once to take photos. It's also recommended to unwind the cable to avoid heat buildup. My wife had not done this with her Kia EV6 and the cable was very flexible hot after 7 hours of 32 amp draw. Since then I instructed her to park so that the cable is fully unwound and no longer have heat problems in the cable.

@BeardedTeslaGuy

11 ай бұрын

yea, there's a lot of good practices out there to share

I installed mine. KZread was my friend. I leave mine plugged in and it’s been 2 years. I also installed one in my brother in law’s garage and it’s almost a year. I use the same Leviton but metal cover plate. Been working flawless.

Glad you're okay! This happened to our first home with a cheap plug I found on amazon but with many cycles since I disconnected and reconnected the mobile charger. Luckily the house didn't catch on fire. I don't think we used a Hubbell or Bryant for our new one but I only unplugged it once due to this reason.

@BeardedTeslaGuy

11 ай бұрын

glad it worked out ok for you too

Glad you are doing ok and nothing else is damaged and avoided getting zapped or worse. Another thing to mention is that plugs from the big box stores are not designed to handle the long continuous higher amp/voltages. There might be other differences inside the plug that you can see unless you tear them apart. Might want to check the number of unplugs the outlet allows and start counting the times it's unplugged/plugged and replace when you get close to the magic number. Recommend checking out State of Charge as he has a video talking about these plugs.

@tedmoss

2 ай бұрын

I checked the various plugs, and they are fine for the job that they were intended for assuming they are properly installed, just not for continuous charging. Just direct wire and eliminate a failure point.

Man, thank God you’re all ok!! 🙏 Lesson for everyone. I also had a pro install mine in the garage, and it’s an all metal box - no plastic cover. I plugged in my included mobile connector the day I brought my Tesla home and haven’t removed it since. Only because I had routed the Tesla plug neatly behind some storage cabinets and didn’t want to move it again. (Bought another mobile connector for the car)

@BeardedTeslaGuy

11 ай бұрын

yea, me too. Plugging in once and leaving it is ideal of course, but make sure you check on it every once in a while to be sure it's still in top shape.

@nvptx

10 ай бұрын

Bay a tesla wall connector for 475$ from tesla and run direct wires 6/3 with a 60amp breaker from the main to the garage . Don’t be cheap spend the extra money

@tracynation2820

7 ай бұрын

#6/3g COPPER is a 50 amp breaker. 60 amps is at least #5 or probably #4/3g, because I have never seen #5 gauge wire before. 💙 T.E.N.

@tedmoss

2 ай бұрын

@@BeardedTeslaGuy What is ideal, is not having a plug in the first place, the best part is no part.

@tedmoss

2 ай бұрын

@@nvptx If you run any length of wire, use #4, check your requirements, consider if you need more power in the future as well.

Thanks for the great writeup in the description!

@BeardedTeslaGuy

7 ай бұрын

My pleasure!

Wow, thank God you were not seriously injured! My first 14-50 outlet overheated and the Tesla charging system reduced the rate of charging from the Tesla mobile charger. Soon, it failed completely, and I replaced it with a higher duty cycle outlet. I did not plug and unplug the mobile charger to take with me for mobile use, the failure occurred with occassional use (weekly) about 3 months after I started using it. The first one was professionally installed, but it was purchased at a Big Box store for $10. I replaced it myself using a higher quality ($75) 14-50 outlet. I know enough about AC to do the work myself safely. I have not had any overheating or failures on this new outlet for the past 7 months.

@BeardedTeslaGuy

11 ай бұрын

I am very glad to still be here to share so no one else has this happen to them

@dariobolanos8312

9 ай бұрын

what brand 14-50 did you go with ? (the second time) the one that was around $75 ?

I have an extension cord plugged into my receptacle and we plug and unplug our charge cord from the extension rather than the receptacle. There is a handle on the cord which helps unplugging. It was a bit of a fluke that we needed the cord - but now I am glad we did. We have only unplugged from the receptacle once. But we take our charge cord on longer trips just in case so it has been unplugged about 10x

you lucky you still breathing Brother..God bless you..Thanks for heads up

@BeardedTeslaGuy

8 ай бұрын

For sure

Thanks for all the great tips. Glad to know you and your family are safe. Would it be advisable to just purchase the 14-50 piece that snaps into the charging base? Or do you recommend just buying a whole new mobile charger?

Thanks for sharing. Im sure you are saving lives with this message.

@BeardedTeslaGuy

10 ай бұрын

cheers

Same thing happened to me. I initially cheaped out and installed the Leviton 14-50 receptacle and used the included mobile charger for both home and work meaning I had to unplug the receptacle every day. The car actually warned me first by sending a message through the app of a high charging temperature detected which subsequently reduced the vehicle's charging speed. The receptacle was really hot. A quick internet search lead me to the Hubbell receptacle. It's noticeably heavier than the Leviton and I haven't had the issue since. It's surprising your electrician wouldn't have known that about your install. Great channel btw!

@BeardedTeslaGuy

6 ай бұрын

yea, that sounds about right

@dubmob151

Ай бұрын

Is there anything in the procedure for connecting and disconnecting that plug that prevents hot switching? If there is any ability for intelligent switching sequencing, there should be no current draw at all at the time the plug is connected and disconnected. It's like unplugging or plugging in a hair dryer while the switch is on vs having the switch off. The instant the plug makes contact, if there's a big current surge, the heat generated is very high at the contact point because the resistance is high. Power is resistance times the current, and that high heat from the power will degrade the contacts. Did the power supply equipment have any way to be turned off prior to connection or disconnection?

This is great information. Glad you’re ok some serious burns.

@BeardedTeslaGuy

11 ай бұрын

Me too!

My feeling is that whenever you buy anything, be it a shaving razor, a car, or an electrical outlet, you should consider that it will have a limited life expectancy, which will vary by the wear applied to it. It's well known that plugs receive the most wear when plugging in and unplugging, so my solution is to not unplug unless necessary, such as when we take a long trip to visit relatives. I have a NEMA 1450 that I use to charge my Tesla. I don't remember what brand and can't find out because that requires unplugging, and I knew before installing it that I wouldn't want to be doing that. I don't like leaving the mobile charger connected when not in use because it uses enough power on its own to stay warm, so I put a 60 amp switch between it and the breaker. I've had that set up for over a year now, and the only time it gets warm is when charging. My plan was that if it ever gets hot I'll replace it, but that hasn't happened yet. I know that it will happen someday, no matter what brand I have.

Wow that’s incredible, glad you didn’t get a worse shock. It looks like the melting is around the ground pin I wonder if there was a short, there shouldn’t be much if any power going to ground under normal operation

@chrisgasmith

11 ай бұрын

Ha I commented too early, yeah you noticed it too

Good info! I'm curious about two things you didn't cover though. One is how your main breaker tripped before the dedicated 50A breaker: seems like the 50A breaker is not doing it's job. Second, you showed a burned finger: how was there enough current while plugging in or unplugging to cause that type of burn? Unless you unplugged it while the car was charging, there should be minimal current being drawn when you first plug it in (i.e. while your hand is on it).

“Catastrophic” is really the only word that could describe what could have happened. Everyday onwards is a blessing. 😇

@BeardedTeslaGuy

11 ай бұрын

agreed 100%

Thank you for this important information. HEY YOU, COMMENT READER: Watch this video. I am a 3 year Mach E owner, frequently plug/unplugging the portable charger, and my NEMA plug looks even more janky than the one you had. Getting that corrected immediately. Thank you, again.

Sure enough, Leviton here. Glad the UWC arrived the other day. We just need to get it installed so we can replace this.

We had a Nema 14-50 put in with industrial setup by an electrician that does USC Medical hospitals in all of southern CA. We are using a 200 amp panel and a 40 amp breaker and only using a 30 or 32 amp output. 10 to 12 hours is OK with us. We don't drive less than 40% so we are good. Temp stays down and batteries don't get abused by heat which kills a Tesla if fast charged only. We also don't charge much over 90 to 95% so regen doesn't abuse the full batteries every time we drive.

I’m glad you are ok.

@BeardedTeslaGuy

11 ай бұрын

me too!

Leviton meets UL specs. Rv’s use this plug. In and out all the time. Don’t unplug or plugin under load. It looks to be bad connection in the box. Installer didn’t torque the connection well. It happens. You could always check the connection every few yrs. Been hooking these up for 36yrs.

Thank God no major disaster. I had a Leviton outlet that stopped working after 4 years. It didn't burn like yours but resulted in slow charged\. I replaced it with a Bryant. Those Levitons are crap but electricians still use them.

@BeardedTeslaGuy

5 ай бұрын

They are perfectly fine for what their intended use is, but not at all for this application. Unfortunately thats not a widely understood or known by most

Awesome video man. Especially for new Tesla buyer !

@BeardedTeslaGuy

6 ай бұрын

Cheers

We had two of these plugs that we replaced when they got hot to the touch. The car would reduce the power draw when that happened. After the second time, we replaced with a Hubble industrial grade unit. No issues since.

You are so right. Tesla Vision socks! I trust the warnings on my 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid.

Had ours replaced as it failed so electrician hard wired charger to panel. Excellent psa thank you

I had an electrician install an outlet to plug a charging station into. It has worked well. When I looked at it I could see it was an industrial outlet. I have unplugged it maybe two or three times. It is very hard to plug in and unplug. Quite solid.

@BeardedTeslaGuy

11 ай бұрын

it should feel stiff to plug into thats a good sign

I have the Leviton 14-30 outlet in the garage for my tesla. I use the mobile charger and don’t really ever disconnect it. I also have a metal box and faceplate, I will take apart and look inside next time I unplug it. Thanks for the heads up on this potential issue! ✌️

@BeardedTeslaGuy

11 ай бұрын

check it and consider replacing with a heavy duty one

@JeanPierreWhite

11 ай бұрын

The good news is that at 30 amps the risk is reduced vs 50 amps. Leviton do make commercial grade stuff as well so it's not a bad brand, its using residential grade for a heavy duty application that the issue. Determine if yours is residential grade or commercial grade, there should be a part number on it. If it 10 years old or more replace anyway.

@david100483

11 ай бұрын

@@JeanPierreWhite it’s most likely a home grade one. The outlet was used for a clothes dryer and is original to the house, which is now a bit over 14 years old…so I guess this settles it lol. Thanks!

Same exact thing happened to me. I had a Levitron plug working fine but then i ran into a problem with my charger. I had to take the charger into the basement for repair and then brought it into the garage to test it (which caused me to plug and un-plug it many times). This is when it failed. The issue with the Levitron is that the springs on the Hot leads start weakening and this leads to a loose connection on the hot wires. Arcing will occur which cause the plug to fail. Luckily i smelt burning and caught it early before more damage was done. I wound up buying the Hubbell. I now also unplug my 14-50 outlet and clean the connectors with steel wool as well as DeOxit every six months just to be safe. I'm glad to see you torqued your connection. This is very important step during installation that a lot of people don't do and just guess at the torque. thanks for sharing your experience.

@tedmoss

2 ай бұрын

By experience over many years, it is not necessary to scrub the connectors with steel wool, even DeOxit probably is not necessary, however, there are permanent compounds that are very effective, electrically conductive grease.

@carolan066

2 ай бұрын

@@tedmoss interesting - what type (brand) of conductive grease do you recommend?

I had a similar failure and I'd only ever plugged in my charger once the day it was installed, and had left it plugged in. About 3 months later it failed exactly like yours. At my new house I had a hard wired charger installed instead, and the electrician who installed it mentioned they won't do 14-50 any more because of the risk.

How often are you unplugging and plugging in your charger? Just wondering an estimated number of cycles before it failed? I've been home charging now at 32amps for 9 months. Maybe I should check the tightness of the lugs holding the wire. I did wiggle and re-tighten on the initial installation.

If you were going to add the extension you would have been much better of leaving a single U shaped loop on each wire. This ensures there is no undue tension on the cable after you secure it down. In Australia we have much better designs for high amperage plugs. There's usually an outer retaining plastic screw bezel which locks the connector to a corresponding thread on the socket and they are nearly all switched. We only have single phase 230VAC and three phase 400VAC so no split phase sockets like the US which seem designed to kill you.

Ugh,.. need to check the wiring on my OLD 10-30 wall outlet. Just got an EV and did quite a lot ot jigggling with it for the first few days until I got a "y-splitter" (which the mfg for some reason suggests not using, maybe worried that user will run two devices at once!). Now there's no fiddling about with the rickety feeling old wall outlet, both dryer and car charger are plugged in, and any (rare) unplugging is done remote from the wall, with hands able to grip both sides of the connection. Definitely now need to inspect for any damage the initial jiggery-pokery might have caused behind the outlet! Thanks for the heads up!

What size wire (copper or aluminum) and breaker is feeding that panel in your garage? Seems like smaller feeder wire at the mechanical lugs, is it a sub panel? Also what size wire is feeding your 60 amp charger? I would recommend hard wiring your charger and delete the receptacle which is not rated for the 48 amp output that the 60 amp breaker setup typically gives you especially over a longer period of charging thus adding additional heat. You’re really pushing that receptacle to its limits. I typically install the 14-50 on a 40 amp output with a 50 amp breaker setup. Glad you weren’t harmed. Thanks for the useful content on the cycle ratings for that receptacle. Cool find.

The big difference is the Hubbells have a type clamp for the wires instead of a screw . This is usually where the heat is generated.

Hi thanks for a great video would you mind pointing me to the box extender that you used on Amazon ? I am in process of replacing my outlet and now my box is not large enough thanks

so like the tesla mobile charger 14-50 can you keep the plug in and have breaker off and just pull from the mobile connector side?

This happens to U/L rated connectors when the pinching bolt was fastened at below rated torque. Do follow manufacturer specifications. My internet search for NEMA14-50 indicates to use 75in-lb or 8.5Nm.

… re o unplugging it while the car was drawing power? Or, did you unplug from the car first, like the manual says to do?

would a Y splitter or an extension cable work on a Leviton? the extension/splitter will remain plugged in at all times, while the mobile connector will be plugged in and out a few times a week.

I used to be an advocate of using NEMA 14-50 outlets and a mobile charger or a plugin wall mounted EVSE. But, after a couple melted connectors, it just seems too easy for electricians to cut corners or simply not understand the needs of EVs. So, like Tom's recommendation on State of Charge, I now advocate hardwiring an EVSE if possible. Nearly all wall units have a hardwire option. If you need to use a 240v outlet, leave the EVSE plugged in at all times - plugging in and out of the outlet will ware down all but the most industrial outlets - which can lead to a short or fire. You also run the risk of moisture ingress if your outlet is anywhere it might get exposed to weather (near garage door). With a plugged in EVSE, I recommend inspecting the terminals and outlet every few months to make sure it is still safe. Of course, all this is avoided if you just hardwire with appropriate gauge wiring.

I’m glad you are ok

@BeardedTeslaGuy

11 ай бұрын

me too

Hardwired my Tesla Wall Connector…the $90 plug was the reason I decided to go with the Wall Connector over the Portable Connector. Plug is only rated for 50A was another motivating factor while the Wall Connector requires a 60A breaker to run at full 48A output.

@BeardedTeslaGuy

11 ай бұрын

its really not much difference in cost in the end. In some situations that make 14-50 more practical, there are some things to look out for and I hope this directs those people in the right direction

@GROGU123

11 ай бұрын

Actually in most states now if they follow 2020 or newer NEC electrical codes, you're required to install a GFCI breaker in your panel for a 14-50 outlet in your garage. Those breakers are like $120-$200, combined with the $90 9450 Hubbel plug, you're halfway to a dedicated wall charger with a standard $18 breaker. Alot of EV chargers also don't like GFCI breakers as well.

Be aware when you switch the outlets out the cover needs to have a bigger diameter hole compared to the standard 14-50's. You have to get a Hubbell specific cover plate.

@whattheschmidt

11 ай бұрын

Extension faceplate (I bought the Hubbell 888 Raco Raised Square Exposed Work Cover to go with the Hubbell Raco 8257) works great since these industrial outlets are much deeper too.

@BeardedTeslaGuy

11 ай бұрын

Yep, good tip

HAVE TWO CAR GARAGE WITH SHOP. INSTALLED 50 AMP THREE FOOT WELDING PLUG ONTO TESLA WALL CHARGER. USED 50 AMP EXTINCTION CORD AND PLUGGED INTO SPARE WELDING OUTLET. WORKED GREAT FOR 5 YEARS. WILL BE CHARGING MODEL 3 AND CYBER TRUCK.

Purchase a Hubbell 14-50R Receptacle (HBL9450A). It’s rated for more insertion cycles, so the contact surfaces are made of better material and gave more contact. They typically also have better wire connectors.

@BeardedTeslaGuy

11 ай бұрын

yep, links are in the description

Stranded cables can squish and get looser during installation. The Excellent Laborer says to wiggle the wires and re-torque the screws, repeat 3 or 4 times, so that they stay tight. You might want to go do that if you haven't!

would just using an extension cord fix this issue aswell? cause you wont be plugging in and out of the socket just the extension cord

Thanks for your video, I have watched a few of these videos recommending using an industrial grade 14-50 plug like Hubbel/ Byrant. I am curious to know what type of breaker is in your panel box that tripped, a regular breaker, an ARC fault breaker or and ARC fault/GFI breaker?

@alishatruman

10 ай бұрын

Probably not an arc fault considering a 50amp is like 500usd. Right? Definitely would suggest one!

Your advice to hand an electrician the Bryant or Hubbell outlet is spot on. EV's are new and very few are aware of the risks. They have installed hundreds of dryer outlets and never had an issue. Until now......

@BeardedTeslaGuy

11 ай бұрын

yep, it will take some time for the entire industry to catch up.

@tedmoss

2 ай бұрын

But all under rated plugs will fail eventually. Just direct wire and eliminate the problem.

It would be interesting to know how the contacts on the outlet are manufactured. Even if the outside of the two new plugs look similar or even identical the contacts inside maybe of different quality and design. Probably not but something to think about

I have NEMA 10--30 with LEVITON which has not been used over 20 years. Now I'm trying to use for my Tesla Model Y. Can this happen to NEMA 10-30 as well?

wish I saw this video yesterday, just had the wall connector installed by an electrician...they installed a 50 amp breaker but covered it up with drywall so can't look at to check.

I’ve had a Tesla Mobile Charger plugged into my 14-50 (Hubble) in my garage for two years straight, has worked great, never have unplugged it. We do turn off the breaker when we travel, but…not sure why you’d ever need to unplug it? I guess the Leviton is not as heavy duty and not meant for so many unplugs, but again, just leave it plugged in?

Did you set up your charger for 50amp or just plug it in and send it? This sounds like user error to me

Above all, glad that you're ok! I'm staying away from the NEMA 14-50 & much prefer the hard-wired Gen 3 Wall Connector (Charges 50% faster too)

@BeardedTeslaGuy

11 ай бұрын

yea, where possible, just go the wall connector route.

Good choice, i recently installed a charging outlet for our Tesla. Did a few research, purchased the Bryant 14-50A outlet. By code and because it's not hardwire, need to install a 50A GFCI breaker. Identify if your electrical panel is a Homeline vs QO Breaker or Breaker Panel.

@oldrango883

17 сағат бұрын

Not hardwire? What does that mean?

@kranwa15

15 сағат бұрын

@@oldrango883 its having a plug-in outlet (outdoor or indoor) vs no outlet (hardwired). Tesla sells 2 types charging with cable. Fyi, a 50 amp GFCI breaker is expensive.

Can you provide a link to the weather proof box you got? I would like to do the same thing for a extra line of security for my child. Thanks in advance.

You point out the plastic looks the same but it is the internal metal contacts which is the important design. More metal more firm connection makes the outlet better. Also note the burnt outlet used a screw tip not hex bit. Could you get 75 inch lb with a screwdriver? The ground should also never be carrying current. Note the smaller wire size and if this happened while you were plugging in shows the car was drawing power at the time another error.

I’ve installed the Bryant and receiving 0 problems. I also use a 6 gauge industrial wire which deff helps. But since you torque the outlet don’t forget to torque your breaker switch as well !

@oldrango883

17 сағат бұрын

What’s the difference between industrial wire vs residential wire 😂

I see the issue - you have your faceplate screws aligned horizontally. They need to be aligned vertically ;) I replaced my Leviton with a Bryant, and also had to replace the box - the Bryant is much deeper (I used a metal box).

This was very scary, and I’m very happy that you only had a minor injury, it could have been so much worse. When I had my level 2 charger installed, by a pro, I was told to LEAVE THE PLUG ALONE. Once installed, I have never touched the plug. I have a ChargePoint unit. After watching what happened to you, you can be sure that I will NEVER unplug that bad boy.

@doomsday9973

11 ай бұрын

You can unplug it if need be but if you do it’s best to just kill the power to it first

@MarvKirsch

11 ай бұрын

@@doomsday9973 good point, but there is really no need to unplug it. I thought about having it hardwired, but the electrician advised against it. “What if the unit goes bad?” Very easy to unplug, put in new unit and plug in, but if hardwired you need to bring a Pro in…hence the plug.

@doomsday9973

11 ай бұрын

@@MarvKirsch very true. I unplugged mine once in 2 years to reboot it but I honestly should have just flipped the breaker

@BeardedTeslaGuy

11 ай бұрын

Yea, these things aren't made for repeated use like that unfortunately

Hubble/Bryant plugs are much deeper than standard plugs as you found out. Hubble makes metal J boxes that are designed specifically for these deeper plugs. The diameter of the nylon portion of the plug is also larger than cheaper 14-50 plugs, and Hubble sells a metal faceplate specifically for these larger plugs. It is recommended to install 14-50 plugs being used in EV charging installs inside metal j boxes with metal faceplates to help contain the fire/melting potential in the event of a failure. I would recommend you do that, especially since you have the box mounted below your panel, and as you saw in your previous install, the fire can burn right up through the plastic j-box/faceplate and straight to your main panel.

@BeardedTeslaGuy

11 ай бұрын

good tips, thanks for sharing.

the Bryant model is cheaper at Grainger by $10.00 and I'd rather support this American company (local to me) anyway. Just saying, I had a Leviton and I'm changing it out thanks to you. Watched several of your video's. Thanks for sharing.

Is this a problem even for slow charging option instead 14-50? Like 5-15

For extra safety it won't look beautiful but look at getting a receptacle safety switch. It is interlocked so you can only insert and remove the plug when power is disconnected. I'm an electrical engineer so this was helpful, as a profession we will need to be dillegent on how we specify these products. contractors unless required will use the cheapest product. I am imagine th3 NEC will catch up eventually especially since the manufacturers can make more money if these products are required

@BeardedTeslaGuy

11 ай бұрын

interesting, thanks for sharing.

Thanks for this advice. Going to replace my Leviton today, since it won't allow full 32A sometimes to our Tesla, which says that outlet temp is too high and lowers charging to 16A or even lower. Bought Bryant outlet and in the installation instructions on the bottom is says "Bryant - A subsidiary of Hubbel" - so they're very much related ;)

@BeardedTeslaGuy

10 ай бұрын

Glad it helped

I have the 14-30 variant (Dryer plug as some call it). I bought extra mobile charger when I bought my M3 in 2021. It stays connected to wall, the original one stays in car. jus so i do get a ton of plug wear like that. scary. Glad everyone is safe. (At least as I'm 1 min in the video they are at least. Fingers crossed).

The amount of insulation stripped from the wire needs to be the appropriate length. As you tighten the holding screws, work the wires so that the strands compact. Repeat until tight. Form the wires so that the is no stress on them or tight bends that might cause a hotspot. Inspect your work before covering.

Hi sir, can you please share the link for the waterproof door link?

Thankfully when I bought my Tesla a few months back I went and bought the Bryant plug myself before having an electrician install it. Never let them get it for you. Also the plated finish like that is if you get it install on the outside of your drywall rather than inside (told by an electrician)

@BeardedTeslaGuy

11 ай бұрын

interesting, thanks for sharing that...dont know what application you'd have the backplate exposed, but ok haha

@Shenee0

11 ай бұрын

⁠@@BeardedTeslaGuytotally agree with that lol

Glad you, your family, and home are okay but I do want to mention the wall connector isn’t meant to be used with a pigtail. Since it wasn’t installed per the manufacturer directions (hardwired) it actually voids the UL safety listing. Same as if you mounted on the floor and it flooded, the instructions state to mount so many feet high, so the UL safety listing would be void. I see you had it limited to 32A which is great and hopefully with the higher quality 14-50 you won’t have any issues, but for others reading, PLEASE hardwire and torque to spec or have a licensed electrician do so

Leviton under $20.00 Hubble $100.00 Your electrician should not have even installed the Leviton at all for the purpose of prolonged charging times. I have a feeling that he was just trying to maximize his personal profits on your job.

@BeardedTeslaGuy

11 ай бұрын

I really think he just didn't know. I didn't look after the fact and never paid attention.

Just replace it with an L-1450 twist lock receptacle and male plug end, you’ll be good with that, appears to be an arcing situation, wether it was a loose ground, or loose jaws in the ground pole in the receptacle from overuse (doubtful). Leviton is fine, hubbell/Bryant are the same company, and do make a more robust device, and pass and seymour is fine as well, just use a twist lock my friend. Doesn’t matter how shiny the steel is or the appearance of the nylon etc, most important is to keep the terminations screws in the devices torqued tightly.

@BeardedTeslaGuy

11 ай бұрын

I think most people would be surprised how tight 75 in/lbs is, and most probably are not torqued properly

A lot of times this happens cuz the contact screws are not torqued enough, causing slight arcing. That arcing over several hours of charging builds heat until it bursts into flames.

@BeardedTeslaGuy

11 ай бұрын

It absolutely could have been me not torquing the terminals properly

Funny enough I watched this months ago, it was on my todo list, I didn’t get to it, and I’m pretty this lead to an internal power surge that melted the pullout switch at my air handler. I can’t prove it but the timing would make sense between using the outlet and the AC going out due to an internal power surge.

that's scary. thank you for sharing

@BeardedTeslaGuy

11 ай бұрын

yes it was, and I am glad to be here to share the story.

The two hot wires are 180 degrees out of phase, thus cancel each other, should not have current in the ground wire or neutral for a balanced load. Somehow you had a short to ground, panel breaker didn't react to it or didn't trip fast enough. 2-pole ground fault circuit breaker should be able to protect your wiring/garage in the future.

I actually used a cheep levaton 14-50 for years to charger my tesla. Plus I used a gen 1 tesla charger so I actually charged at 40amps. I never had a problem I think because almost never unplugged my charger. Plus I made sure the wire in the back were torque to spec. Most important thing with there high power 240volt 8,000+watt outlets is first make sure the wires are torque to spec and recheck them ever year. 2nd make sure that it’s tight when you plug it in. If it’s loose then you need a new outlet. Try to avoid unplugging and plugging it in a lot.

@BeardedTeslaGuy

11 ай бұрын

Torque leads is critical for safe use.

Use a Hubbell 14-50 or Briant. Leveton does have a 14-50 that is OK but it will not be at a local hardware store I saw a good Leveton at a Tesla showroom. If you look carefully at the cheep bigbox outlet the contacts inside they are less than 1/2 of the contact area than the good one. Also if you take the good one apart you will see an additional spring clamp to hold the contacts together so better power transfer and will not overheat. Monroe had a episode on the same problem.

@BeardedTeslaGuy

10 ай бұрын

Yep, just upgraded to the Bryant

I have Hubble Bell 14-50. Why would you unplug that many times to make it loose. I plugged my mobile connector in once and just left it there and all good for nine months.

I don't plug and unplug my testa but I've gone through 2 Levitons. Luckily, the charger stops as it starts to overheat. They suck. Just ordered a Hubbell.

Good work brother

@BeardedTeslaGuy

11 ай бұрын

cheers

Never use a 240v circuit on a plug/unplug basis. Glad you learned this.

@BeardedTeslaGuy

10 ай бұрын

I test a lot of charging equipment which is the only reason I have this setup

@sgonnason9120

5 ай бұрын

That is the same plug on large RV. They get plugged in all the time. A lot have a grab handle. Hard wire in a metal box with disconnect.