220V dryer socket

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Rat

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Apr 25, 2010
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My $3500 AV quote is too high. The main reason for that is the 100 ft. wire/conduit run through the attic from my main panel. But I have an unused 220V clothes dryer socket already in the garage. It's not on the wall I would like, but I am willing to use that side if it saves big bucks. All this talk about AV, Blink and Leviton has my head spinning. Does anyone have a clear answer as to whether an existing 220V socket (from some time in the 1950's or 1960s, probably) can be used with any Lev. 2 EVSE? If it makes a difference, the existing wiring is Romex, not in a conduit. I don't know what current code is or whether a permit is needed for all of the EVSE's. I don't care whether I can get maximum current through it, as my alternative is Lev. 1 only. Is this something only an electrician can determine for sure? I understand they would all need to modify the socket itself to put in the hard-wired portion, so my question really goes to the wiring, I suppose, i.e. avoiding the 100' conduit run.
 
yes, most dryers are 30A 240V, so you might just need to change the outlet to a 6-30R,
you can use the middle of the road Leviton (draws up to 24AMPs from the 30A circuit)

You will be able to plug in the Leviton there, or you can "extend" that circuit from that point to wherever you need it, with a piece of 10-2 romex, or a conduit.

The 2011 Leaf is only comming with a 3.3KW charger intitially anyway, so you will be fine.
 
The 30a dryer connector, wiring, breaker will be fine.
I would just get a EVSE to cover the 3.3kw needed.
You can hardwire the EVSE or change the connector to what is needed to match the plug on the unit.
 
The key thing to remember is that you cannot either install or plug in an EVSE like AV's which is rated for 30A or 32A. Your limit will be 80% of 30A, which is 24A. The electrician was quite correct if he told you that you could not use that circuit for the AV charging dock.
 
THe Leviton EVSE uses NEMA 6-50R plug, they are available at home depot for about $8, these are the same plugs used often with welders. I now have three of these outlets installed in my garage on separate circuits. One I used for a mig welder for EV fabrication, one for charging and the new third location I installed at the nose of the car for the EVSE with 1" conduit. My cost to do this was about $100. The best part is AV say this, noted it and took pictures of it and quoted $2450. Even the wire was looped outside the conduit waiting for the EVSE to be attached, could not be easier for them unless I did it myself.
 
THe Leviton EVSE uses NEMA 6-50R plug, they are available at home depot for about $8, these are the same plugs used often with welders. I now have three of these outlets installed in my garage on separate circuits. One I used for a mig welder for EV fabrication, one for charging and the new third location I installed at the nose of the car for the EVSE with 1" conduit. My cost to do this was about $100. The best part is AV said this, noted it and took pictures of it and quoted $2450. Even the wire was looped outside the conduit waiting for the EVSE to be attached, could not be easier for them unless I did it myself.
 
Evdriver, there are 3 different model Leviton EVSEs, each uses a different plug, from the smallest which uses a 6-20R, to the middle model which uses a 6-30R, to the largest model which uses a 6-50R
 
I believe that the AV L2 EVSE does not require a 40-amp circuit, but I am not sure.

Call AV, and see if the internal "max-current" Control Pilot can be set at 24 amps for use when hardwired to a 30a circuit, or even 16a for use when hardwired to a 20a circuit.
 
garygid said:
I believe that the AV L2 EVSE does not require a 40-amp circuit, but I am not sure.

Call AV, and see if the internal "max-current" Control Pilot can be set at 24 amps for use when hardwired to a 30a circuit, or even 16a for use when hardwired to a 20a circuit.

You're right, Gary - the EVSE can technically be adjustable. It's appearing, though, that the current batch of devices are fixed - factory preset. The AV EVSE appears to be preset to supply up to 6.6kW to the car so it need a 40A circuit.

If the installed wiring is suitable, maybe Rat can have an electrician swap the breakers and install a range plug. Otherwise, it's only an outlet swap to use a Leviton unit to feed 3.3kW with the existing circuit.
 
garygid said:
Apparently the Leviton L1 EVSE has a user-switchable "max-current" setting (7a or 12a, I think).

Have we heard of ANY other "switchable" units?

Zero switchable units on the market so far as I'm aware. Can you provide a source for your Leviton L1 7/12A info please?
 
1. Their "Product Bulletin for Level 1 Cordset" from their web site:
Amperage 7A/12A

Their three L2 units appear to be fixed at 16A, 24A, or 32A.

2. On the proposed L3 J1772 socket, what keeps the dirt out of the
L3 female contacts while just the L2 portion is being used?
 
garygid said:
2. On the proposed L3 J1772 socket, what keeps the dirt out of the
L3 female contacts while just the L2 portion is being used?
Technically there is no Level 3 charging. The CHAdeMO standard is referred to as "DC Quick-Charge" and there is a separate flap over the CHAdeMO connector and the Level 2 connector.
 
I am not asking about the two seperate sockets in the current LEAF.
I uderstand that they each have their own independant flap.

I am asking about the proposed dual-purpose "combined" L1/L2/"DC Quick" socket
that the J1772 comittee is tryig to create, to REPLACE the TWO conectors
in the current LEAF configuration.

It has a round center (or top) section that is compatile with the current J1772
standard for L1/L2, and an extension on the "bottom" side to accomodate
the larger pins required for the "L3" (DC-Quick) charging.

How do they handle the "flap(s)" on that socket?
 
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