Charging leaf at friends home

[voiceexp]

Can I charge my Leaf at a friends home using an Evsa cable connected to an extension?

Many thanks to all who responded :shock:

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

Can I charge my Leaf at a friends home using an Evsa cable connected to an extension?

where are you located? put that in your profile please

 

[sproqitman]

Can I charge my Leaf at a friends home using an Evsa cable connected to an extension?

You can use the portable EVSE that comes with the car, connected to an extension cord to charge the LEAF. I've done that many times. Just make sure you have a heavy-duty extension cord. I have a 50' 12-gauge, rated for for 20A. Cost me $50 at Lowe's.

 

[RonDawg]

Also make sure the outlet you are plugged into can handle a continuous 12 amp load. Otherwise, expect to be blowing fuses/tripping breakers, or worse starting a fire.

 

[CayenneSJLEAFy]

Another idea is if you friend has a dryer outlet in or near the garage. If you upgrade your portable EVSE (http://www.evseupgrade.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false, your portable EVSE becomes a portable Level 2 EVSE. If your friend is cool with the idea, you can charge your car in his garage at a much faster rate before leaving. I've done this many times at my parents' house, since no Level 3s and very few Level 2s are on the western side of San Francisco so far. A few hours later, I have enough to make it back to San Jose.

 

[hill]

Also make sure the outlet you are plugged into can handle a continuous 12 amp load.....snip...............

Not exactly. Make sure the outlet isn't experienciong any load from other appliances on the same circuit. Lots of garage wiring is simply cobbled off another circuit that already feeds a bunch of stuff in the house ... ESPECIALLY homes built prior to early 1970's. I've lost track of how many times I've taken out my sister-in-law's kitchen electricity.

.

 

[RonDawg]

When I say "can handle" the load I am talking about the circuit's total capacity, any loads already on it, and the condition of the wiring/outlet/fuses or breakers.

 

[CMYK4Life]

Yes you can. Like others have said; make sure its a heavier duty one. I also agree with other comments about other appliances on that circut.

My in-laws have an old freezer in the garage. Our first visit out there with the Leaf we tripped the breaker 3-4 times until I ran an extension cord to a different circut/outlet on the outside of the house. I had a heavy duty outdoor extension cord in the back of the car just for this reason (thanks to this forum), it came in really handy. You never know how things are wired up or the parking situation.

 

[Valdemar]

or worse starting a fire.

I'm currently trying to deal with aluminum wiring in my new home. It is no joke

 

[RonDawg]

or worse starting a fire.

I'm currently trying to deal with aluminum wiring in my new home. It is no joke

I just found out my circa-1981 townhome has aluminum wiring Even though I've been living with L1 charging since I got the car in January, I'm not sure the tax credit for installing a charging station will again be renewed for 2014, plus I found out my municipality has a $200 rebate for installing an L2 EVSE.

So I had an electrician come out and take a look. When he pulled off the panel surround, he told me that my place has aluminum wiring. He said if you don't touch it, and don't overload it, I'm OK.

The circuit I'm currently plugged into is a 15 amp circuit that was meant for a central vac system that is no longer fully functioning (there is a leak somewhere) and as best I can tell there are no other circuits off that breaker.

 

[Valdemar]

Interesting, I'm obviously not an expert but based on my reading about this subject I was under the impression than Al wiring was pretty much phased out by the end of the 70's. The good news is that your wiring is almost likely done with a 8000 series alloy which is said to be less susceptible to problems attributed to aluminum wiring than the older 1350 wiring used prior to circa 1972.

If you continue to use L1 over aluminum wiring make sure all cable splicing on the route from the panel to the receptacle, if any, is not overheating. Also check if anti-oxidant compound was used at splicing points as quality of twist-connections tends to degrade over time because of oxide film on the surface of wires. Do not use Noalox, as it is flammable. Use Burndy PENETROX A. The receptacle itself must be of the Co/Alr type. Better yet install copper pigtails in the receptacle box (google Copalum and/or AlumiConn).

As for the EVSE tax credit, double check you can claim it. If you pay AMT there is a good chance you cannot.

 

[UBUYGAS]

What about installing a new Circuit with new copper lines?

I'd rip all the Aluminum out and redo the house.

But if you can't do that then just run one new circuit with copper and you'll be golden.

 

[Valdemar]

What about installing a new Circuit with new copper lines?

I'd rip all the Aluminum out and redo the house.

But if you can't do that then just run one new circuit with copper and you'll be golden.

Not that easy. You'd need to rip your walls to run the new wiring, and then fix the drywall and paint it (read: $$$$). One line is easier of course than whole house rewire. But I I'd just run 240V and install an EVSE instead, as the cost of running the line will be about the same.

 

[LeftieBiker]

or worse starting a fire.

I'm currently trying to deal with aluminum wiring in my new home. It is no joke

I just found out my circa-1981 townhome has aluminum wiring Even though I've been living with L1 charging since I got the car in January, I'm not sure the tax credit for installing a charging station will again be renewed for 2014, plus I found out my municipality has a $200 rebate for installing an L2 EVSE.

So I had an electrician come out and take a look. When he pulled off the panel surround, he told me that my place has aluminum wiring. He said if you don't touch it, and don't overload it, I'm OK.

The circuit I'm currently plugged into is a 15 amp circuit that was meant for a central vac system that is no longer fully functioning (there is a leak somewhere) and as best I can tell there are no other circuits off that breaker.

Just make sure that any outlets or switches that were replaced after the house was built are compatible with aluminum wiring. It's common to use normal outlets with copper -compatible contacts, and this can cause problems. I've alse read that just normal use can cause aluminum wiring connections to loosen...

 

[Valdemar]

To the OP. Check if your friend knows if his home has aluminum wiring. If so my advice is to avoid charging there as aluminum wire connections tend to go bad and are known for starting fires. This is one case where I would err on the safe side.

 

[Valdemar]

Just make sure that any outlets or switches that were replaced after the house was built are compatible with aluminum wiring. It's common to use normal outlets with copper -compatible contacts, and this can cause problems. I've alse read that just normal use can cause aluminum wiring connections to loosen...

These outlets and switches are labeled Co/Alr.

The other repair recommended by the industry is to use switches and receptacles labeled “CO/ALR.” These devices are intended for direct connection to aluminum wire, although they can be used with copper or copper-clad wire. CO/ALR devices perform better with aluminum wire than non-CO/ALR devices when installed carefully and according to best electrical practices. However, CO/ALR wiring devices have failed in laboratory tests when connected to aluminum wire typical of that installed in existing homes.

Source: http://www.cpsc.gov/PageFiles/118856/516.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[RonDawg]

Interesting, I'm obviously not an expert but based on my reading about this subject I was under the impression than Al wiring was pretty much phased out by the end of the 70's. The good news is that your wiring is almost likely done with a 8000 series alloy which is said to be less susceptible to problems attributed to aluminum wiring than the older 1350 wiring used prior to circa 1972.

I was shocked to find out too that AL wiring was even approved, much less still in use, in 1981. I know in the mid 70's there were already many concerns about it.

As for the EVSE tax credit, double check you can claim it. If you pay AMT there is a good chance you cannot.

My tax liability for the last several years has exceeded the $7500 Federal credit for EVs, so I should not have any issues with this credit. I leased and did not buy so I don't expect running into AMT issues.

 

[RonDawg]

What about installing a new Circuit with new copper lines?

I'd rip all the Aluminum out and redo the house.

But if you can't do that then just run one new circuit with copper and you'll be golden.

The new circuit would have copper lines directly to the panel. What worries me, as does Valdemar, is the fact that there is any AL wiring in our homes at all.

Ripping out and starting fresh would be horrifically expensive, as my home was not built with metal wiring conduit (and I suspect neither is Valdemar's, given his response). As he said, you'd be ripping out drywall and having to patch/paint it again, or at best you'd be running ugly surface conduit. My father did the latter to his rental properties when he re-wired them from knob/tube; but they're rental properties, in a low income area, so his tenants were probably safer than their neighbors.

My father recently bought a 1940's house which was built with conduit, and even with that and its relatively small size (under 1500 sq. ft) it still cost $9k.

 

[Deleted member 9549]

Aluminum wiring is still commonly used for high power 240v circuits. Main, oven, range, AC, etc. My EVSE was installed with a new 6/3 aluminum 50A circuit.

 

[leafedbehind]

I'll vouch for the Alumiconn connectors. I bought a box of 100 of them and pigtailed almost all the outlets and switches in my mom's 1973 townhouse. It was probably overkill, but I wanted to replace all the outlets and switches anyway, so while I was in there.... Man, it is time consuming! If I had to do it again, I would probably only pick the outlets that tend to serve heavy loads. The original electrician had just used regular wire nuts with no anti-oxidant compound. Definitely not a good idea.