Extension cord /surge protector ?

[hussey]

Hello,

I have searched this topic and also tried the FAQ with no definitive answer to my query. I am in the process of purchasing a 2015 Leaf. I will be charging it overnight at my house in the islands. I add the 'islands' because we get frequent power cuts. Maybe 3 a week in the summer. Because of that, most of my electrical units are hooked up to a surge protector.
Is it safe to use a surge protector with my charging cable? I will be initially using a level 1 charger into a 110V plug in my house. I also am considering using an ( 10AMP rated) extension cord in conjunction. Thanks

 

[GerryAZ]

I have opened more than one surge arrester outlet strip after they failed. Their internal connections are not adequate for long duration charging so do not use one. A heavy duty 120V, 3-wire grounded extension power cord can be used if absolutely necessary due to distance from the receptacle to the car. The wire size of the cord should be either No. 10 AWG or No. 12 AWG to minimize the risk of overheating. A No. 14 AWG power tool cord not over 10 feet in length is the absolute minimum for short charging duration, but should not be used on a continuous basis.

The onboard charger in the car and the Nissan portable charging unit have their own internal surge protection so either plug directly into a receptacle or use a heavy duty extension cord without additional plug-in surge protective devices.

 

[hussey]

Thanks very much Gerry. I appreciate your feedback.

 

[jjeff]

I totally second Gerry's thoughts.

 

[LeftieBiker]

If you get a lot of brief outages, you may want to consider a medium to heavy duty battery backup type UPS like people use for backup power for sump pumps. Not to try to keep charging when the power is out, but just to allow you to end a charging session smoothly when it does.