Outlet Question - Some work and some don't?

[Graycenphil]

I'm staying at my in-laws for a few days. I've tried several outlets with the Nissan charger. One works perfectly all the time. But on two of them, regular duplex outlets, if I plug into one of the outlets I get the flashing green light and the car won't charge. If I plug it into the other outlet, in the same fixture, it works fine.

I assume the problem is a ground fault, but why would one of the two outlets have a good ground, and the other not?

 

[AlanSqB]

Could be that the device is damaged or worn out and may need to be replaced. You may not be getting a good contact to ground on the one side, perhaps it was used more.

 

[CWO4Mann]

Could be that the device is damaged or worn out and may need to be replaced. You may not be getting a good contact to ground on the one side, perhaps it was used more.

I vote for miswired socket. One is backwards wired. You can get a ground fault tester at any home store for a few bucks. I carry one in the car.

 

[johnrhansen]

yeah, there is no point speculating. The tester will tell the tale. If the ground is missing though, it won't show whether its a wired backwards or not.

 

[LeftieBiker]

First, the charging cable supplied with the car is just that: a smart cable. It isn't a charger. That's built into the car, and is fairly large. Second, it's a bad idea to use marginal or problematic wiring to charge. Look for a circuit with few outlets on it, and little or no load.

 

[smkettner]

Get a $6 outlet tester before you go any further.

 

[johnrhansen]

Get a $6 outlet tester before you go any further.

You can do the same with a test light or voltmeter. There should be voltage between the smaller of the vertical holes and the other 2.

 

[MikeD]

My suggestion -- if you know how to do it safely -- is just replace one of the problem receptacles with a good quality new one and see what happens when you use it to charge. Recognize that it is important that its circuit should have little or -- even better -- no other load EVERY time you use it to charge to prevent overloading the circuit. The best way is that the circuit have NO other outlets on it, but this is likely to require a new circuit installed expressly (or mainly) for EVSE use.

 

[Graycenphil]

Doesn't it seem odd that one half of the outlet would work, and not the other? And that it happened on two of the three outlets I tried?

It's not likely to be wired wrong, because it's probably only connected to the house wiring once, and the connections to the two individual outlets are internal. So in both of these outlets, there is some internal breakdown?

I haven't tested it yet with a voltmeter, but I suspect there must be current because the EVSE blinks. On fact I know there is, because a lamp plugged into it will work fine.

 

[MikeD]

Graycenphil: I agree with your thoughts on this and is why I suggested examining/replacing one of the problem receptacles in order to get more information. But from your observations so far, it seems that a problem with the grounding wire exists, which may be limited to a single circuit or possibly extends to all circuits. If this is so, the safety protection that an "equipment ground" is supposed to provide when using an electrical device that uses it (like your EVSE) is either absent or weakened.

 

[smkettner]

All electric issues seem odd until it is resolved. Start with the outlet tester.

 

[johnrhansen]

Or it might be something as simple as a prong inside one of the receptacles broke or came loose so it will no longer connect. Use your voltmeter. If you dont have one buy one. It's the first tool you need for troubleshooting.

One more thought. Some houses are wired so that one of the receptacles is always hot, while the other goes on and off with a switch somewhere., especially in living rooms. This is for table lamps I guess. There is a little tab between the 2 screws you can break off to separate the outlets. You can also use this feature to put 2 circuits onto one duplex receptacle. Not done too often though, and if it is code requires it is powered by a double breaker, but that doesn't mean it is always wired like that.

 

[Graycenphil]

It must be the ground contacrt in the socket itself, not the wire because the other outlet in the fixture works fine. I guess I'll try replacing the outlet and see what happens. It just seems so odd that two of the threee outlets I tried would do this....

Thanks.

 

[Nubo]

One more thought. Some houses are wired so that one of the receptacles is always hot, while the other goes on and off with a switch somewhere., especially in living rooms. This is for table lamps I guess. There is a little tab between the 2 screws you can break off to separate the outlets. You can also use this feature to put 2 circuits onto one duplex receptacle. Not done too often though, and if it is code requires it is powered by a double breaker, but that doesn't mean it is always wired like that.

Yeah, but even a split receptacle should be sharing a common ground. Well... *should*. With the whacky wiring I've run across in just the places I've lived, I'm convinced there's no end to the weird things people do with electrical wiring.

 

[Graycenphil]

I'm quite certain the outlet is not split, one switched. And both outlets work for most appliances, just not for the EVSE.

 

[AlanSqB]

See post #2, this thread

But seriously, just replace the device with a good quality unit. $4-5 bucks will get you a good quality device from the orange, blue, or red stores. Just use the screw terminals and not the stab terminals and I'm sure you will see an improvement. Get someone to help if it's not something you're comfortable with. Lots of DIY instructions for this on the net. Most important thing is to turn off the breaker and test BOTH receptacles to make sure they are off. Even then, be careful of other circuits that may be in the same box. Shouldn't be, but I've seen everything. AC current detectors are about $10 and a good thing to have in your toolkit.

Heavy cords pulling on the terminals in the outlets can bend the receptacles. I bet the one you are having trouble with is just worn enough to not get good ground contact.

 

[Graycenphil]

You're probably right, and it is a repair I am totally comfortable with. It's just surprising that it wouold happen in two of the three outlets I tried in this house, and it has never happened before. I'm not there now, but will try testing and replacing one next time I'm there.

 

[johnrhansen]

Those cheap receptacles are so bad. I don't know why they are allowed to be made. Ive seen some get so loose the cord comes out with hardly any pressure at all. There's one type I really like. You don't need to coil the wire to get it under a screw, you just strip it, stick it in the hole and tighten the screw. It's a good positive connection with the installation ease of a stab in. Best of both worlds.

 

[AlanSqB]

You're probably right, and it is a repair I am totally comfortable with. It's just surprising that it wouold happen in two of the three outlets I tried in this house, and it has never happened before. I'm not there now, but will try testing and replacing one next time I'm there.

If it's in a garage, people tend to put medium gauge, grounded extension cords in the bottom sockets. Those pull down and bend the pins up. You may also have a "Cord Yanker" in the house.

Good luck.

 

[Graycenphil]

I agree - when Home Depot sells them for less than $1.00, how good can they be. Funny thing is, the house where I'm having the problem was built in 1964, is very well built, and the outlets are original.