Where to install Outlet for 240V Portable charger

[Jortega]

I am a Leaf Newbee (Jan 8th 2019). See that it comes with portable charger. I am trying to figure out where to have the outlet installed. I live in pretty rainy area (Humboldt county, CA).

Can I have it installed outside near Breaker box?
Is I do it outside, is there a nice protective box I can buy for the outlet and control box or even the whole EVSE (cable and all)? DO Need to build a box of some sort?

Or...

Should I try to have the outlet installed inside the garage even if it cost me a bit more to run the new electrical line?

[powersurge]

If you park in the garage, put the outlet towards the front of the car.

If you park outside the garage. Plug it in the garage near the garage door, so you have enough cable to pull the cable outside..

I would not plug the whole charger outside. Plug it inside, and you can find a way that the garage door does not squeeze the cable when the door is closed. You can adjust the door alignment to leave a little crack on one side, or cut a little notch (1/2 inch) at the bottom of the door to give the cable room to be routed outside.. I have mine like this and leave the nozzle part hanging outside. That cuts down a lot on opening and closing the door every day...

Good luck with your new toy.

[goldbrick]

If you're planning to use the portable EVSE cable that comes with the Leaf I would recommend to put the plug indoors somewhere that you can leave it plugged in permanently. I don't think the unit is designed for outdoor use and I wouldn't leave it outside permanently. Plugging/unplugging it for every charge or every time the weather threatens will wear out the receptacle fairly quickly.

[alozzy]

This plastic box is intended to be used as a garden hose reel; however, it has a storage compartment (4.625 in. x 10.5 in. x 6.5 in) that should be large enough to fit the J1772 handle:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Sto-Away-5- ... /205399692



The cord on the stock EVSE may not be long enough to reach from your receptacle in the garage to wherever you want to mount the plastic box though, but perhaps you can make it work.

[Oilpan4]

I put my 240v charging plugs just inside the garage door.
That way I can charge inside or outside and when outside the evse brick stays inside the garage and I close the garage door on the j1772 cable.
But I only have a 16 amp charger.
A 30 amp cable may be too fat to close the door on.

[LeftieBiker]

Don't close the door on the cable! Unless you are running it through a channel or through a protective casing, you will damage the cable for sure.

[TheLostPetrol]

Don't close the door on the cable! Unless you are running it through a channel or through a protective casing, you will damage the cable for sure.

If that's true, I'm glad you said it, because I wouldn't have known. The garage door has a pliable rubbery seal at the bottom, a flap folded back forming a U-shaped cross-section. The chipmunks chewed through it years ago at one end to get to the bird seed supply. I had assumed the charging cable could be occasionally stepped on or driven over and was thus also strong enough to endure the garage door's rubbery seal.

[LeftieBiker]

Don't close the door on the cable! Unless you are running it through a channel or through a protective casing, you will damage the cable for sure.

If that's true, I'm glad you said it, because I wouldn't have known. The garage door has a pliable rubbery seal at the bottom, a flap folded back forming a U-shaped cross-section. The chipmunks chewed through it years ago at one end to get to the bird seed supply. I had assumed the charging cable could be occasionally stepped on or driven over and was thus also strong enough to endure the garage door's rubbery seal.

If the pressure on the cable from the door is light - lighter than being stepped on, which will also damage it - you are likely ok. I'm not sure from your description how hard it's being pressed by the door bottom.

[SageBrush]

I second the notion that it is a BAD idea to crush the cable. Don't step on it, don't lower a garage door on it.
I also use a socket in the garage next to the garage door to plug in the EVSE and hang the plug outside. I took a strip of wood and anchored it under the door. The cable lies off to the side between the wood and door frame. I beveled the wood so that I could drive over it easily.

[Oilpan4]

I have had the evse brick get rain water inside it and almost ruin it.
Luckily I was at home, had a security Torx hand screw driver, compressed air, caught it almost as soon as it happened and was able to open up, dry off and save my evse.

I will continue to keep the brick portion of the evse inside even if it means closing the garage door on the j1772 cord. Since getting rained on once would have ruined it.
Closing the door on it dozens of times has done nothing.
If the j1772 cord gets damaged or appears to sustain damage I will cut away the damaged section and reterminate inside the brick, effectively shortening it, or buy a new cable and replace it. Either way it's not rocket surgery.

The only evse cord I close the door on is my original 2011-2012 Panasonic made granny evse that I converted to 240v. It's got a very thin j1772 cord.
A 24-32 amp or larger j1772 cable is probably too fat.
My home chademo cable is definitely too fat to have a door closed on it, about 1.25 inchs thick.