Do you guys unplug the electric charger every time you leave the house?

Yes.

The cable is not long enough for most of my journeys.

 

Whenever I charge away from home, I use charging stations that provide a J1772 plug. The EVSE that I got with the car hasn't been unplugged from the wall in months.

I have also heard that lots of plugging/unplugging will wear out power plugs.

 

I think the manual also says that leaving it plugged in isn't a big deal.

 

i have an L2 at home, and plug/unplug the L1 at work whenever i need a recharge. i don't think it's going to wear out for a long time, and it is replaceable. that being said, when i used it at home as my primary lvse, i never unplugged it from the wall.

 

This really isn't getting enough love.

 

I've changed out the portable EVSE standard 120v plug end, to a molded-on twist lock plug. Then I put a one foot locking adapter on the end,



so it'll still plug into a regular wall plug. That way, when unplugging, the twist-lock plug end doesn't get worn out ... just the plug on the adapter wears out.
.

 

It would be pretty easy to change out the existing outlet for a switchable one. They use the same size box. You could then "unplug" with the switch.

 

I place the circuit breaker in the off position on my Level 2 charger at home when not not scheduled to charge.

 

It's best to leave it plugged in. I use a good quality power strip - NOT a surge protector - so I can turn it off if needed. If you are worried, do the same. Make sure the plug fits tightly into the outlet and is in all the way, then leave it alone.

BTW, that cord thing isn't a charger. The charger is built into the car, just as with real EVs. The cord is essentially a 'smart cable' that ensures that a safe connection is made to the charger inside the car, and that it remains safe while charging is happening. It's called by the terrible acronym "EVSE" for Electric Vehicle Service Equipment. If you want an easier name, you can accurately call it a "charging cable."

 

I purchased a heavy duty power strip. When I unplug it, I just flip the switch and turn off the power strip. Then there is no "wear and tear" on the plug.

 

Don't forget the few watts the safety unit uses. Someone once calculated the very small % reduction in mpg-e that causes. I leave mine plugged in all the time.

 

Hmmm. Some very Interesting thoughts found here. I recently upgraded to a Prime, so perhaps this is the wrong forum, but eh, same family, no? Found this thread while searching for whether to leave the L1 120v charger always plugged into the wall. I started by daily plugging and unplugging the factory provided charging cable - which led to my opinion that besides being a nuisance, would eventually lead to rapid wear on the male plug and the female outlet. Then I considered the pilot light on the charging cable and thought about the small current constantly being consumed 24/7 - a wee dribble which adds up like the vampire points on your mortgage! Then another notion appeared. Being as we live in a "rural" setting, with the usual frequent sags, surges, brown outs, spikes and, not to mention, the occasional total power losses, led not only to a meditation on the fragility of all life, but in particular that of the Silicon based ones we now are surrounded with, and 'live' with, on a daily basis! There must be some really cool proprietary software, firmware and ASICS in the charging cable which, unless they're well protected with a robust design, complete with shunts and capacitors, might be vulnerable to those nasty fast high voltage transient "spikes", the kind generated by various electric motors, damaging the cords internal electronics and making the whole unit a worthless piece of (s)crap. Of course this risk could be eliminated by simply unplugging the unit after each use, or mitigated by using some sort of line filter on the supply line. Perhaps this is why the User Guide suggests unplugging between each use? Which is why I favor the "switched outlet" proposal of one of the commentators - even though most garage/outside power receptacles are rarely switched. often the only option being the breaker for the branch at service panel. Fortunately, the outlet I'm currently using IS switched already, but from inside, and in an inconvenient closet. Perhaps the ultimate solution might be to put the whole branch on a timing circuit like the one's often used on pool equipment and/or pumps. Maybe toss in some line conditioning and protection along the way. I did install a brand new "weather resistant" GFI on the outlet (as per the User Guide recommendation). However I don't believe these do much in the way of filtering out dangerous power surges and spikes. Perhaps some of the forum members who really know their electronics might have an opinion? Any EE's out there?

 

in that case, i think i would just unplug it, and replace the plug and outlet as necessary.

 

Be nice.