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Melted extension cord socket

Discussion in 'Prime Plug-in Charging' started by bwilson4web, Apr 30, 2017.

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  1. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    [​IMG]
    The root cause was high resistance on the EVSE plug and contractor cord socket. It melted and become something ugly. So I decapitated both and replaced with a 15A, water resistant plug and socket.

    Bob Wilson
     
    #1 bwilson4web, Apr 30, 2017
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  2. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

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    Was this the one that came with the car?
     
    #2 Lee Jay, Apr 30, 2017
  3. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    The EVSE is from our BMW i3-REx. The contractor grade, extension cord from Lowes.

    Bob Wilson
     
    #3 bwilson4web, Apr 30, 2017
  4. giora

    giora Senior Member

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    The Prime's stock EVSE has an extra protection against temp. rise in its plug and the mating socket (however, not on the extension cord other end...)
     
    #4 giora, Apr 30, 2017
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    wow, never saw this with pip, does prime pull more amps?
     
    #5 bisco, Apr 30, 2017
  6. Rmay635703

    Rmay635703 Senior Member

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    This is a common issue, I've even had old loose outlets do the same, now I pro actively replace old outlets with hospital grade 20 amp 110vac outlets, ditto 10 gage extension cords, connections are very firm but no more hot cords or sockets
     
    #6 Rmay635703, Apr 30, 2017
  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    no kidding? i don't think i've ever seen it in 5 years on the pip forum. but i think we only pull 11 or 12 amps.
    anyway, i've never had a problem with a 14 ga extension cord.
     
    #7 bisco, Apr 30, 2017
  8. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    Only two things I can do, remind folks that Toyota is against any extension cord, and encourage them to buy the lowest gage, highest amp cord they can afford.
     
    #8 JimboPalmer, Apr 30, 2017
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  9. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    So this afternoon I was taking a nap when:
    [​IMG]
    The blue dot is chez Wilson.

    I was taking a nap and awoke just as the natural gas fed, emergency generator kicked in and lights, A/C, and whole house power came on. This includes power for our plug-in hybrids. FYI, the water-tight, extension cord got its first baptism.

    In the past, I would fire up our Prius and run an extension cord into the house for specific loads. But I wanted to make sure Holly would always have power even if I were at work or out. Although we've 'camped out' on Prius power 4.25 days, the gas fired generator worked perfectly.

    I plan to get a set of 100A, Anderson connectors, for both 12V batteries in our Prime and BMW i3-REx. I have a 1.5kW, AC inverter which is a great way to provide 120 VAC 'in the field.'

    NOTE: the house emergency generator is not terribly efficient so the cost per kWh is pretty high. The problem is the air-cooled, natural gas engine is not optimized for efficiency.

    FYI, this means our plug-in hybrids are flex-fuel: (1) grid power, (2) gasoline power, and (3) natural-gas fueled generator.

    Bob Wilson
     
    #9 bwilson4web, Apr 30, 2017
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  10. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Sounds like an opportunity to make that lemon lemonade by capturing the heat as a micro-CHP system. A few years ago, the ones I was reading about were generally natural-gas-engine-based, though I read those have been overtaken by fuel cells for residential-sized structures, starting in 2013 or so.

    -Chap
     
    #10 ChapmanF, Apr 30, 2017
  11. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    Sad to say, the ones I found were grossly over-sized and priced for businesses.

    Bob Wilson
     
    #11 bwilson4web, Apr 30, 2017
  12. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    My killawatt meter reads a little over 13A when I'm charging. I'd guess the battery is getting about 12 amps. Then it ramps down to around 3A before the charger decides the battery is full and shuts off.

    BTW, I use a #12 cord only 10 feet long when I charge at church. It has never gotten warm yet.
     
    #12 jerrymildred, Apr 30, 2017
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  13. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    how is it that 13 amps can fry the connections, but a 1500 watt hairdryer can have a skinny little cord?
     
    #13 bisco, Apr 30, 2017
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  14. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

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    The hairdryer doesn't run for hours.
     
    #14 Lee Jay, Apr 30, 2017
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  15. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    you haven't met my wife or daughters.:rolleyes:
     
    #15 bisco, Apr 30, 2017
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  16. huskers

    huskers Senior Member

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    Some of us lost the need for a hair dryer years ago.:(
     
    #16 huskers, Apr 30, 2017
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  17. huskers

    huskers Senior Member

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    Do you have to put more in the collection plate?
     
    #17 huskers, Apr 30, 2017
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  18. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i hair ya, but i still have the back hair to dry.:whistle:
     
    #18 bisco, Apr 30, 2017
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  19. huskers

    huskers Senior Member

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    Prime with the windows down.
     
    #19 huskers, Apr 30, 2017
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  20. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    I know one guy who eats 10 times that much money in donuts before, during, & after church. But since the pastor insists I plug in, I do it to make him happy. Anyway, I put in about 1,000 times that much in the plate already, so I think it's OK. ;)

    There's another PiP owner there, too. We tried to get him to plug in, but he says he lives close enough that he can make the round trip on battery. I'm 17 miles away, so I can't even make it one way on battery. Still, I think we should invest in 2-3 charging stations one of these days.
     
    #20 jerrymildred, Apr 30, 2017
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