Using the Primes 120v Charger at 240 Volts, Cost $20 !!!

Discussion in 'Prime Plug-in Charging' started by Rob43, Mar 16, 2019.

  1. Mr.Vanvandenburg

    Mr.Vanvandenburg Senior Member

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    I would like to know more about why a dryer or range need the neutral as many homes still have the three prong outlet with no neutral. I have looked it up a dozen times over many years but wonder what the scoop is from areal electrician.
    Part of my house is old and there is knob and tube wiring with no ground. A few years ago I read about a gfci will protect such circuits. So I put in a dual gfci afci breaker on the circuit that includes a bathroom. The outlets aren’t grounded but the gfci will protect as I understood it. Wouldn’t mind the scoop on that either. I guess it senses the neutral.
     
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  2. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    The GFCI senses the mismatch between hot and neutral currents. If they match, there is no leakage. But if some of the hot current isn't returning on the neutral (or vice versa), then it is leaking out somewhere, possibly through a human. A very small amount of leakage is permitted, but not much before the GFCI trips.

    The GFCI does not need any ground access to detect this leakage.
     
    #462 fuzzy1, Dec 9, 2023
    Last edited: Dec 10, 2023
  3. Mr.Vanvandenburg

    Mr.Vanvandenburg Senior Member

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    I could have just put a gfci outlet in the bathroom, but then it’s an outlet with a fake ground plug so didn’t. I wonder why they don’t make a two prong and call it hnfci. I don’t think some people with older ungrounded circuits know they could upgrade the safety of their system. Of course the ground wire is instantaneous while the gfci is a device that takes some milliseconds to disconnect, and must be in good working condition.
     
  4. vvillovv

    vvillovv Senior Member

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    4 wire 220/240 volt circuits provi\de both 220/240 volt and 120 volt to appliances that are wired to use both.
     
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  5. Mr.Vanvandenburg

    Mr.Vanvandenburg Senior Member

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    I realized that, but they all can be converted to either three or four prong by bonding the ground and neutral together, or unbonding them. The ground is carrying the load imbalance. I guess it’s the same as a two prong 120 outlet. You can get nailed. Probably a electrician could explain it better. Maybe a dryer circuit isn’t going to have anything else on the circuit has something to do with it.
    Does anywhere in the USA supply 220/110 volts anymore?
    Back to the original topic, the charger says 12 amps, I wouldn’t use the oe charger on level 2.
     
    #465 Mr.Vanvandenburg, Dec 11, 2023
    Last edited: Dec 11, 2023
  6. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    Ground and neutral are supposed to be bonded at just one place. The dryer circuit isn't one of the possible right places.
    Dryer circuits generally have nothing else on them, and old-era dryers didn't use 120V for any of their controls.
     
  7. Mr.Vanvandenburg

    Mr.Vanvandenburg Senior Member

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    I have had dryers. All of them had the 3 or 4 wire option. Modern one too. I measured the amps actually with a clamp meter on the one I have, on a 3 wire outlet. The legs are not drawing the same current, the ground serves as a neutral and ground.
    This is why I asked if there was an electrician. Take the time like I did and look it up in a current electric dryer installation manual.
     
    #467 Mr.Vanvandenburg, Dec 11, 2023
    Last edited: Dec 11, 2023
  8. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    Your friendly neighborhood electrician here.

    The reason there is more current on one leg than the other is that your outlet is probably an old NEMA 10-30. It has two hots and a neutral because there are 120V controls in the dryer (or stove) and it has no ground. Like so:
    Well, crud. I STILL can't seem to upload files to Priuschat anymore. Even haver a hard reboot.

    Here's a link to the difference between a NEMA 6-30 and a 10-30. One has a ground with no neutral and the other has a neutral with no ground.
    Google Image Result for https://www.rvtravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/RV-Dryer_Outlets-1.jpg

    A NEMA 14-50 has both ground and neutral.
    Google Image Result for https://uber.energy/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/NEMA-14-50.jpeg

    Edit to add a way to add an outlet even if you cannot access the basement or attic:
     
  9. CharlesH

    CharlesH CA HOV Decal #5 on former PiP

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    FWIW, my Home Chargepoint charger came with a NEMA 6-50 plug, so I had an electrician put in a 6-50 receptacle. This was real easy to do since my breaker box is on the outside garage wall just opposite to where I wanted to put the charger on the inside. NEMA 6-50 has two hots, a ground, and no neutral. You only need a neutral if the device needs both 240V and 120V. Typically, with appliances like dryers, the controls used 120V and the heating used 240V. Newer devices like the car charger use 240V for the controls, so there is no need for 120V. Today, even cheap devices with electronic power supplies, like USB chargers, are happy with anything from 100 V, as in Japan, to 240V in most of the world other than North America.
     
  10. black_jmyntrn

    black_jmyntrn Senior Member

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    i need to read through this but, has anyone tried this on a Gen 3 PIP?
     
  11. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    It's going back a ways for me, but as I recall, the PiP's EVSE is labeled as 120/240. The Prime's is only labeled 120 and so there was some trepidation about plugging it in to 240 until some brave souls tried it and it worked. You'd want to do a search to verify, but I think the PiP was not a concern; you just needed an adapter.

    [edit] Oops! Here's a thread on converting the PiP EVSE cable. 120v to 240v EVSE Modification | PriusChat
     
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  12. black_jmyntrn

    black_jmyntrn Senior Member

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    I see said the blind man!

    I thought you all were on to something grander than just the cable for use at home on 240V.... after finding out Toyota is making the change to NACS, I put the chademo conversion on the back burner although its said the 2017 Prime model can fully charge in 16mins with chademo... the investigation into the NACS conversion has taken my time. Reading here if not mistaken, they were able to get the Prime to charge in 1.3hrs which since my PIP has slightly more capacity than a Prime now, my dreams of fully charging 50kWh of battery in less than 60 minutes, in theory, sounds doable.

    Many thanks for the detail provided!
     
  13. vvillovv

    vvillovv Senior Member

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    way off topic, so respond only if you want to.
    Did you find a fix of the 1.5 lift - cv(?)-axle issue.
    I couldn't find it, easily...
     
  14. black_jmyntrn

    black_jmyntrn Senior Member

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    ohh yeah! I created it so I could lift as tall as I am now.

    [​IMG]
     
  15. vvillovv

    vvillovv Senior Member

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    Found this on r/priusoffroad and couldn't watch the last 30 minutes ;) think the prius needs a lift ket ...
    youtu.be/Rl2t1AkTC98?t=330
    The video reminded me of the tic tok that @fuzzy1 posted a few weeks ago about how google maps (drive) redireded travelers onto a similar "off the beaten trail - reroute" ......
     
  16. black_jmyntrn

    black_jmyntrn Senior Member

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    and some got stuck, right?

    have you seen this?

     
  17. poleup

    poleup Junior Member

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    This was interesting. I wonder how the fuel consumption varies with a full load? And how does the Prius handle bumps on dirt roads? My old 2012 Prius was not very powerful, so I am worried that the new Prius will also bump on bumps.
     
  18. black_jmyntrn

    black_jmyntrn Senior Member

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    35mpg @ 75mph

    the thing is, when modified proper it doesn't bump on bumps...

     
  19. poleup

    poleup Junior Member

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    this is a good fuel consumption indicator for a car
     
  20. black_jmyntrn

    black_jmyntrn Senior Member

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    especially heavily modified