[voltok]

my level 1 charger that came with the car is plugged into an outlet , with only a garage door opener on it , it was getting pretty warm so i changed out the outlet with a new one , didnt change any , i also plugged it into a outlet that is literally 6 inches from the panel with only that outlet on it ( wasnt my wiring ) and it was the same temp , ive got the charger with the black cord , 2012 volt was bought used .

so whats the acceptable temp for the plug / ect to get to before i / we should be alarmed ? i used a surface temp gun ( cheap from harbor freight ) , also air temp was 80 -90 ( summer ) during charging i got as high as 130 temps at the plug /outlet , no other problems , and have been using this same plug for 5 months now .

should i be looking for a new outlet ?

thanks everyone.

ALSO POSTED IN GEN 1 FORUM SECTION , hope its ok

 

[volt spain]

Too hot for LEVEL 1. ,probably Ok for LEVEL 2...At 130 F you need gloves to touch...too hot, I will get new outlet to play safe. Good luck.

 

[llninja]

Too hot for LEVEL 1. ,probably Ok for LEVEL 2...At 130 F you need gloves to touch...too hot, I will get new outlet to play safe. Good luck.

And not a cheap outlet. A good heavy duty one.

Forum member Dutch posted this primer recently

http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread...e-electrical-system&highlight=Hospital+outlet

 

[Dutch]

Most wire/outlets are rated for an absolute maximum of 194°F
That being said, anything too hot for you to touch with the bare hand, is too hot for use.
(noting that discomfort starts at about 120 degrees F)

In summary, 130F... too hot. Something is definitely wrong.

 

[wordptom]

The 2011/2012 Volt charging system defaults to 12 amps for 120 v charging. You can change this to 8 amps on the EVSE itself designed for those models (it has a charge level button, as shown in the owner manual), or on the center display screen when you charge (press the Leaf button, then the Charging button - you can also set up delayed charging there).

Reduced current, less heat. Later models default to 8 amps.

...I normally use 240 v charging at home, and just observed that the "Charging" display on the center screen in my 2012 Volt has the "Change Charge Mode" but not the "Change Charge Level" option. It seems I must use the button on my EVSE for that purpose (the last time I plugged in at my sister’s house, that button worked fine to limit it to 8 amps)... the 2012 owner manual says, "This feature is available on some models."

 

[Upper5Percent]

my level 1 charger that came with the car is plugged into an outlet , with only a garage door opener on it , it was getting pretty warm so i changed out the outlet with a new one , didnt change any , i also plugged it into a outlet that is literally 6 inches from the panel with only that outlet on it ( wasnt my wiring ) and it was the same temp , ive got the charger with the black cord , 2012 volt was bought used .

so whats the acceptable temp for the plug / ect to get to before i / we should be alarmed ? i used a surface temp gun ( cheap from harbor freight ) , also air temp was 80 -90 ( summer ) during charging i got as high as 130 temps at the plug /outlet , no other problems , and have been using this same plug for 5 months now .

should i be looking for a new outlet ?

thanks everyone.

ALSO POSTED IN GEN 1 FORUM SECTION , hope its ok

You might have loose connections...

You should also temperature check your breakers...
http://www.schneider-electric.us/en/faqs/FA173839/

 

[rmay635703]

I've often wondered, 200C + electrical insulation doesn't really cost anymore than standard insulation,

Why aren't these types of materials used in the outlet and home wiring?

I have an outlet from the 20s that's still tight and made of ceramic.

I've often wondered if the spec for home outlets needs to move up, just as it has done many times before.

 

[Loboc]

"Changed the outlet" with what? If the new outlet cost less than $5 try again. 130F is too hot. There is an overload.

Examine the plug on the EVSE as well. Are the blades discolored or loose when plugged into the outlet?

 

[wws]

I sometimes use 120v charging. Mainly when it is during peak cost time, and I just need a little more charge in the car. The receptacle is a 20 year old Leviton "Spec grade" 20 amp GFCI. After a few hours of charging at 12 amps, the plug is hardly warm.

Be sure your replacement receptacle is "spec grade" (e.g., commercial, industrial, or even hospital quality). Just say "no" to residential quality. Also be sure to use the screw terminals on the side, and not the "backstab" style of wiring. On Spec grade with the stabs, the screws actually press a plate against the wire - rather than using a knife to cut into it. However on the above GFCI, I had a problem where the electrician used the stab technique and the plates wouldn't properly hold the wires tight. So I had to redo it by traditionally wrapping the wires around the screws. Problem solved.

 

[wws]

I've often wondered, 200C + electrical insulation doesn't really cost anymore than standard insulation,

Why aren't these types of materials used in the outlet and home wiring?

I have an outlet from the 20s that's still tight and made of ceramic.

I've often wondered if the spec for home outlets needs to move up, just as it has done many times before.

Home contractors will use the cheapest stuff they can get away with. Most folks are happy plugging a table lamp into a $0.39 receptacle. A Leviton BR-15 is about $2 at Home Depot. So if an average house has 100 receptacles, why should the contractor spend an extra $160 for something most folks will never notice? And if an electrician can save a minute or two installing each of those 100 receptacles (not to mention all the wall switches) by using the backstabs, rather than the screws, that is another couple hours labor (say, $200) that he can use to lower his bid. Again, most folks would never notice.

 

[rmay635703]

That may have been true 15 years ago but with all the electronic garbage a lot of folks are using way more juice.

Personal experience is Those cheapies can have trouble with rather light steady loads like a big screen and electronics

 

[llninja]

That may have been true 15 years ago but with all the electronic garbage a lot of folks are using way more juice.

Personal experience is Those cheapies can have trouble with rather light steady loads like a big screen and electronics

I don't think we're using more juice. Old picture tube TVs consume as lot more than the new LCD flat panels. The cost to charge an iPhone for a year is under $2. Modern broadwell, skylake, or kabylake laptops barely sip any juice as they are as low power as they come, not even needing a fan for cooling. Most people have switched from incandescent lights to CFL or LED. Appliances have become much more energy efficient with some refrigerators costing $58 per year to power. OK, I'll give you the fact that microwaves and electric stoves and ovens still consume a lot of power.

 

[supchrgamx]

I just read that power consumption is down overall due to led lighting , led tvs and energy eff. appliances
I would go with a spec. grade receptacle, they have a better contact to the blades of your plug, that reduces heating across the contact
would not use the 15/20 amp recpt or as I call it, T slot

 

[Upper5Percent]

I don't think we're using more juice. Old picture tube TVs consume as lot more than the new LCD flat panels. The cost to charge an iPhone for a year is under $2. Modern broadwell, skylake, or kabylake laptops barely sip any juice as they are as low power as they come, not even needing a fan for cooling. Most people have switched from incandescent lights to CFL or LED. Appliances have become much more energy efficient with some refrigerators costing $58 per year to power. OK, I'll give you the fact that microwaves and electric stoves and ovens still consume a lot of power.

Really?...Look at the power panel of a home built in the 1950's that HAS NOT been updated...maybe 4 to 6 screw in fuses for the house, a couple of big pull fuse for the electric range and that was it...

Even 15 years ago...100 amp home service panels were quite normal...vs 200 amp service panels today...heck, even my barn has finally been upgraded to 200 amp service...

 

[llninja]

Really?...Look at the power panel of a home built in the 1950's that HAS NOT been updated...maybe 4 to 6 screw in fuses for the house, a couple of big pull fuse for the electric range and that was it...

Even 15 years ago...100 amp home service panels were quite normal...vs 200 amp service panels today...heck, even my barn has finally been upgraded to 200 amp service...

No fair bringing up houses from 60+ years ago. The question was posed as 15 years ago. I agree, in the 50's there was far less need for electricity until televisions started to pop up in every household. Plus, there's a white box near the top that says "To new breaker panel" so this house has been updated, it just doesn't show the updated panel.

But I guess I'm being a little hypocritical. My house has 400 amp service with fewer than half the breaker positions occupied in both 200 amp panels. Plus there is an additional 60 amp panel in the basement that feeds off of one of the 200amp panels. In modern houses, I think they put a power plug every 10 feet or so for convenience, yet, to support that convenience, they are forced to put in more breakers for the worst case scenario. But the basic replacement of incandescents with CFL and LEDs has dropped our electrical usage considerably (though in my house, we've then decided to add more lighting since LED electrical consumption is so low.

 

[Dutch]

I'm a tech guy/tech geek. 90% of what I own plugs in someplace.

But, I do have fun running a small set of solar panels to charge a battery pack which I then use to charge my cell phone and tablet at night.

 

[supchrgamx]

https://energyathaas.wordpress.com/...decline-in-electricity-use-by-u-s-households/

 

[supchrgamx]

No fair bringing up houses from 60+ years ago. The question was posed as 15 years ago. I agree, in the 50's there was far less need for electricity until televisions started to pop up in every household. Plus, there's a white box near the top that says "To new breaker panel" so this house has been updated, it just doesn't show the updated panel.

But I guess I'm being a little hypocritical. My house has 400 amp service with fewer than half the breaker positions occupied in both 200 amp panels. Plus there is an additional 60 amp panel in the basement that feeds off of one of the 200amp panels. In modern houses, I think they put a power plug every 10 feet or so for convenience, yet, to support that convenience, they are forced to put in more breakers for the worst case scenario. But the basic replacement of incandescents with CFL and LEDs has dropped our electrical usage considerably (though in my house, we've then decided to add more lighting since LED electrical consumption is so low.

400 amp service , running a grow op?
houses around here are still on 60 amp and its the insurance companies that are making them change to 100 amp

 

[llninja]

400 amp service , running a grow op?
houses around here are still on 60 amp and its the insurance companies that are making them change to 100 amp

My geothermal system has 3 separate big 240V sets of wires going to it (and this is supposed to save me energy, right?). If they put in 200 amp, I would have had very few, if any, circuit breaker spots left. Plus it's a big house.

If I were running a successful grow op, I'd be rolling in a new maxed out Escalade, not a 4 year old volt.

 

[Upper5Percent]

No fair bringing up houses from 60+ years ago. The question was posed as 15 years ago. I agree, in the 50's there was far less need for electricity until televisions started to pop up in every household. Plus, there's a white box near the top that says "To new breaker panel" so this house has been updated, it just doesn't show the updated panel.

But I guess I'm being a little hypocritical. My house has 400 amp service with fewer than half the breaker positions occupied in both 200 amp panels. Plus there is an additional 60 amp panel in the basement that feeds off of one of the 200amp panels. In modern houses, I think they put a power plug every 10 feet or so for convenience, yet, to support that convenience, they are forced to put in more breakers for the worst case scenario. But the basic replacement of incandescents with CFL and LEDs has dropped our electrical usage considerably (though in my house, we've then decided to add more lighting since LED electrical consumption is so low.

The picture showed the initial service to the house WHILE they upgraded to a new service panel...I couldn't find the one I took of my Dad's place...

My Dad's house had a similar main panel (circa 1950s) with two subpanels elsewhere in the house added in the 70s...most of the house is still knob and tube...

I did reference 15 years ago under the picture......100 amp home service panels were quite normal...vs 200 amp service panels today...heck, even my barn has finally been upgraded to 200 amp service...