[jakesterpdx]

Hi All,

I've got my car set up to use 12 amps and to charge on a schedule according to the off-peak billing times.

Many times now, my wife will forget to unplug the Volt before running our vacuum cleaner and that will trip a breaker. I'm pretty sure that this causes the car to charge at 8 amps, and it might also cause it to revert to charging as soon as it's plugged in (not according to the off-peak schedule).

I'm getting pretty good at remembering to go fix this, since I'm the one that usually resets the breaker, but I was wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to handle this better. For example, is there a way to get alerted when the car decides to move back to 8 amps, or a way to force it to always stay on 12 amps?

 

[freshcut]

I believe there is a way to set it to default to 12A charging in the settings. Read the manual, but I recall something about a "home" setting for the Gen 2 that will tell the car it's ok to default to 12A based on the GPS location.

 

[trm2]

What else is on the circuit if a vacuum can trip the breaker? It may be better to charge at 8 amp, but the g2 volt does have location based charging.

 

[Rampage_Rick]

Not sure of the Gen2 because of the fancy schmancy "Home" setting, but with the Gen1 if you set it to 12 amps the only way to reset it back to 8 amps is to shift it out of Park.

 

[rob]

Hi All,

I've got my car set up to use 12 amps and to charge on a schedule according to the off-peak billing times.

Many times now, my wife will forget to unplug the Volt before running our vacuum cleaner and that will trip a breaker. I'm pretty sure that this causes the car to charge at 8 amps, and it might also cause it to revert to charging as soon as it's plugged in (not according to the off-peak schedule).

I'm getting pretty good at remembering to go fix this, since I'm the one that usually resets the breaker, but I was wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to handle this better. For example, is there a way to get alerted when the car decides to move back to 8 amps, or a way to force it to always stay on 12 amps?

OnStar will text or email you for charge interruptions.

Really though, find another circuit for your charger outlet. Preferably one with nothing else on it! Also, Roomba.

 

[Loboc]

The real fix is a dedicated circuit. The ultimate fix is an L2 EVSE.

 

[HiFlite]

If the circuit is that close to its trip limit, charge at 8 Amps! You're putting your house at risk of a fire.

 

[Chris TX]

If you have a 240V outlet, just get an adapter for that stock EVSE and be done with it.

 

[Arcanox]

If the circuit is that close to its trip limit, charge at 8 Amps! You're putting your house at risk of a fire.

Some vacuums will have a huge current draw spike when they turn on. Any large motor will. I will say that I find it odd that the OP is charging their car on an outlet where a vacuum is also being used, but I charge mine in my garage and my dad has tripped a breaker before by running an electric leaf blower at the same time.

 

[Norton]

Just run a dedicated circuit now with heavy gauge wires for future proofing, even if you want to have it be a 120V outlet and stay with the stock L1 EVSE.

As said, you are playing with fire knowingly having a set up that trips the circuit breaker all the time.

 

[jeff_h]

As said, you are playing with fire knowingly having a set up that trips the circuit breaker all the time.

We've had a few people post on the Fusion Energi forum about experiencing similar things, here are a couple pics that have been posted and Norton is right that it's risky to not have a dedicated circuit.

 

[Arcanox]

We've had a few people post on the Fusion Energi forum about experiencing similar things, here are a couple pics that have been posted and Norton is right that it's risky to not have a dedicated circuit.

That should be impossible on a Volt charger. It has built-in thermal monitoring on the plug contacts. However, extension cords or the "back-stab" types of outlets can be a problem because those parts can melt without triggering the thermal sensors on the charger.

 

[Qinsp]

Bite the bullet, install a dedicated circuit for EV charging.

Check your utility, state and Fed programs to defray the costs of EV infrastructure at your home.

 

[JD4JC]

Hi All,

Many times now, my wife will forget to unplug the Volt before running our vacuum cleaner and that will trip a breaker.

We have been having "ghost trips" caused by our vacuum cleaner, with a current draw far below the 15 Amp circuit feeding it. After lots of head scratching and research, I discovered that the cause was static discharge in the vacuum caused by low humidity and lots of dust passing through the hose during operations, that tripped the "arc fault" feature of the breaker. Switching to a "GFI only" breaker solved the problem.

 

[mazda3-turncoat]

Bite the bullet, install a dedicated circuit for EV charging.

Check your utility, state and Fed programs to defray the costs of EV infrastructure at your home.

What Qinsp said....
FYI, I live way up around Carleton Place Canada. I'm in the planning stages to take the plunge and buy my first EV, a 2017 Volt Premier. One of things I am budgeting for is a dedicated circuit...namely, a 240v L2 charge station.

Where I live, the province of Ontario has an EV incentive program for the chargers;
- 50% rebate to a max of $500 toward the the cost of a charge station
- 50% rebate to a max of $500 toward the cost to have it installed.

Makes taking the plunge on a fast charge dedicated circuit a little easier to swallow huh