50 ft level 1? I have occasionally used a 12 AWG (wire gauge) 50' extension cord to plug into a barn outlet. This is not recommended though as temperatures can rise at all connections on the circuit, especially at the old barn outlet. Older circuits are prone to arcing... big potential fire hazard (I checked for heat at that old outlet at the 4hr mark.) I burnt out my garage outlet after a year of Level 1 charging...heard a spark and smelled burning...the receptacle was cooking. Got the Level 2 charging station soon after. Never use 14 AWG., set your charging rate to 8 amps, use dieletric grease at connections...talk to an electrician.

 

extension cord no good. looking for 50 ft cable level 1 that plugs into standard outlet.

 

I don't know of any 120V EVSE's with a 50' cable from the EVSE to the car. Google, Clipper Creek, make one?

You can level it plugged into an outside outlet, but I'd use a weather proof outlet cover and keep the unit in a water shedding container/ The electronic are sealed, but some have allowed water to seep in. No power from the EVSE to car when not plugged in, but there is power from the wall to the EVSE even when not in use.

 

Dielectric grease, or tune-up grease, is a silicone-based grease that repels moisture and protects electrical connections against corrosion. ... The grease does not conduct electricity, so it shouldn't be applied directly to the mating surfaces (pins and sockets) of an electrical connection.

You can purchase a J1772 extension cable, if that is what you need however these are $$.

It is best to leave the Level 1 EVSE plugged in even when not charging. Repeated plugging and unplugging will, over time, loosen the connection and wear out the receptacle. Don't let the EVSE hang from the power plug. The plug and the socket are not designed to support the weight of the EVSE electronics package. Support the EVSE electronics package in some way to take the strain off the power plug.

 

Dielectric grease, or tune-up grease, is a silicone-based grease that repels moisture and protects electrical connections against corrosion. ... The grease does not conduct electricity, so it shouldn't be applied directly to the mating surfaces (pins and sockets) of an electrical connection.

It's grease. It moves That's the point of grease. It also move away from being between mating surfaces that actually touch in an electrical connection, leaving only an infinitesimally thin layer that correspondingly leave only infinitesimally low resistance between the mating surfaces, leaving the REST of the surface it's on prtected from corrosion, which is the whole point of putting it on: to keep connections that are made and broken repeated in good shape to be connected again later, and those later connections are via metal that's in good shape, with clean mating, and not trying to conduct through a layer of corrosion.

 

I'd strongly recommend extending the circuit by purchasing 50ft of armored 12 AWG MC/BX cable that is direct connected to the closest junction box and has a water tight receptacle on the other. Ideally the receptacle is mounted to a fixed pedestal or wall. That would be FAR safer and also economical.

https://www.grainger.com/product/SOUTHWIRE-Metal-Clad-Armored-Cable-20KZ52

$52 plus receptacle.

 

JLong™ J1772 Extension Cable - 40 Amp Maximum

JLong™ is the ultimate and highest quality 40 amp compatible extension cable that maintains or exceeds all functionality, durability, and safety protocols of the J1772 / L1 / Level 1 / L2 / Level 2 charging systems used by virtually every other modern Electric Vehicle (EV) sold in North America...

qccharge.com

 

I would be wary of using dielectric grease or any substance that could retain dust and dirt anywhere near an electrical connection except maybe in a marine application where the risk of corrosion outweighs the downside of using the dielectric grease.

 

Re: dielectric grease. This product is also known as silicone grease. Unlike vaseline which is petroleum based silicone-based dielectric grease will not harm rubber or plastic parts. The most common automotive application for dielectric grease is to lubricate and protect the inside of the rubber boot of a spark plug wire. In this application the dielectric grease can keep the rubber boot of the spark plug wire from fusing to the ceramic insulator of the spark plug. This would make it impossible to later remove the spark plug wire from the spark plug without damaging the boot when it is time to change the spark plug. If a little bit of the dielectric grease accidently gets onto the spark plug wire connector the dielectric grease will most likely be pushed out of the way when the spark plug wire is connected to the spark plug. Too much dielectric grease getting onto the electrical connection may cause the spark plug to misfire as dielectric grease is definitely insulating and non-conductive of electricity. Dielectric grease can also help prevent electrical arcing between the spark plug wire and the engine block. Dielectric grease is useful in marine gas engine applications where water may be present around the spark plug wire(s) to seal out moisture and prevent corrosion. In the spark plug wire application dielectric grease is unlikely to collect dust and dirt.

 

where can I find a 50 ft level 1 charging cable?
any issue leaving my factory level 1 charging cable plugged into the outlet? it's not drawing any charge if car is not connected right?

This cord is sold out at 50 foot length but is available in the 25 foot version : J-Plug™ - 40 Amp J1772 Plug/Cable Assembly

 

Do NOT use a 50' cable - besides being unsafe, you get a huge amount of electrical resistance... GM even says 'No!' on using extension cables.

 

Huge amount? About .15 ohms for 100 feet of #12, or close to 2 volts of loss for a 50 foot cable at the 12 amp charging rate. Not an unreasonable loss for an EVSE rated for 85-132 vac.
Also, the armored cable mentioned (from Granger) is specified for indoor use, which may be a problem for the original poster.
The bottom line is you have to be smart about doing this stuff and be cautious of connections that can overheat.

 

gen 1 Volt or gen 2 Volt, or Bolt EV? if gen 2 or Bolt, just use a heavy gauge extension cord and a new industrial grade wall-socket and don't worry about it. The gen 2 Volt/Bolt EV charge cord has thermal protection built into the plug.

 

And where is the thermal sensor between the heavy grade extension cord and receptacle? That connection is just as susceptible for overheating.

If this is going to be a semi-permanent install then extend the circuit the right way and don't risk a fire by being lazy. We're talking ~$1/ft for armored 12 AWG MC/BX cable. There is no excuse for cheeping out on something this heavy use.

 

it's not drawing any charge if car is not connected right?

I’ve measured the included Gen 1 charging cable at ~2.5 watts when idle.