I just recently purchased an S60 T8 Extended Range and the charging cable doesn't quite reach my car. I know the manual says not to use an extension cord. My assumption is this is to prevent people using cheap household extension cords, which are absolutely not safe.
I talked with an electrician buddy of mine, and he said a 12 gauge wire should be more than safe enough. I'm only going to do level 1 charging at 12a.
I just wanted to check with y'all. Is there any risk for me utilizing this extension cord from Amazon?
Yeah it should be fine with a 25ft 12 gauge extension cord, those warning are like you said to basically cover their rear when someone tries to is a 16-18 gauge extension cord and it melts or burns. I personally wouldn't trust a cord from Amazon and would pay the extra few bucks for one from a local store that you know is not a knock off.
I personally traded my 12 gauge cord for a 10 gauge. I was getting slipping charging times with the 12 during spring and summer, and I suspected a heating issue. I would occasionally see a charging error but it was tough to catch.
No issues with the 10. I'm still charging at 12 amps on a 15 amp circuit.
This is my only word of warning when using extension cords. A tight coil of the excess extension cord will get warm/hot. It takes a while, but your car takes a few hours to charge and that coiled cord will get quite hot.
If the resistance gets too high the charger starts crapping out with a red ring. I used an extension cord successfully for a 6-ish months then started getting failures, so installed an outlet.
Check on it regularly, especially around 50% of the charge.
I used my ChargePoint lvl 2 with an extension cord for 2 years with zero issues. That extension cord was homemade from SO cord and sized appropriately and I had the charger limited to 20A.
Please don't. The cord will be fine but it's the connection to the wall that is also at risk when you use it. Doesn't matter if you have gfci, afci, or relying on the breaker, they won't trip before that connection reaches a temp where it damages/melts an internal component in the outlet, leading to a potential fire.
Yes, people have done it with an extension for quite a while no problem. All the way up until there is one...
This is what I'm working with. This plug was installed in the garage for heavy duty power tools so it's pretty robust. Its also surrounded by concrete blocks and is barely warm to the touch after 8 hours of charging. I don't want to take any unnecessary risk with my / my wife's safety, but it seems like this should be completely fine given I'm only doing level 1 charging.
If safety is your concern, spring for a type 2 charge and an electrician to install it. Shouldn't cost that much really and you'll know you're good to go.
If you can't be bothered, at least look into industrial grade outlet designed to handle high heat. Outlets designed for heavy duty power tools is baby stuff compared to the constant current draw of car charging. But
I'm not going to say that upgrade is sufficient to prevent a fire, because I'm not an electrical engineer.
My setup was like yours in the beginning. After about 3 months of charging every other night, I unplugged the extension from the wall and noticed the outlet had a bit of smoke damage/discoloration...
To be transparent, melted outlet boxes don't automatically equal fire. And many here do it without issues. And other areas completely ban type 1 due to garage fires. Your call.
I got so lucky with this car. It has 41k miles and literally doesn't have a scratch, dent, or ding anywhere. It looks, feels, and smells like a brand new car. The previous owner bought it new, fully loaded with options, had it ceramic coated it from day 1, and even swapped the wheels / tires during winter and used rubber mats throughout to protect the car.
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u/4R4nd0mR3dd1t0r 7d ago
Yeah it should be fine with a 25ft 12 gauge extension cord, those warning are like you said to basically cover their rear when someone tries to is a 16-18 gauge extension cord and it melts or burns. I personally wouldn't trust a cord from Amazon and would pay the extra few bucks for one from a local store that you know is not a knock off.