110v Appliance Buddy or similar?

[Joaozinho]

For many reasons, I am limited to 110v L1 charging in my detached garage for my 2015 Leaf S. The only circuit is a 16A that also has to run the garage door opener. Simplicity is important.

Has anyone used this, from VegasBrad (he also does Dryer Buddy)?

https://www.bsaelectronics.com/collections/dryer-buddy-plus-auto/products/appiance-buddy-plus-auto-1-custom-15a-2-way-switcher-5-5-5-15-plug-cable-to-two-5-15-outlets-with-kwh-meter

Or does anyone have any experience setting up and using anything similar? I've set up SmartThings automations, but I think they are neither dependable enough, nor simple enough to explain to other members of my household given the risk involved.

 

[Learjet]

So you have a 120 Volt 20 amp circuit to the garage and you are derating it to 16 amps?

The car uses @13 amps on L1 120 volts....I'll bet the circuit will not overload during the short time the door is operating....probably only 3 amps or so for the door motor.

 

[GerryAZ]

There are two problems with switched outlets to charge an EV:
1. The car will draw the maximum current the onboard charger will use or the maximum allowed by the EVSE (whichever is less). The portable EVSE from Nissan will allow the car to draw 12 amperes at 120 volts. It takes a really good power relay to interrupt 12 amperes frequently without failing so most smart outlets will soon fail.
2. The frequent switching (and associated voltage surges) may damage the EVSE and/or the onboard charger. The onboard charger ramps current up when it starts charging so recovering from a normal power outage should not cause problems, but there may be problems if the circuit switches the outlet on and then switches it off while the car's onboard charger is still starting up and ramping the current.

As Learjet noted, the garage door opener is an intermittent load so it will probably not trip a 20A circuit breaker when combined with the 12A continuous charging load. If the circuit to the garage is only rated at 15 amperes, then you could purchase an EVSE that has adjustable current level. Setting the allowable current down to 8 amperes would certainly prevent inadvertent tripping, but greatly increase charging time.

 

[Joaozinho]

Thanks for the helpful replies.

There are two problems with switched outlets to charge an EV:
1. The car will draw the maximum current the onboard charger will use or the maximum allowed by the EVSE (whichever is less). The portable EVSE from Nissan will allow the car to draw 12 amperes at 120 volts. It takes a really good power relay to interrupt 12 amperes frequently without failing so most smart outlets will soon fail.

So if (big if) I use any smart outlet, I should if at all possible do it before plugging, or after unplugging, the EVSE into the car? More as a backup?

2. The frequent switching (and associated voltage surges) may damage the EVSE and/or the onboard charger. The onboard charger ramps current up when it starts charging so recovering from a normal power outage should not cause problems, but there may be problems if the circuit switches the outlet on and then switches it off while the car's onboard charger is still starting up and ramping the current.

Good to know. My aim with the Appliance Buddy was to only use it as a backstop. I would think that it wouldn't have to do its thing more than once a month. Would that qualify as frequent? On what time scale does the onboard charger ramp up?

If the circuit to the garage is only rated at 15 amperes, then you could purchase an EVSE that has adjustable current level. Setting the allowable current down to 8 amperes would certainly prevent inadvertent tripping, but greatly increase charging time.

I've got one of those, but it typically is unacceptably slow.

So you have a 120 Volt 20 amp circuit to the garage and you are derating it to 16 amps?

No, sorry, 16A should have been 15A derating to 12A, which appears to be what my Nissan portable EVSE runs at. I run a whole-house sniffer on the panel.

I'll bet the circuit will not overload during the short time the door is operating....probably only 3 amps or so for the door motor.

I was wondering about that too. My opener is ancient so it may be drawing more than that. Might a new DC opener be a good choice, no matter what else I do? I'm having trouble finding info on the current they draw. I realize it varies a lot, but my door is light.

 

[MikeinPA]

What Gerry said. The L1/L2 on board charging electronics in the PDM are a weak point. If this fails, and they do, many $$ to fix. Switching a charger on and off via the power to it does not sound like a great idea.

Would a battery operated garage door make more sense? Start with one with a back up battery, and then just trickle charger the backup battery.

Also, if you are going to use the single circuit at or near it's 80% NEC limit, you may want to make sure the wire connections are clean and tight. Copper connections need to be retorqued after first tightening and I have seen licensed electricians skip this part. Maybe replace the outlet with a commercial grade. And check the wiring upstream too. Maybe put an arcfault breaker in if it is not there already.

 

[Joaozinho]

What Gerry said. The L1/L2 on board charging electronics in the PDM are a weak point. If this fails, and they do, many $$ to fix. Switching a charger on and off via the power to it does not sound like a great idea.

Would a battery operated garage door make more sense? Start with one with a back up battery, and then just trickle charger the backup battery.

Also, if you are going to use the single circuit at or near it's 80% NEC limit, you may want to make sure the wire connections are clean and tight. Copper connections need to be retorqued after first tightening and I have seen licensed electricians skip this part. Maybe replace the outlet with a commercial grade. And check the wiring upstream too. Maybe put an arcfault breaker in if it is not there already.

Thanks, Mike. I will check into all of these things. For the breaker, just swap it out in my panel, or get an AFCI outlet?

 

[MikeinPA]

Here is someone running off the back up battery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOj24xTfLqw . I prefer the breaker variety, but the both should work. I am picturing a single circuit run to a garage, which usually would mean someone just added a circuit to an other wise unpowered building. There is a tax credit for EV charger installation costs which would apply if you had someone put a new circuit in. Good luck!

 

[Joaozinho]

Thanks. I had no idea that the battery backups were so affordable. I like that because I wouldn't be sinking more $ into the Leaf, which is unlikely to be permanent.

I am picturing a single circuit run to a garage, which usually would mean someone just added a circuit to an other wise unpowered building. There is a tax credit for EV charger installation costs which would apply if you had someone put a new circuit in. Good luck!

No, it's a condo built that way in 1979. At least I had the dangerous Federal Pacific breaker panel replaced!

I'm not sure given HOA issues that I can get a new circuit installed, but I'm checking into that too.