Is the standard trickle charging cable water/weatherproof?

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bordman

Member
Joined
Oct 1, 2013
Messages
5
We are getting our leaf tomorrow! WOOOOOO! But a thought occurred today, a scary one.

Our home doesn't have a garage, but a small carport. Our issue is that its very hard to squeeze a car into it, meaning we usually just leave our cars in the driveway since you would have to climb out of the trunk to get out of the car.

We get pretty rainy weather here during the winter months which are quickly approaching. We have a small well house to the left of where we park the cars that is safely sealed, and is where the old washer and dryer were located prior to renovating the house. We have our plug in safely inside and a safe place for the "base" of the charger.

This being said, will it be safe to run the cord and plug in the charger exposed to the elements? Or will we have to figure something else out, or look for another vehicle. Our nissan dealer literally has no clue about the leaf, as I was jokingly offered half the commission based on me having knowledge of the car other then how to start it so when I asked them this today they simply had no answer for me.

Thanks in advance!
 
I hope it's fine because that's what I've been doing for two weeks. And there's been a major rain storm going on here the last three days.

But, I'd say yes. You can't have child safety caps on vitamins and a car charger that will kill you if it gets wet. That thing has an entire communication protocol it goes through before any current flows to ensure safety. I literally plug that thing in routinely while standing in rain that's coming down in sheets, then leave it there for 12 hours. I've stopped worrying about it at all. The positive and negative are so isolated that getting water in there is just not going to do anything.
 
pkulak said:
I hope it's fine because that's what I've been doing for two weeks. And there's been a major rain storm going on here the last three days.

But, I'd say yes. You can't have child safety caps on vitamins and a car charger that will kill you if it gets wet. That thing has an entire communication protocol it goes through before any current flows to ensure safety. I literally plug that thing in routinely while standing in rain that's coming down in sheets, then leave it there for 12 hours. I've stopped worrying about it at all. The positive and negative are so isolated that getting water in there is just not going to do anything.

LOL! I love the analogy and thanks for the quick response. I figured it was a non issue but seeing as how we finalize the paperwork tomorrow I got a bit nervous!

Thanks a bunch and other's input will also be greatly appreciated!
 
Yes, the very reason for this "brick", or EVSE as some like to call it, is to provide an added level of safety. The cable is not energized until a connection to the car has been established, and the circuit is then monitored for any current leaks, which would trigger a ground fault. The cord is de-energized when the charging has completed or the button on the plug is pushed before pulling it out. As always, it's a good idea to take reasonable precautions, but I would not worry about it. This is what the system has been designed for. It's not a "hair dryer in the rain" type of situation.
newownermnl
 
Strictly speaking the connector came with mobile charger is not water proof but they are rated against water splash when connected to the connector housing in the car. I believe it is rated around IP 54 when they are connected. This should be acceptable for car being charged at outdoor charging station under the rain. So far I have not seen any warning at outdoor station saying "Do not charge during rain". In fact, based on the current design of j1772 and the vehicle port, water splash would not get inside the connector when it is connected.
 
I believe the brick is considered resistant but not waterproof. Keep the brick out of standing water and you should be fine. If the brick is basically inside you have no worries. The cord and J1772 connector can be used in the rain or snow just fine without issues. If you have 240 volts in the wellhouse I recommend upgrading the brick to 240v or purchasing a 240v unit.
 
Watch out for the plug at the other end. (The standard wall outlet) It is not waterproof. Connect it to an extension cord and wrap that connection up really well with tape and keep it off the ground.
 
johnrhansen said:
Watch out for the plug at the other end. (The standard wall outlet) It is not waterproof. Connect it to an extension cord and wrap that connection up really well with tape and keep it off the ground.
Outlets mounted on the outside of a building should be GFCI-protected. If you plugin the EVSE 'brick' directly without an extension cord into such an outlet, it should be quite safe.
 
I know this is old, but I wanted to correct some bad info in the previous reply. GFCI protection works with an extension cord as well. In fact, now days, many houses use GFCI circuit breakers to protect a number of outlets at once. So you will be safe plugging the brick into an extension cord and then into an outlet that is either a GFCI outlet or is on a gif I protected circuit. Just make sure it is a 14gauge or better yet a 12gauge cord with quality ends.
 
Joeynovak said:
I know this is old, but I wanted to correct some bad info in the previous reply. GFCI protection works with an extension cord as well. In fact, now days, many houses use GFCI circuit breakers to protect a number of outlets at once. So you will be safe plugging the brick into an extension cord and then into an outlet that is either a GFCI outlet or is on a gif I protected circuit. Just make sure it is a 14gauge or better yet a 12gauge cord with quality ends.

14g extension cords should not be used. Even 12G cords fail and they are usually poorly made and length is the mitigating factor so this is not safe advice. There is also a reason the standard has a short input cord.
 
No EVSE is completely weatherproof. Most will fail if fully submerged. All of them are weather resistant. That is to say they are unaffected by rain but do not allow them to sit in a puddle. Use a little common sense. That is why they claim weather resistant, not weatherproof. I am sure some idiot dunked his EVSE in a pond and cried foul when it failed.
 
EVDRIVER said:
Joeynovak said:
I know this is old, but I wanted to correct some bad info in the previous reply. GFCI protection works with an extension cord as well. In fact, now days, many houses use GFCI circuit breakers to protect a number of outlets at once. So you will be safe plugging the brick into an extension cord and then into an outlet that is either a GFCI outlet or is on a gif I protected circuit. Just make sure it is a 14gauge or better yet a 12gauge cord with quality ends.

14g extension cords should not be used. Even 12G cords fail and they are usually poorly made and length is the mitigating factor so this is not safe advice. There is also a reason the standard has a short input cord.

I am going to disagree vehemently. You show me the voltage drop of a 14ga extension cord over 50' for 11amps, convert that to heat and show me that it's dangerous, and I'll relent. The standard charger draws 11.5ish amps. 14ga is fine for that current. Contractors use 100' 14ga extension cords to run multi-horsepower table saws on job sites all the time. I use a 50' 14ga cord to run my 120v welder at times. Yes, the cord gets warm, but warmth != dangerous. HOT == dangerous.

There is also a reason the standard has a short input cord.

Seriously? I don't know what the reason was, but it has nothing to do with extension cords being bad. My guess, is that it's just cheaper.

Yes, cheap cords have cheap ends. Don't use a cheap extension cord. but just saying "All extension cords are evil when used with an EVSE" is just plain ignorance or border line fear-mongering.
 
Wire almost never fails if it is unwind.
What fails is the plug and socket. Also connections in the socket. Those fail.
Multi horsepower blabla saw is not drawing all those horses for hours.
Just for a second if heavily loaded. Welding machine same thing. Idle draw is minimal.

But standard EVSE is limited to low amperage so actually having 14 gauge wire is ok
for temporary use. Thing is wasting electricity on wire heating is actually pretty stupid if
done for years. It is cheaper to have better wire. And car will charge faster too.
Extension cords are forbidden because usually they have multiple sockets.
Adding anything else to EVSE is a huge risk. I'm not talking about cell phone charger, but lets
say a coffee maker, fridge. Thing is multiple sockets is not ok as free socket means it can
be used by stranger who doesn't understand how electricity works (even if EV owners does).

Nissan could not force people to have dedicated 110V plug directly from main box. Too complex.
Enough if all plugs under one cable are protected with appropriate circuit breaker.
And all connections are perfectly torqued.

Cable between EVSE box and wall plug is not protected (GFCI is not mandatory for house wiring often).
This is why having EVSE box as far as possible from the vehicle is a good idea.
Also it will most likely not be in the puddle if it hangs from the socket. Not from extension cord.

In Europe portable so-called "level1" EVSE is limited to 2000W. This is even less than some home appliances
(even those that draw for long periods). Water heater, radiators.

Delimano instant faucet water heater draws freaking 3000W :shock: :lol: They do not explode or anything :D
 
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