FIRE using LVL 1 - 120 V Trickle Charger

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ste4en

Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2014
Messages
5
I am a happy Leaf owner, but wanted to warn other owners of the potential for fire at home. Purchased leaf 3 moths ago and using the Nissan supplied trickle 110 V cable to charge daily. Last week awoke 3am to smell something in the house, found the outlet used to supply the charge was melted out. The 2*4 studs either side of the outlet charred through. The affected garage wall is a shared wall with my dining room. When I inspected the wall after finding the initial burning, the paint on the wall was just starting to bubble up. Fire department got there quickly and damage was limited, but it could have burned my house down.

The circuit breaker did trip. Either the cable got too hot from the high amps it was drawing or a loose connection in the socket was to blame.

I ordered a level 2 charger and will install that on a dedicated circuit.

I called Nissan to see if they needed to check my car or trickle unit; they were very defensive and said its my house not the car and they didn't need to see it. I am not sure if I can repair the trickle cable it is a little melted at the plug but otherwise fine.

So please check your connections and be careful.

Steve H
 
Glad you caught it and no one was hurt.

My wife used to like to look at older homes. I always pointed us toward homes that at least had grounding outlets. I wanted something with a modern electrical system. So I could sleep better at night.

You might want to send your trickle to EVSE upgrade and let them certify its safety after an upgrade. 2 birds...

Again... glad no one was hurt and the house is still ok, mostly.
 
Glad you caught it as well...Trying to understand what might have happened....

How old is your house? Does it use aluminum wiring? Did that receptacle use "backstabbing" connections?

I've personally had some bad experiences with receptacles that use the "backstabbing" type of connections, and I try to rewire them to the screw terminals if I know there will be any kind of decent load on them (such as a 12 amp continuous Level 1 EVSE)...

This link below outlines the different types of connections on a receptacle....Does anything look familiar?

http://www.handymanhowto.com/electrical-outlets-side-wire-versus-back-wire/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
ste4en said:
or a loose connection in the socket was to blame.

I think you have nailed it right there. Its a well known issue that many people with EV's are using older, worn out garage receptacles to plug into, causing a fire hazard. If you search on this site, and the Tesla site, you will find that you are not the first. 15-20 amps is a LOT of current, so you need a receptacle that is in good condition, with a lot of pressure applied to the prongs when you insert the plug.
 
This has been a commonly reported issue, not just with the Leaf but other plug-in cars as well. In fact GM changed the Volt so that it defaults to 8 amp charging (which is pretty darned slow) to help avoid this. This often happens with space-heaters, microwave ovens, and other high-amperage loads.

The issue was almost definitely caused by the wiring in your house. The outlet was probably not up to code. And while you can go decades without a problem under normal use, plugging in something that draws a continuous load at 12 amps will push it to the limit.

Upgrading to a 240V station is probably a good idea with a Leaf for a number of reasons. You won't regret it.

On a side note, I bet EVSEUpgrade could repair your EVSE.
 
What country are you in?

US and Canada use 120v
Mexico uses 127v

There are some countries that use 110v but they aren't the most common suspects
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mains_electricity_by_country" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;\

Cuba is 110v

many Caribbean countries are 110v

Columbia is 110v

Taiwan is 110v


a way to avoid discussing voltage would be to change the title to "FIRE using L1 EVSE" or "FIRE using Nissan / Panasonic EVSE"
 
ste4en said:
I am a happy Leaf owner, but wanted to warn other owners of the potential for fire at home. Purchased leaf 3 moths ago and using the Nissan supplied trickle 110 V cable to charge daily. Last week awoke 3am to smell something in the house, found the outlet used to supply the charge was melted out. The 2*4 studs either side of the outlet charred through. The affected garage wall is a shared wall with my dining room. When I inspected the wall after finding the initial burning, the paint on the wall was just starting to bubble up. Fire department got there quickly and damage was limited, but it could have burned my house down.

The circuit breaker did trip. Either the cable got too hot from the high amps it was drawing or a loose connection in the socket was to blame.

I ordered a level 2 charger and will install that on a dedicated circuit.

I called Nissan to see if they needed to check my car or trickle unit; they were very defensive and said its my house not the car and they didn't need to see it. I am not sure if I can repair the trickle cable it is a little melted at the plug but otherwise fine.

So please check your connections and be careful.

Steve H
I'm glad your damage was limited. :shock: :D
Your experience is exactly why Nissan recommends strongly against routine use of the L1 EVSE, which has been extensively discussed in other threads.
There is just too much risk in many outlets for it to be routinely used by a lot of people.
Some percentage will run into serious problems, unless they verify the outlet is in very good condition and has good quality wiring connected properly with screw connections.
And even then, routine plugging and unplugging daily is causing wear and tear on the receptacle, and it will need to be inspected periodically to be sure it is still in good condition.

Was your L1 EVSE the original 2011 / 2012, or the newer 2013? Based on your delivery date likely 2013.
It is my understanding that the newer 2013 has built in temperature monitoring that will shut down the EVSE if the plug gets too hot. The 2011 / 2012 does not have that.
But even with the 2013 model, if the wiring is poor or has bad push in connections, it would still be possible for damage to occur before the EVSE would shut down.
 
I took delivery of my 2013 black SL two weeks ago. The first night I plugged into an outlet in my garage, I monitored the outlet itself as it was in a quad metal gang box. After two hours, the box was moderately warm. I unplugged and the next day visited my local Home Depot over lunch and picked up some new heavy duty leviton outlets. When I went to replace the outlets and rewire them, I found the previous owner had jumpered the receptacles together with 18guage stranded copper!!!!

Replaced with 12g solid, new receptacles......no more heat.

Severum
 
dhanson865 said:
What country are you in?

US and Canada use 120v
Mexico uses 127v

There are some countries that use 110v but they aren't the most common suspects
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mains_electricity_by_country" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;\
While the USA has an official voltage of 120V, historically we've always called it 110V. That is the number I always heard growing up. I've been slowly breaking myself from the habit of calling it that, but most of my co-workers and family still call it 110.
 
If you put a fluke meter on it - good chance it'll say something like 117v. Let's call it that.
:D
It's nice the OP is/was compelled to 'warn' all of us (evidently w/out reading up on fire issues caused by their HOUSE, not the EVSE) ... but the same result could happen using an electric heater in the garage on old plugs. The OP may still be on knob & tube - and not even understand what that is.
.
 
Severum88 said:
... When I went to replace the outlets and rewire them, I found the previous owner had jumpered the receptacles together with 18guage stranded copper!!!!

Replaced with 12g solid, new receptacles......no more heat.

Severum
Lucky you checked instead of just assuming it would be OK. Previous owner probably just grabbed some old lamp cord or something...Jeez.

If anyone out there is using an outlet they don't personally know to be in good shape, whether 240v or 120v, PLEASE check it out, or have it checked out. Could be the cheapest insurance you ever bought.
hill said:
it's nice the OP is/was compelled to 'warn' all of us...
Yes, it ACTUALLY was. I bet there's more than a few people out there with questionable outlets that need the wake up call.
 
hill said:
If you put a fluke meter on it - good chance it'll say something like 117v. Let's call it that.
:D
It's nice the OP is/was compelled to 'warn' all of us (evidently w/out reading up on fire issues caused by their HOUSE, not the EVSE) ... but the same result could happen using an electric heater in the garage on old plugs. The OP may still be on knob & tube - and not even understand what that is.
.

The difference is that you usually don't leave a heater running in the garage all night while you sleep. Home wiring issues are by far the biggest danger in owning an EV. The car and associated components are quite safe, but there is a danger if your home wiring is not inspected before charging. A simple inspection with an eye for proper terminations and component sizing is really all that is needed.
 
I am in the US so yes 110V/120V.

The house is 13 years old. I checked a few other outlets and all use the screw lugs not the push in kind. Looking at the 2*4 which burnt out it it is worse in two places, as if in the location of where the staples/clips that electricians use to hold the wire along the studs. I am speculating that these caused the warm wire onto the wood causing the heat to start the burning. The wiring is 14g.

It is a 2013 Leaf.
 
Glad nothing "Major" happened as far as property and no loss of life happened. As far as Nissan getting defensive and saying it's not their fault or the Leaf's fault :roll:

Maybe you should take a little stroll over to Greg's thread here...
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=15198

and read about his on going drama about his Leaf and Nissan USA and how it won't charge from 220/240 sources... BUT!!! it'll connect to 120v and pull more current then the normal 12a limit...

So I would push Nissan possibly.. or have it checkout out on a Killa-Watt to see the amp draw
 
You said the wiring is 14 gauge. That is unusual, most outlets are wired with 12 gauge, which is rated for 20 amps. Even though #14 is rated for 15 amps and the EVSE draws 'only' 12 amps, that's not much spare capacity. Also, there's a world of difference in receptacles; go to Home Depot or a hardware store and look at all of the 15-amp rated receptacles. Some are an inch or more in depth, others are only about 3/4" deep. The spring tension on the plug prongs will be quite different. The old adage, "You get what you pay for" applies here, and I'll guarantee that no builder spends more $$$ than necessary on something that the customer will likely never see.

Personally, I'd recommend that everyone who is going to use the L1 EVSE to change the receptacle to a 20-amp unit, just for the higher quality of the connections, then monitor the temperature of not only THAT receptacle, but others on the same circuit. Receptacles are normally wired in series, with as many as 6 on a single circuit. Just like a chain, the circuit is only as strong as the weakest link.

An easy way to monitor temperature is to use one of those infrared 'heat guns' from Harbor Freight, et. al. Or, simply use your hand; you really shouldn't feel any heat rise.

If you have a voltmeter, it would be a good idea to check the voltage drop at the outlet when the Leaf is charging. It seems like you'd want no more than a very few volts drop due to the 12 amp load. If it drops by 10 volts, I'd consult with an electrician, post haste.
 
jdunmyer said:
You said the wiring is 14 gauge. That is unusual, most outlets are wired with 12 gauge, which is rated for 20 amps. Even though #14 is rated for 15 amps and the EVSE draws 'only' 12 amps, that's not much spare capacity. ...
For residential circuits, I'm afraid it's very usual. In my brand new house, only the kitchen circuits and some of the lighting are 20a 12ga. The rest are 15a and 14ga. If I could have upgraded (and if I'd realized before they wired it) I would have upgraded them.
 
ste4en said:
Do I need to report this to Nissan?
I thought you said you already did? Anyway, it couldn't hurt, but if the fire started inside the wall, it's a pretty safe bet the problem was inside the wall. Be glad the drywall kept the fire out of your living space.
 
using a $0.99 13 year old outlet causes fire.

No surprises here.

Every leaf should come with a recommended set of things to buy when you get the car, a 20 amp outlet (which costs under $20 usually) wired up into whatever area you want will fix the trouble
 
In almost every case of issue like this is is the result of one or many of the following:
A cheap outlet
A worn outlet
An improperly terminated outlet
Loose outlet wires
Bad wire or improper wire size
High-resistance connections
etc, etc.

All the described symptoms point to this issue not an issue with the EVSE or the load of the EVSE.
 
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