GlennD said:How did this get into the OpenEvse thread?
91040 said:Is a bigger enclosure enough or is venting required?
GlennD said:Contactors typically draw about 15W so they need airflow. A small box will likely cause excessive temperatures. Many times the contractor is placed in airflow and never gets hot. The outside half of an air conditioner is like that.
1. Insects or fungus maybe?paulito99 said:Hi all - hope it was OK to post this as a reply on the OpenEVSE sticky.
I have three questions; any insight / advice is greatly appreciated!
1) I have an OpenEVSE box from 2014 and rarely have had to open it. I had to replace the fuses recently, and when I opened it up, some white fluffy material was inside; see the following three pics in my Drive folder:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1cipHtPaWbwy3fVTzGq80v7xRih_-57G_?usp=sharing
Anyone know what this white fluffy stuff is? I vacuumed it away easily. Should I be concerned?
2) Same OpenEVSE box: the fuse holders have shown some heat damage. I actually replaced these fuse holders before. See the following two pics:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1WV2q-F4tXW8p_51G1VCDASGFy4XOQryt?usp=sharing
Anyone else see melted fuse holders? Is there a workaround / more updated parts I should use from the original 2014 BOM?
I've actually had to ratchet the OpenEVSE down to 20A; prior to that, higher amperage settings kept blowing the fuses.
3) I recently got a 2020 Leaf Plus; it comes with an EVSE indicating 30A with a NEMA 14-50 plug.
The 2014 OpenEVSE uses a NEMA 6-30R locking receptacle. I ran #8 AWG from my 30A circuit breaker to the receptacle when I had this circuit installed.
I was thinking of getting a 6-30-to-14-50 adapter, and plugging the stock EVSE into my circuit; I figure the wiring can handle it, and worst case the 30A circuit breaker would go off, if the (approx assumed) 27.5A continuous charge load was too much.
Anyone else have experience trying the stock EVSE on a 30A circuit breaker, or if this is not a good idea?
Hey thanks for anyone's input on any of the above, and Happy New Year
- Paulito
Marktm said:An important functionality to me is the ability to send RAPI commands to the unit so this it can be controlled by an arduino or similar processor. Overall been very happy with quality and service.
I also had a problem with the 30a fuse blowing but note my Leaf can draw up to 27.5a so it is kind of maxed out. I didn't realize one could limit the maximum charging on the OpenEVSE, I don't think mine has that feature. It's basically a box with a clear cover, red push button and strain reliefs going to it's 14-50 power cord and J1772 cord to the car. Other than the fuse I haven't had any issues with it but to answer the OPs question, no I'd probably just purchase any number of the premade Chinese EVSEs off Amazon for probably the same if not cheaper than the parts for an OpenEVSE. Back when premade EVSEs were $500+ one could save some money making their own EVSE and get some satisfaction doing it now days but unless I can save some serious change I've got better things to do with my timeMarktm said:I purchased the basic kit back in 2015. I've had two issues with heat - one with a main power spade connector and the other with a overheated and blown 30 amp fuse. Originally it was limited to ~ 16 amps for my Gen 1 leaf. The problems started with my 6.6 kW Gen 2 leaf. I does seem to run somewhat hot and have to limit it to 24 amps. I'd guess the newer units have solved this to service the higher power L2 chargers now common.
An important functionality to me is the ability to send RAPI commands to the unit so this it can be controlled by an arduino or similar processor. Overall been very happy with quality and service.
Mine is also quite old, I didn't make it but got it from my mother's place when she passed. She used it on her '13 Leaf SL and came from the original owner, apparently a Pilot who purchased the Leaf new and built the EVSE. I believe it says OpenEVSE when powered on? can't remember now and I have it shelved. It has a white, now yellowed case and clear plastic cover you flip two things on the side and you gain access to the small push button that AFAIR didn't do much, the only silver parts are the shaft of the push button and knurled nut holding it through the plastic front under the clear front cover.Marktm said:On my older model that has a white plastic case, the chrome pushbutton will initiate a menu system that includes a number of parameters for charging, including max current. Definitely not familiar with the new models. The RAPI coding system requires wiring up to the microprocessor unit according to Chris's instructions.
In seven years of EV ownership, I've been through three main* EVSEs: OpenEVSE, JuiceBox, and (currently) Duosida. Given that the first two died on me after 2-3 years each, I can't say that I'm happy with either of them. But, there's a lot of variation in OpenEVSE (at least if you buy from a third party builder, as I did). I still love the idea of it, and I'd probably still want to pursue that if I were starting from scratch today.daveizdum said:How’s the longevity?
Still happy with your purchase?
With so many new options on the market, compared to when the OpenEVSE project began, would you still buy one today?
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