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Charging plug burned after 4 years of use.
Charging connector to 220v one leg burned and plastic shell melted. Just found when I bought a new Tesla to replace my old one. I think every owner using 220v home charging Accessories needs to check it periodically to make sure the safety.
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This problem is more common with aluminum wiring, and it's not usually qualified to connect to a NEMA 14-50 because of the likelihood of this problem. If you have copper wiring, it may be the connection was never torqued down properly.
I've been using my NEMA 14-50 daily for almost 8 years, without a problem.
> I'll bet plugging and unplugging the 14-50 outlet for 4 years wiggled one of the wires loose and it arc'd.
I'll play devil's advocate and say that unplugging it once in a while is a good thing. The light abrasion of scraping the contacts removes oxidation. Oxidation increases resistance. Teslatap, whaddya think?
@stevenmaifert - the pin connections are suitable for the current - it's just a different design. If your plug is getting hot - there is something wrong and it should be corrected. I bet the connections have come loose in your receptacle as well. It's ok to be warm, but nothing more than that.
The metal prongs conduct heat into the Tesla plug and if hot enough may melt the Tesla portion and the receptacle.
I had a similar issue and would appreciate some guidance from the experts here.
Here is video and photos what happened to my 20A 125V power outlet: https://photos.app.goo.gl/dQBmedjK9YaXtPEA8
I wonder if anyone knows what may have happened (possibly an arc as indicated here in this thread?) and if any recommendations regarding the steps I am taking - see below for details.
For context, I have been using it for 3.5 years to charge first my e-Golf and lately my Model 3.
The fuse started tripping over the past weeks.
This morning I noticed a burning smell and am I glad I've decided to check it - as you can see from the link above I am lucky we didn't have a house fire.
@"TeslaTap.com" I checked your guide https://teslatap.com/articles/tesla-model-3-home-charging-guide/. Very helpful, thank you.
Based on the guide, I have now bought this new 20A 150V outlet: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-20-Amp-125-Volt-Duplex-Self-Test-Tamper-Resistant-Weather-Resistant-GFCI-Outlet-White-R92-GFWT2-0KW/205997283
I plan to install it and cut down the charging current from my Model 3 as indicated by @stevenmaifert_12203 - but in my case down to max 10A when charging.
You have heating from a connection that was not tight enough or a junk outlet that couldn't handle continuous duty. There are torque specifications for the screws on an outlet. The new one is 20 amp but the wire is still 14 gauge. Do not change the circuit breaker to 20 amps.
I have 20 amp outlets in my garage fed with 10 gauge wire to reduce the loss of energy due to wire heating.
I also have a 100 amp feed to my HPWC wired with 2 gauge wire. It doesn't get hot.
After the new installation use an infrared thermometer to monitor the outlet temperature until you are satisfied that it isn't getting hot. Also measure the associated circuit breaker in the panel. It shouldn't get hot either.
Dropping to 10 amps should not be necessary. A properly installed 15 amp circuit should be able to handle 12 amps without getting hot. Continuous duty must follow the 80% rule, 80% of 15 is 12.