Re:Toyota recalls nearly 1.9M RAV4s to fix batteries that ca...
by tzs on Thursday November 02, 2023 @03:17PM
(#38118591)
> I noticed that you can configure the charger to use either 8A (meaning you have to charge for a long time to refill) or 14A (which speeds things up a bit, but you need a dedicated circuit, there isn't a lot of headroom on top of 14A before your breaker trips).
If you are in the US something to be aware of is that the ratings for residential electrical stuff (breakers, the wiring in your walls, cords, and outlets) is the rating for non-continuous loads.
For continuous loads (defined as 3 or more hours) the rating is 80% of the non-continuous load rating.
E.g., if you've got a circuit with wiring rated for 20A with a 20A breaker and multiple 15A outlets any load plugged into one of those outlets should not exceed 12A continuous, and you should not exceed 16A continuous on the circuit.
This isn't as well known as it should be. I only found out about it when I was researching to try to figure out why a 13A extension cord I was using with a 12A continuous load eventually burst into flame.
Charging at 14A then, assuming it won't finish in under 3 hours, should be done using a 20A outlet.
The good news is that it should be cheap to install one. The National Electrical Code requires that garages have at least one 20A circuit for outlets, so you should already have the wiring and breaker to support it. You should just need to replace one of your 15A outlets on that circuit with a 20A outlet.
The outlet itself is a few dollars, and is a simple DIY job (and I don't think requires a permit or inspection in most places) but first make sure that you really have a 20A circuit. If you hire an electrician it will cost whatever their minimum billable amount of labor is.
If you are in the US something to be aware of is that the ratings for residential electrical stuff (breakers, the wiring in your walls, cords, and outlets) is the rating for non-continuous loads.
For continuous loads (defined as 3 or more hours) the rating is 80% of the non-continuous load rating.
E.g., if you've got a circuit with wiring rated for 20A with a 20A breaker and multiple 15A outlets any load plugged into one of those outlets should not exceed 12A continuous, and you should not exceed 16A continuous on the circuit.
This isn't as well known as it should be. I only found out about it when I was researching to try to figure out why a 13A extension cord I was using with a 12A continuous load eventually burst into flame.
Charging at 14A then, assuming it won't finish in under 3 hours, should be done using a 20A outlet.
The good news is that it should be cheap to install one. The National Electrical Code requires that garages have at least one 20A circuit for outlets, so you should already have the wiring and breaker to support it. You should just need to replace one of your 15A outlets on that circuit with a 20A outlet.
The outlet itself is a few dollars, and is a simple DIY job (and I don't think requires a permit or inspection in most places) but first make sure that you really have a 20A circuit. If you hire an electrician it will cost whatever their minimum billable amount of labor is.