The heavy-duty industrial grade NEMA 14-50 receptacles (Hubbell, Bryant) are constructed of fire-resistant Bakelite rather than injection-molded plastic, and their 4 contact springs are heavy-duty with heavy plating, specifically designed for thousands of insertion/removal cycles rather than a few dozen. They also feature specially plated clamp-style wiring connections with set screws which must be carefully tightened using a calibrated torque wrench. A side-by-side comparison is compelling, and there are a rapidly-growing number of photos of melted/scorched/burned NEMA 14-50 outlets posted on the Internet. Sadly, many of these dangerous receptacles were installed by licensed electricians. Prices of these receptacles are coming back down (~$75) now that supply is catching back up with demand. Less-expensive, lower-quality NEMA 14-50 receptacles are unsafe for EV charging and should all come with a warning that they are not designed for and must not be used for EV charging applications. Given the risk, home improvement stores (Home Depot, Lowes, ACE Hardware, etc) should completely stop selling them, and online stores should be required to have detailed warnings. The national wiring codes should also be updated appropriately. No one should die or lose their home over this issue. That said, a safer, more reliable option is to have an EVSE permanently wall-mounted with a dedicated, hard-wired connection rather than installing a NEMA 14-50 receptacle. And PLEASE hire a licensed, experienced electrician. Don't risk your home and loved ones to save a few bucks. Seriously. Now that the Tesla/NACS connector is being adopted for EV charging in 120/240Vac North America, the Tesla (Gen 3) Wall Connector EVSE is an excellent value with a large installed base and a well-earned reputation for safety and reliability.
Receptacle is 50 Amps maximum rating. Are you sure Code permits a 60A breaker feeding it? Max output current should be limited to 40A. Do not forget to torque breaker and receptacle compression screws all the way to required specs which can become a very common hot spot fire installation problem.
Great points/questions! The breaker and receptacle screws were torqued at the end (because sometimes they get loose during the install). I don't currently have an EV, so the NEMA 14-50 is not currently being used (and I typically keep the circuit de-energized). I sized the breaker for the conductors (60A), in case I install a car-specific 60A charger. If I end up actually using the NEMA 14-50 instead, I'll replace the breaker with a 40A or 50A breaker.
The heavy-duty industrial grade NEMA 14-50 receptacles (Hubbell, Bryant) are constructed of fire-resistant Bakelite rather than injection-molded plastic, and their 4 contact springs are heavy-duty with heavy plating, specifically designed for thousands of insertion/removal cycles rather than a few dozen. They also feature specially plated clamp-style wiring connections with set screws which must be carefully tightened using a calibrated torque wrench. A side-by-side comparison is compelling, and there are a rapidly-growing number of photos of melted/scorched/burned NEMA 14-50 outlets posted on the Internet. Sadly, many of these dangerous receptacles were installed by licensed electricians. Prices of these receptacles are coming back down (~$75) now that supply is catching back up with demand.
Less-expensive, lower-quality NEMA 14-50 receptacles are unsafe for EV charging and should all come with a warning that they are not designed for and must not be used for EV charging applications. Given the risk, home improvement stores (Home Depot, Lowes, ACE Hardware, etc) should completely stop selling them, and online stores should be required to have detailed warnings. The national wiring codes should also be updated appropriately. No one should die or lose their home over this issue.
That said, a safer, more reliable option is to have an EVSE permanently wall-mounted with a dedicated, hard-wired connection rather than installing a NEMA 14-50 receptacle. And PLEASE hire a licensed, experienced electrician. Don't risk your home and loved ones to save a few bucks. Seriously.
Now that the Tesla/NACS connector is being adopted for EV charging in 120/240Vac North America, the Tesla (Gen 3) Wall Connector EVSE is an excellent value with a large installed base and a well-earned reputation for safety and reliability.
I see alot of people have a charge box installed too. Is that needed?
If you want one, you can. But note that you probably then need a disconnect means located close to that charge box.
Receptacle is 50 Amps maximum rating. Are you sure Code permits a 60A breaker feeding it? Max output current should be limited to 40A. Do not forget to torque breaker and receptacle compression screws all the way to required specs which can become a very common hot spot fire installation problem.
Great points/questions! The breaker and receptacle screws were torqued at the end (because sometimes they get loose during the install). I don't currently have an EV, so the NEMA 14-50 is not currently being used (and I typically keep the circuit de-energized). I sized the breaker for the conductors (60A), in case I install a car-specific 60A charger. If I end up actually using the NEMA 14-50 instead, I'll replace the breaker with a 40A or 50A breaker.