240v
I bought a 220V car EV charger with what I understand is a NEMA 6-20 plug:
But the socket is some other 220V that I can't find the specifications for:
Is there an adapter I can get to use this plug for this socket or do I need to get the socket replaced?
Thanks in advance for any guidance … I'm a software guy and new to 220V nuances.
Resistive heating elements (calrods), such as those in an electric oven, can break down and fail after a period of time due to deterioration of the internal insulation. When they do, the results can be quite spectacular, involving arcing from element and shell to the oven floor and a resulting fire when the arc ignites whatever grease deposits are present. However, this doesn't damage anything outside the oven, provided the fire itself stays inside the oven.
I would kill the power to the circuit and check the receptacle for any signs of damage (such as burn marks or metal spatter from arcing) anyway, though, just to be on the safe side.
- Chop the 6-30 plug off the heater and replace with a 14-50 (or 6-50) plug.
That's going to be the cheapest option. Not bad if you know you're never going to move that heater around. These plugs are readily available at home improvement stores.
- Get an adapter from 6-30 to 14-50 (or 6-50).
Flexible and reusable parts option. Modeately more expensive, and those are not very common adapters to find. You will probably have to build one from parts. I'd buy a 14-50 stove code, and outdoor rated outlet box to put the 6-30 in.
Better yet, get an outletbox that's twice as large, and put a 6-30 and 14-50 on it, so you can keep both plugged in at all times. Just keep in mind if you use both at once you're likely to trip the breaker just as if you turn on too many appliances in a kitchen at once.
Are there better options (aside from running a separate circuit for the heater)?
You could run a subpanel.
If I was you, I'd run a 100A service from the main panel to a subpanel in the garage. Garages are a great place for a subpanel. If you decide you want to run both the charger and heater at once, you can, and you can add capacity for a compressor, or power tools later on easily, too.
I'd recommend if you add a subpanel in your garage to include a pair of 20A outlets nippled to the sides of it just to have it available.
You could then hardwire the charger and heater, and save cost and eliminate visual clutter of the outlets and plugs.
Is there any advantage to getting the charger with a 6-50 rather than a 14-50?
I would not expect there to be much difference, but you didn't say what chargers you're referring to. I would buy whatever's cheapest, and I'd probably hardwire it to the subpanel to save on connector cost and risk of connectors breaking.
Is 8/3 Romex sufficient?
I'm going to refer you to an NEC ampacity table so you can make that decision for yourself, but I wouldn't use 8AWG for 50Amps
Assuming you're using Copper and its going to be instaled in a wall, I'd use 6AWG.
Or run the subpanel with 1/0 (one ought) aluminum or 1AWG copper, and then I'd be comfortable using 8 AWG to a charger directly adjacent to the subpane.
Best Answer
A NEMA 6-20 plug "implies" a current limit of 20 amps but more accurately, one should avoid approaching that figure. Your charger should be rated around 15-16 amperes, which is 80 percent of the alleged capacity of that plug.
The photo is a bit dark, but odds are good it's a NEMA 14-50 if there are four pins/sockets. As the number implies, that should be a 50 amp (40 at 80 percent) socket.
If you connect your charger to that socket, and something goes amiss, you would be getting up to 40 amperes of current before the circuit breaker does its job.
Such a consideration would not stop me from purchasing a 14-50 plug and 6-20 socket and wiring the two together, but I would also attempt an additional level of safety by putting a 20 amp breaker inline to the adapter.
Because of the disparity of current ratings, you'll not find an off-the-shelf adapter and any construction you create is at your own risk.
The numbers imply a 3 kw charger, kind of on the low side for a home charger, common in the wild, but superior to using a 110v version.