How are you charging your FFE?

For those stuck in the land of 110 for lack of a 240 circuit there is a product out in the market that can convert 2 discrete 110 outlets (separate circuits) into a single 220 source. Then all you need to do is get a 240 charger. Not the best solution but much better than 110. I am looking into this for my parents condo. Still not sure if the outlets in the garage are all one circuit so I haven't ordered it yet. Check it out, I have seen other forum's posts that claim it is successful.

Pax,

Fr. Bill

frbill said:

For those stuck in the land of 110 for lack of a 240 circuit there is a product out in the market that can convert 2 discrete 110 outlets (separate circuits) into a single 220 source. Then all you need to do is get a 240 charger. Not the best solution but much better than 110. I am looking into this for my parents condo. Still not sure if the outlets in the garage are all one circuit so I haven't ordered it yet. Check it out, I have seen other forum's posts that claim it is successful.

Pax,

Fr. Bill

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Thanks! I wonder if you have any links to this info in other forums?

The problem with this solution may be that you can't take full advantage since your max is 20 amps this way. It will be quicker than the trickle charge but I don't think it can be anywhere near as fast as the conventional 240v with 30 Amos.

Can anyone else step in here and offer any thoughts?

If you do a search for quick 220 and EVSE you will come up with a number of sites.
Here is a YouTube linkfor more info.

220 Volts at 20 or even 15 Amps is a big step up from 120 V charging. It is definitely livable, and many cars (Volt, Energi, Spark, older Leaf) have this as a maximum charging rate (3 kW nominal).

At 3 kW nominal, you can charge an FFE from empty to full in 7 or 8 hours (varies due to 240 V or 208 V, 15 A or 20 A, etc.) My FFE is charging on 208 V 15 A right now.

The biggest problem with "Quick 220" is that it doesn't work with GFCI type outlets, and these are generally used outdoors (because they are required for safety reasons). If possible, rewire an existing 120 outlet for 220. Use a duplex 20 A breaker and install a real 220 V outlet (6-20 or whatever matches your selected EVSE)

michael said:

220 Volts at 20 or even 15 Amps is a big step up from 120 V charging. It is definitely livable, and many cars (Volt, Energi, Spark, older Leaf) have this as a maximum charging rate (3 kW nominal).

At 3 kW nominal, you can charge an FFE from empty to full in 7 or 8 hours (varies due to 240 V or 208 V, 15 A or 20 A, etc.) My FFE is charging on 208 V 15 A right now.

The biggest problem with "Quick 220" is that it doesn't work with GFCI type outlets, and these are generally used outdoors (because they are required for safety reasons). If possible, rewire an existing 120 outlet for 220. Use a duplex 20 A breaker and install a real 220 V outlet (6-20 or whatever matches your selected EVSE)

Click to expand...

Thanks!

They do stress that this should be viewed as a temporary solution. I watched one video and yes, it's easily done but requires hooking together outlets out of phase that could be a couple of rooms apart. For instance, my garage and kitchen. Having a cord going to the kitchen would wind up as a non-solution. That said, I have no idea about my own outlets and will see if I have two out of phase in the garage. I have three outlets there, so who knows. If two of them are out of phase, this solution might be ideal.

With an average daily range of 19 miles, it's not going to take me more than five hours at 110 but I can certainly appreciate the speed of charging at 220.

I am getting a device called "breaker buddy" to determine if the receptacles are separate. You can find it here. Good luck with your search.

If you have an AC volt meter that goes up to 240V AMS, then all you need to do is put one lead on the hot side of the receptacle on one plug and put the other lead on the hot side of the other receptacle. If it reads 240V, you've found 2 sockets that are 180deg out of phase. If they are the same phase, you'll read zero volts, or close to it. Although 2 receptacles 180 out of phase should work, it isn't ideal. Generally, a breaker will service a large number of plugs. The breaker has to accommodate both your ESVE as well as other appliances that might be on the same circuit. For instance, if you are charging your car off of the kitchen circuits and then turn on the microwave, you'll pop the breaker.