[pooge30]

EA has failed again. This time in the home sector. I bought their Home Station in August 2022. The plug to their charger melted. I caught it before it got real bad, just by luck. Submitted a warranty claim. They have a 3 year warranty. It took them 2 weeks, with EA only communicating on Fridays, to deny my warranty claim. I had to send pictures and proof it was installed by a certified electrician and had the proper wore, breaker etc... which it was. They told me I had to prove the circuit was not at fault. I told them I am using a travel 40 amp EVSE for the last 2 weeks. and have used the travel charger from Feb to Aug before I bought the Home Station. It is not the outlet/circuit.
A good run company would not take 2 weeks and only communicate on Fridays. A good run company would STAND by their product and warranty. Stay away from their Home Charger. This company is not well run.

 

[Mike Bouck]

This is frankly pathetic. Making their customers jump thru hoops and hurdles for legitimate claims is unwarranted IMHO. Do they have a history of fraudulent claims that they instigated such a policy? I think not. Therefore this behavior is intentional - they are trying to squeeze their customers as hard as possible to get every last cent of profit. I'm thinking they have profitability issues - explains a lot about why they don't seem to give a flying fu(k about fixing their rampant DCFC issues. EA management needs to be jettisoned (but it's probably too late to matter at this point).

 

[Nai3t]

Plugs don't normally just go bad and melt.

You need to create heat through electrical resistance to get that to happen, and there are two ways to do that.

One is a cheap or old receptacle with insufficient spring tension.

The other is either a dirty/corroded receptacle or dirt/corrosion on the plug.

I suppose also the car could be pulling too much current, more then what the EVSE was designed for, but that's unlikely and would be a car problem, not an EVSE problem.

Do sure there could have been an internal defect, but usually that's not the case.

 

[pooge30]

This is frankly pathetic. Making their customers jump thru hoops and hurdles for legitimate claims is unwarranted IMHO. Do they have a history of fraudulent claims that they instigated such a policy? I think not. Therefore this behavior is intentional - they are trying to squeeze their customers as hard as possible to get every last cent of profit. I'm thinking they have profitability issues - explains a lot about why they don't seem to give a flying fu(k about fixing their rampant DCFC issues. EA management needs to be jettisoned (but it's probably too late to matter at this point).

I could see if this was my 2nd warranty claim that they would want more info. However, for the first, no. Considering the retail industry has done away with 20 questions on returns . EA needs to change their model

 

[pooge30]

Plugs don't normally just go bad and melt.

You need to create heat through electrical resistance to get that to happen, and there are two ways to do that.

One is a cheap or old receptacle with insufficient spring tension.

The other is either a dirty/corroded receptacle or dirt/corrosion on the plug.

I suppose also the car could be pulling too much current, more then what the EVSE was designed for, but that's unlikely and would be a car problem, not an EVSE problem.

Do sure there could have been an internal defect, but usually that's not the case.

However, I stated I am using and have used a travel 40 amp EVSE since the EA Home station failed. Also I used the travel EVSE from Feb until Aug. I used the EA for a few months and have an issue. What is the one item that is different in this equation? Yes, the EA Home Station. Its not up to the customer to prove the station failed. I proved the circut was installed up to code by a Certified electrician. Most companies would just accept the return. Its called customer service, which EA has none.

 

[antonioM]

I had considered getting the EA home charger when I was shopping around, I guess mostly because VW was pushing it. I ended up getting a Chargepoint Home Flex, very happy with it. But back to the EA charger, when I has having my Chargepoint Home Flex professionally installed, I was out talking with the installer, and the conversation shifted to the Electrify America charger (maybe I mentioned I had considered it, don't quite remember how it came up), but he told me I made the right decision not to get the EA one, I don't remember exactly what his issue was with it, but it was something about the way it is designed internally that he didn't like.

 

[Nai3t]

However, I stated I am using and have used a travel 40 amp EVSE since the EA Home station failed. Also I used the travel EVSE from Feb until Aug. I used the EA for a few months and have an issue. What is the one item that is different in this equation? Yes, the EA Home Station. Its not up to the customer to prove the station failed. I proved the circut was installed up to code by a Certified electrician. Most companies would just accept the return. Its called customer service, which EA has none.

That may be true, but look at it this way: the plug sits in the socket day after day, charge after charge. Any humidity or moisture in the air is also present at that connection where the plug blade slides in and engages the sprung tabs of the receptacle. The moisture interacts with that connection and builds up a light layer of oxidation that over time resists conduction and results in increased heat.

The simple act of pulling the plug out wipes away some of that corrosion, and if you insert a new plug into the same receptacle half the corrosion is suddenly gone and ~presto~ acceptable electrical connection again.

So maybe the plug the EA unit come with really does have a suspect connection inside, but that's a bit of a stretch compared to the most obvious and common cause of this type of failure. It's also the reason why hardwiring is a preferable way to go. This kind of failure is way too common and it's commonly accepted that its due to the receptacle and the fact it's a plug connection.

Do you know what brand receptacle? There are different grades of build, some more robust than others.

 

[VW TECHNICIAN]

EA has failed again. This time in the home sector. I bought their Home Station in August 2022. The plug to their charger melted. I caught it before it got real bad, just by luck. Submitted a warranty claim. They have a 3 year warranty. It took them 2 weeks, with EA only communicating on Fridays, to deny my warranty claim. I had to send pictures and proof it was installed by a certified electrician and had the proper wore, breaker etc... which it was. They told me I had to prove the circuit was not at fault. I told them I am using a travel 40 amp EVSE for the last 2 weeks. and have used the travel charger from Feb to Aug before I bought the Home Station. It is not the outlet/circuit.
A good run company would not take 2 weeks and only communicate on Fridays. A good run company would STAND by their product and warranty. Stay away from their Home Charger. This company is not well run.

Do you mind posting pictures of your EVSE .... pictures say more than words.

 

[kenchills]

Do you mind posting pictures of your EVSE .... pictures say more than words.

@pooge30

Yes picture please of defective EA EVSE plug and unit, and picture of wall mounted 50A receptacle. Maybe post some of the ones you used for your RMA request? It's very difficult to tell anything from a verbal description.

 

[pooge30]

 

[pooge30]

 

[kenchills]

As a person with many years of experience in this field, at first glance the plug itself does look suspicious. No way to tell for sure unless one also removes the receptacle itself and examines it. The key is finding out whether the heat was generated in the plug itself or the receptacle. It looks like this issue also did some damage to the receptacle itself, even if it seems to be working OK with your 2nd EVSE. I'd recommend having an electrician come out to check, and replace it with a recognized brand of 14-50 receptacle (Hubbell, Leviton, Pass & Seymour, etc.)


IMHO, EA should give you the benefit of the doubt this time and just replace the EVSE. It's bad Customer Service and doesn't inspire confidence in their product. Now if it happens again after that, that's where they should start asking questions.

Good luck to you!

 

[Nai3t]

at first glance the plug itself does look suspicious.

TWO melted hots and the PLUG looks suspicious? That would imply there were two suspect internal connections ensconced in an overmolded plug body that both spontaneously failed at the same time. Not buying it.

Sorry for being incredulous but I'd expect more damage to the plug body if that were the case, not to mention all the melted schmutz on the plug blades – particularly the left one.

Regardless, I'm in total agreement with you that the receptacle needs to be replaced, even if I'm 100% wrong about the source of the heat.

 

[Mrau]

Agree with others here. Best to change out the receptacle with a heavy duty NEMA 14-50 plug. The Bryant 9450 Fr is about $50 from Grainger. It is same quality as Hubbell plug but usually for less. Shop around for the best price Hubbell or Bryant. You will also need a cover with a bigger diameter center hole (2.48" opening) like the SS-701 from Hubbell.

Once you compare these heavy duty plugs with a big-box store plug you can quickly see the difference. The wiring connections are stronger and easier to clamp down and stay tight.

https://www.grainger.com/product/GRAINGER-APPROVED-Receptacle-Single-49YY93

Hubbell 2.48" Opening Wall Plates and Box Cover, Number of Gangs: 2 Stainless Steel, Brushed Finish, Silver SS701 | Zoro

Order Hubbell 2.48" Opening Wall Plates and Box Cover, Number of Gangs: 2 Stainless Steel, Brushed Finish, Silver, SS701 at Zoro.com. Great prices & free shipping on orders over $50 when you sign in or sign up for an account.

www.zoro.com

 

[VW TECHNICIAN]

View attachment 22743

If possible can you take pictures of receptacle when taken out of the enclosure
....if not familiar have someone experienced preform this for you.... if there is no signs of overheating..... you should also send pictures of receptacle to them......
You should definitely inspect receptacle and how snug fit is with another 🔌...... when receptacle fails it usually starts melting from receptacle to the plug...... your issue is opposite ( there are two possibilities.... loose connection between receptacle and plug....or manufacturers defects with plug). This should be inspected whenever you just plug your EVSE and start charging. After 30+ minutes check on the plug for any unusual temperature spots....

 

[kenchills]

@pooge30

If the problem was with the receptacle itself or its wire terminations, once removed you should see evidence of heating on the internal contacts of the receptacle along with evidence of overheating on the screw terminals where the wires attach to the receptacle. Depending on how bad the heating got, you may even see evidence of overheating on the wires themselves.
The picture you provided doesn't show clearly the condition of the internal contacts inside the receptacle, where the prongs of the plug make contact. Does your current EVSE plug fit snugly into the receptacle, or does it feel loose?

 

[papab]

There have been several cases like this with bad receptacles, or poor installation, & just because it was installed by a licensed electrician doesn't mean it was done well. It sounds like EV's are pushing the boundaries of what these receptacles were designed for.
There was a Munroe video on this.

 

[Spin]

As others have asked, I would like to see pictures of the receptacle, removed from the box. Without seeing those pictures, we are only guessing at the cause.

 

[Spin]

As others have asked, I would like to see pictures of the receptacle, removed from the box. Without seeing those pictures, we are only guessing at the cause.

I might add, after seeing those pictures, we might still be guessing.

 

[pooge30]

I might add, after seeing those pictures, we might still be guessing.

Exactly and I am not tearing apart the Outlet for some some strangers on a blog. If EA continues to deny my warranty claim, I will just have it hardwired. Only wrong with it is the 14-50 plug.