Any difference in charging speed between a common 15a circuit vs 20a?

Discussion in 'Clarity' started by Mark W, Sep 25, 2018.

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  1. Mark W

    Mark W Active Member

    CT
    I have a Nissan Leaf. I believe that the car will charge slightly faster via 110 if the circuit is 20 amp vs. the more standard 15 amp circuit. Is this the case with the Clarity? I installed a Level 2 charger in the garage, but may use 110 once in a while when wanting to charge both cars. Thanks.
     
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  3. AnthonyW

    AnthonyW Well-Known Member

    You are correct. I get around 1.70 kw per hour on my 120v/20a versus 1.22 on the 120v/15a. So it would save me about 2 hours of the 12 hours if I were charging from empty.

    Please note that the charger that came with the car will not charge at the higher rate. You would have to have a charge cord that would accept the increased amps.

    I have a free ChargePoint station across from my work and that is where I do the bulk of my charging so I opted to not install a Level 2 charger at home. I still needed a much longer level 1 cord to reach across my garage so I bought one that was rated to accept the higher amperage.


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  4. lanb

    lanb Active Member

    Good to know about the 20A.
    I am thinking of getting a spare level1 cord for long distance trips since the Honda one is attached to the
    garage wall now.

    Which make/model did you get and how much was it ?
     
  5. KentuckyKen

    KentuckyKen Well-Known Member

    Just remember that for the Clarity it will make no difference in charging rate and time between a 15A and a 20A circuit when using the supplied OEM Level 1 EVSE or “charger”. It’s only rated at 12A max and usually only draws around 10A.
     
  6. David A

    David A Guest

    lanb/Mark W:
    There are charging cables available which pull 16 amps and are suitable for the 20 amp breaker as long as there is not a lot of other use on the same breaker.

    Example:
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075B12PR5/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    Many of these chargers come with several adapters which will fit different outlet plug types...just ensure you or a qualified electrician can confirm proper wiring is used and is in good shape etc. I was always told..."Don't assume a dam thing"...lol

    Good luck!
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 25, 2018
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  8. lanb

    lanb Active Member

    Thanks !
     
  9. ozy

    ozy Active Member

    Yes, I can attest to this. I use a 20amp receptacle and it still takes the full 12 hours. I am tempted to get the level 1 16amp charger to try and squeeze a little faster charging times out of it. I contacted Clipper creek and they confirmed that you could save about 3 hours doing this on their 16amp level 1.
     
  10. AnthonyW

    AnthonyW Well-Known Member

    I use a 20amp outlet and it takes about 8 hours or so. Are you using a charging plug that accepts the 20 amps or the one that came with the car?


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  11. ozy

    ozy Active Member

    What I was trying to say is that i currently use a 12 amp L1 charger (the OEM that came with the car) and it takes 12 hours. However, since I have a 20 amp receptacle available I was looking for a L1 16amp charger. I know that Clipper Creek makes one so I asked them what kind of improvement I could expect. Are you saying that you are getting 8 hours on a L1 evse? I assume that it must be 16 amp and you must be using a 20amp receptacle? What kind of evse is it and is it working well? Do you happen to know whether or not it makes any difference if the receptacle is GFI protected or not?
     
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  13. AnthonyW

    AnthonyW Well-Known Member

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