Charging With An Extension Cord (In the Rain)

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jubei
  • Start date Start date
  • Replies Replies 12
  • Views Views 8K
J

Jubei

New Member
Hello all,
I needed to charge at my in-laws house but the outdoor outlet was about 50 ft away. I know there are multiple threads on charging with an extension cord (and that it’s not recommended by Honda). On one of these threads, someone recommended the following extension cord:

Century Contractor Grade 50 ft 10 Gauge Power Extension Cord 10/3 Plug,extension cord With Lighted Ends (50 ft 10 Gauge, green)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071LPYYVW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_ARuFBbPTWGN17

I went with a 10 gauge extension cord and it has worked well. However, I also wanted a way to charge in the rain so I ended up buying this:

SOCKiTBOX Model 330 BK Weatherproof Electrical Box, Large - Black
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018HHMBW2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_2SuFBbQ60RYRV

I received the Sockitbox yesterday and set it up. Luckily enough, it rained last night. As advertised, the inside of the box was completely dry. See attached image for how the charger and extension cord fit.

Just wanted to pass this along in case anyone else was looking to do the same.
 

Attachments

  • D1E3A0A1-C90B-4F2B-BB4E-745957E6A03E.webp
    D1E3A0A1-C90B-4F2B-BB4E-745957E6A03E.webp
    96.4 KB · Views: 83
I don't use an extension cord, but I do use a similar weatherproof box to protect the charger from rain. I also protect the plug and the electrical outlet. No problems so far after 7 months.
 
I still have to buy 1 for the rain season (let's hope it will rain in CA this year)

There seems to have lots of space for the large... Think a medium will fit everything in too?
 
I don’t think the medium would fit the charger body. The large works. I had to fold the cables to get it to fit just right and wouldn’t go smaller.
 
I charge in the rain fairly often with no protection. Should I be worried? My friend who owns an all electric Nissan says he's never had a problem. I only need to when I'm at work because I use an outdoor 120V outlet to charge from. Since I live in Missouri, it has rained on my charger and the outlet and never had a problem.
 
Someone else can reply but I don’t think there’s an issue with the charger itself being in the rain as long as the outlet is protected. If I didn’t need to make the cable longer via an extension cable to reach the outlet, I wouldn’t have purchased the water proof box.
 
I remember reading somewhere that there is a standard for the EVSE to withstand rain/snow.... There are probably seals all around if you open it up but since there isn't a IP rating or no 1 wants to test if it works when it is submerged in water, it is probably MUCH MUCH saver to put it in a waterproof box than leave it out.... It's 22 bucks on Amazon.... Do you really want to risk a higher cost to replace the charger or even a higher cost if it damage the circuit or your car?
 
I bought a different charging cable (slightly longer than the Honda one). Since it was IP55 rated, I just left it in the rain (in the few days it actually rained in California this winter). IP55 is supposed to be "Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction, limited ingress protection." It failed after a few days of rain. The Clarity dashboard showed a charging system failure. So, it's possible for the charging unit to fail due to rain. That's why I got the weatherproof box, and I haven't had any problems since then even though it did rain a few times.
 
The Honda supplies OEM “charger” is a Type 3 Enclosure.
Here is the NEMA definition:

Type 3
Enclosures constructed for either indoor or outdoor use to provide a degree of protection to personnel against access to hazardous parts; to provide a degree of protection of the equipment inside the enclosure against ingress of solid foreign objects (falling dirt and windblown dust); to provide a degree of protection with respect to harmful effects on the equipment due to the ingress of water (rain, sleet, snow); and that will be undamaged by the external formation of ice on the enclosure.

Note that it is not a Type 4 and is not protective against splashing water or hose directed water.
So technically you don’t need a waterproof enclosure for it for just rain ans snow, but considering how expensive it is to replace, the $22 box is cheap insurance.
If you plug in to an outside receptacle, make sure it has a NEMA rated cover to protect that connection from rain and snow too. Here’s what I use
5AA05B79-E1B0-428F-A877-557740BCBF42.webp
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top