[boogysbmw]

Originally Posted by ggalanis

HARD disagree.

It is also pretty easy to do something wrong and cause one of the connections/wires/breaker to get too hot and eventually cause a fire.

I get that there are tons of DIYers and that it is conceptually simple to do. Hell, you might have already done something similar to add a standard 120V plug in your garage and this feels like it is about the same... But an EV charging circuit pulls a continuous high load for very long periods of time, which is much more likely to cause a fire if you did something even slightly wrong.

You also might not be covered by your insurance if you do this yourself and have an issue, let alone how you'd feel if this were to cause serious damage or injury.

Disagree all you want. There is a basic electrical code you can easily follow and if done to the basic standard there is no safety risk. I litterely did exactly what the electrician told me they were going to do.

If you are afraid then go pay big bucks for someone else to do it and rip you off. To each their own. I have had it installed myself for about a year now with thousands of KWH charging through it with no issues. Winter and summer months tested

[ggalanis]

Originally Posted by boogysbmw

Disagree all you want. There is a basic electrical code you can easily follow and if done to the basic standard there is no safety risk. I litterely did exactly what the electrician told me they were going to do.

If you are afraid then go pay big bucks for someone else to do it and rip you off. To each their own. I have had it installed myself for about a year now with thousands of KWH charging through it with no issues. Winter and summer months tested

The "beauty" of these types of electrical wiring issues is that they almost never cause a fire right away. They become ticking time bombs that may or may not eventually blow. Good for you if you feel like you did an awesome job with yours. The fact it hasn't had an obvious issue yet does not mean it is actually well done. But I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Maybe it is. Maybe you were very diligent, learned everything relevant to the installation properly and even went back and inspected it with an infrared camera at 12 hours of continuous use and made sure that none of the wires or connections were warmer than they should be.

But, to me, suggesting that people should just watch a couple of YouTube videos on how to do this and then "give it a try" is reckless and shows that you don't have a proper understanding of the risks involved with this kind of circuit.

[boogysbmw]

Originally Posted by ggalanis

The "beauty" of these types of electrical wiring issues is that they almost never cause a fire right away. They become ticking time bombs that may or may not eventually blow. Good for you if you feel like you did an awesome job with yours. The fact it hasn't had an obvious issue yet does not mean it is actually well done. But I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Maybe it is. Maybe you were very diligent, learned everything relevant to the installation properly and even went back and inspected it with an infrared camera at 12 hours of continuous use and made sure that none of the wires or connections were warmer than they should be.

But, to me, suggesting that people should just watch a couple of YouTube videos on how to do this and then "give it a try" is reckless and shows that you don't have a proper understanding of the risks involved with this kind of circuit.

Assume all you wish. I’ll join you and assume you have never worked with your hands and always have others fix your problems too 👍

[VirtualGuitars]

Can’t we all just get along? It really doesn’t matter who’s **** is bigger.

[boogysbmw]

Originally Posted by VirtualGuitars

Can’t we all just get along? It really doesn’t matter who’s **** is bigger.

Idk bro my 🍆is pretty big 😂😂🤣🤣

[ggalanis]

Originally Posted by boogysbmw

Assume all you wish. I’ll join you and assume you have never worked with your hands and always have others fix your problems too 👍

and you would be wrong about that too. I still love doing a lot of the mundane repairs, fixes, construction work around the house and on my E30 myself. It would be easy to just throw money at the problems.

The difference is where you and I choose to draw the line when it comes to the risks involved in doing things ourselves. I am not willing to risk my house and family's safety to avoid overpaying an electrician a few hundred dollars. I also wouldn't suggest to people I don't know to do this kind of installation on the back of a couple of YouTube videos they can watch.

[ggalanis]

Originally Posted by VirtualGuitars

Can’t we all just get along? It really doesn’t matter who’s **** is bigger.

My EVSE is pretty big, black and hard.


Oh, you weren't talking about that...

[VirtualGuitars]

Well, now that all of that that is out of the way…. Back to the BMW iX!

[boogysbmw]

Originally Posted by 02601_33859

I tried 120v charging yesterday and was disappointed to see that the iX apparently restricts it to "maximum of 10 amps" according to the car dash display. Plugging into a 20 amp circuit makes no difference. The only thing I could accomplish was reducing the charge rate further to either 8 or 6 amps via the mybmw app.

Ok I’m done entertaining the Karen of the group… back to the OP

I would only recommend 120v charging as a nice to have for a few extra miles in a pinch but wouldn’t rely on it. If you only visit this home a few months out of the year then maybe you can just find a level 3 charger nearby to use when you are staying there.

[sor]

I think it’s fine for people to DIY if they are experienced and confident. At a minimum they should have a torque measurement on their fasteners though to ensure good and proper connections at the breakers and any other points. And probably an inspection, which is a hassle but shouldn’t add too much cost. I know many people who aren’t handy at all though so I wouldn’t tell just anyone to do it.

Back to the subject - I can understand the frustration, wanting to get a full 16A from a 20A circuit. If the cable has one perpendicular blade (NEMA 5-20P) then it isn’t unreasonable to expect something more than 10A. The Turbocord that came with our Volvo PHEV has one. If it’s just a standard NEMA 5-15 plug then you’re just never going to get close to that.

[sor]

Originally Posted by ggalanis

The difference is where you and I choose to draw the line when it comes to the risks involved in doing things ourselves. I am not willing to risk my house and family's safety to avoid overpaying an electrician a few hundred dollars. I also wouldn't suggest to people I don't know to do this kind of installation on the back of a couple of YouTube videos they can watch.

You’re right not to send any random person off on a DIY endeavor. It’s easy if you know what you’re doing but you need to have a baseline understanding of electrical. Not something that can be taken for granted.

I’ve had enough crappy licensed contractor work that I’m the opposite, I don’t trust others to come do work on my house if I can help it at all. It’s amazing what is missed or just done in incomprehensibly stupid ways even on a new build that passes inspections. And I understand liability issues, but I’d rather my house not burn down or flood at all than be able to rest easy knowing I can blame someone else if it does. But because I know that even the contractors do stupid things, I’d never suggest that just anyone can go do this sort of install even if it seems simple to me.

[jcolinzheng]

FWIW, I'm trying out a 14-50r to 5-15p adapter: https://www.amazon.com/Parkworld-885.../dp/B078HFFN94

The hope is that by using this in connection with the BMW 14-50p adapter, the BMW charger won't apply the 10 amp cap. It's extremely important though to limit the max current to either 12 amp or 16 amp in the car if you want to try this too.

[Pictor]

You may want to double check to see how that adapter is wired. The photos don't make sense but it look like it's not using the neutral wire on the 14-50 side but has two hot leads. There is only one hot lead on the 5-15 side (obvious since it's only 120v)

[ggalanis]

Originally Posted by jcolinzheng

FWIW, I'm trying out a 14-50r to 5-15p adapter: https://www.amazon.com/Parkworld-885.../dp/B078HFFN94

The hope is that by using this in connection with the BMW 14-50p adapter, the BMW charger won't apply the 10 amp cap. It's extremely important though to limit the max current to either 12 amp or 16 amp in the car if you want to try this too.

I do wish you good luck with that, but I don't think it is likely to do what you want. Since this adapter doesn't change the voltage of the electricity, the BMW EVSE, if it is agnostic to the type of plug you connected to it, should detect it as 120V and apply the same limitations as before. If it is not agnostic, i.e. the plug itself either has a logic board on it or the device can somehow tell which of the plugs you have decided to use via a physical switch or something, it will expect 240V and I do not think it will work with only 120V. I guess we'll find out when you plug it in. How soon are you receiving it?

[Pictor]

IF I was set on getting the most out of a 15amp circuit I would use this... https://store.clippercreek.com/level...arging-station

IF I was set on getting the most out of a 20amp circuit I would use this and either hard-wire it, ask to see if Clipper Creek would make it with a 5-20p, or wire a plug myself... https://store.clippercreek.com/level...3b1dfd624037d1

[02601_33859]

Originally Posted by jcolinzheng

FWIW, I'm trying out a 14-50r to 5-15p adapter: https://www.amazon.com/Parkworld-885.../dp/B078HFFN94

The hope is that by using this in connection with the BMW 14-50p adapter, the BMW charger won't apply the 10 amp cap. It's extremely important though to limit the max current to either 12 amp or 16 amp in the car if you want to try this too.

I tried a similiar Amazon adapter and my JuiceBox 40 did NOT respond at all, no power up whatsoever. I was still waiting on delivery for my iX at that time so I wasn't able to try out the stock charger. Does yours work?
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B099RVYQ...roduct_details

[jcolinzheng]

02601_33859@: The adapter needs a special wiring; I think the one you posted is the standard one for RVs and does not work for EVs.

ggalanis@: My order arrives on Wednesday; I'll update this thread when I find out. I'm hoping the 10 amp cap is implemented by an internal mechanism in BMW's 5-15r adapter, rather than being triggered by the voltage being 120v.

If the BMW Flexible Fast Charger cannot be tricked to charge at 16 amp and 120v, then another EVSE is needed. I think a good option here is to buy the Tesla mobile charger ($230) with a 5-20r adapter ($35), plus a Tesla to J1772 adapter (such as the one from Lectron, about $160). A lot of us probably want the Tesla to J1772 adapter anyway to take advantage of Tesla destination chargers during trips. You can then sell the BMW Flexible Fast Charger to recoup some of the cost. A main drawback of this route is the Tesla mobile charger can only take 32 amp whereas the BMW charger can take 40 amp.

[02601_33859]

I saw the Lectron and that may be decent. But IF your's works I might get the same brands 30amp RV to 14-50 adapter. I have that outlet installed already and would be a good deal at $50... if it works! Keep us posted please...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C9HC1ZW...lig_dp_it&th=1

[02601_33859]

Apparently even "main stream" electrical charger companies are getting in to this: (note the extra long cord)

https://smile.amazon.com/Schumacher-...7-93deae8f9840

This could be a boon for condo owners or vacationers.

[jcolinzheng]

Update: it doesn't work - BMW EVSE refuses to charge with the 14-50r to 5-15p adapter I mentioned.

Now I'm seriously considering getting the Tesla mobile charger as I already have a Tesla to J1772 adapter.

[02601_33859]

Originally Posted by jcolinzheng

Update: it doesn't work - BMW EVSE refuses to charge with the 14-50r to 5-15p adapter I mentioned.

Now I'm seriously considering getting the Tesla mobile charger as I already have a Tesla to J1772 adapter.

Too bad! But thanks for you efforts and update!!! I MAY try it this summer with my JuiceBox, if so I'll advise it it works. I'll probably get a couple estimates for a 240 line in any event.

[ggalanis]

Originally Posted by jcolinzheng

Update: it doesn't work - BMW EVSE refuses to charge with the 14-50r to 5-15p adapter I mentioned.

Now I'm seriously considering getting the Tesla mobile charger as I already have a Tesla to J1772 adapter.

Appreciate the update even if it wasn't the good news you were hoping for.