Tell me why this charger cabinet is a bad idea…

[DucMan]

Any reason this setup won’t work? (I’m not a professional carpenter)

It’s not finished. I’ll paint the inside, attach the charger holster better, etc. I have some metal straps, I’ll try to fashion a bracket to make so it’s a bit more difficult to steal.

It’s on the shady side wall, on a cabin in the North Carolina mountains that I use for vacation/ rent via Airbnb and VRBO type rentals. I plan to leave it plugged in and tucked away in its cabinet. Renters with EVs can use it, and I’ll advertise it as such.

Are there problems with leaving the mobile charger plugged in always?

Scott

 

[RickLightning]

No reason to unplug.

 

[sotek2345]

Depending on how hot it gets you might want some form of ventilation or a sign saying to keep the door fully open when in use.

 

[RedLightning86]

The only downside I can see, aside from adequate ventilation, is wasps nesting in there.

Leaving it on all the time is minimal electricity, and would allow it to get OTA software updates, assuming you have wifi there.

 

[Snappy22]

Mobile chargers are that for a reason. Not rated for continuous duty and that’s what you’re doing leaving it plugged in. If you trust the renter to plug in and unplug at end of stay that might be ok (or have your cleaning company do it?).
+1 to hole on bottom and top to allow cooler air in the bottom when warm air rises out the top. And a screen to keep out pests looking for a nice box with heat to nest in.

 

[Lime Green]

I don't understand this setup... A wood box like that can potentially trap moisture that you don't want. Why go through the trouble to build the box and create this setup for a 32A charging solution? would've made a lot more sense to hardwire an EVSE that could charge at 40+ Amps and be all weather rated.

 

[jimfigler]

I like it. How hot does that mobile unit even get? My 32amp wall unit doesn’t seem to generate any heat. Maybe add a dryer vent on either side, one high, one low. Something like that prevent rain from getting in.

 

[jimfigler]

I don't understand this setup... A wood box like that can potentially trap moisture that you don't want. Why go through the trouble to build the box and create this setup for a 32A charging solution? would've made a lot more sense to hardwire an EVSE that could charge at 40+ Amps and be all weather rated.

the house is a box made of wood too.

 

[Akbrian]

The service panel/outlet doesnt meet National Electrical Code for clear space and likely distance to combustible materials. Check out NEC 110.26.

 

[DucMan]

My thinking… I bought a J+ booster for my mobile charger. The one that came with the truck… why not use it? I want to keep it out of sight from random people, and out of the weather. I can add some holes with screens to cover them.

32 amps is enough for cars, and I arrived with about 25% charge, I plugged in at about 7pm, it will reach 85% around 5:30am. I don’t see a reason to spend money for a hard wired 40 amp evse.

 

[Lime Green]

the house is a box made of wood too.

The service panel/outlet doesnt meet National Electrical Code for clear space and likely distance to combustible materials. Check out NEC 110.26.

All this too. The more I look, the worse it gets...

32 amps is enough for cars, and I arrived with about 25% charge, I plugged in at about 7pm, it will reach 85% around 5:30am. I don’t see a reason to spend money for a hard wired 40 amp evse.

That's understandable. It's just the implementation here is problematic. You started a thread asking us to tell you what's wrong with your cabinet setup. We're telling you.

 

[DucMan]

That’s fine, I asked, I want to know. I read NEC 110.26, would I need 30 inches all around the outlet box? My cabinet doesn’t touch the outlet box, there’s a hole in the back and it i fitted to cabinet over it.

 

[RickLightning]

Mobile chargers are that for a reason. Not rated for continuous duty and that’s what you’re doing leaving it plugged in. If you trust the renter to plug in and unplug at end of stay that might be ok (or have your cleaning company do it?).
+1 to hole on bottom and top to allow cooler air in the bottom when warm air rises out the top. And a screen to keep out pests looking for a nice box with heat to nest in.

Continuous duty means CHARGING. Not plugged in waiting to charge.

 

[Maquis]

The only bad thing about it is that it‘s totally unnecessary.

 

[MickeyAO]

Mobile chargers are that for a reason. Not rated for continuous duty and that’s what you’re doing leaving it plugged in. If you trust the renter to plug in and unplug at end of stay that might be ok (or have your cleaning company do it?).
+1 to hole on bottom and top to allow cooler air in the bottom when warm air rises out the top. And a screen to keep out pests looking for a nice box with heat to nest in.

How is leaving an EVSE plugged into a vehicle that has accepted its requested charge a problem? Leaving it plugged in after it stops charging does not mean it will be under a continuous load, so I'm unsure why you feel that you need to trust the renter to unplug at the end of the charge. Care to educate me on this?

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