Plug vs Pigtail adapters

[pson41]

I'm heading to a friend's home this weekend who has a NEMA 6-50 outlet and plan to purchase a 6-50P to 10-50R adapter for my mobile charger. I like the simplicity of a "barrel" plug adapter vs the 1-2 foot pigtail adapters, but I'm worried about the "barrel" plug shifting the charger weight away from the wall further and increasing the strain on the outlet. What has been your experience or preference? I'm probably overly concerned but could use the peace of mind.

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[HaroldCal]

Definitely a valid concern. But also a case-by-case problem. FWIW, I do actually keep a couple bungee cords in my truck, and have used them to provide some lifting force on a cable, so I could shift the weight burden to some other structure (in my case, it was a nearby shelving unit).

 

[Amps]

I'm worried about the "barrel" plug shifting the charger weight away from the wall further and increasing the strain on the outlet.

Be worried, way too much leverage and stress on the receptacle, IMHO. Buy the dogbone. Don't risk messing up somebody else's electrical stuff while you're using big power.

I have this one and it works great:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09P1BP4ZQ/

 

[4Reeley]

I have a similar one as the above post and it works great. One thing to note: find out how the outlet is mounted and plan accordingly. The existing 6-50P outlet at my destination is mounted with ground down, which makes the adapter extend vertically upwards and fold over to plug in the mobile charger, which then hangs down. Long story short, I still get some strain on the prongs with the adapter cable. Everything is tight but I need to make sure it's all supported well while charging. I like the bungee cord idea so everything can be held in place regardless of the preferred direction of all the cables.

 

[HaroldCal]

I like the bungee cord idea so everything can be held in place regardless of the preferred direction of all the cables.

The first time I did that, it was a MacGyver in the moment, as I always have bungee cords in my truck, for truck reasons. But it ended up being quite a useful hack.

 

[Adventureboy]

Definitely the dogbone adapter as others have described. The barrel adapter will take way more time to fuss with the balance and introduce unnecessary risk when you are trying to draw 30-40 amps. I use a similar one to Amps and can limit the stress on the outlet with bungees if needed. If the 06/50 is oriented ground up, no bungee is needed - no fuss, no muss.

 

[pson41]

He sent me a photo, and fortunately his outlet is oriented ground up

 

[4Reeley]

The other thing you'll want to check is the breaker size and wire. Mine was on a 30amp breaker with 6 AWG wire, so I increased the breaker size safely and appropriately for the wire and outlet. Consult a licensed electrician if you're not sure.

 

[pson41]

Funny you say that, he sent photos of both the outlet and his electrical panel with a 50 amp breaker. The only thing I don't know is the wire. It's a relatively new build, and while the electrician didn't have the most legible handwriting on the panel, my hope is that he used the appropriate wire based on passing an electrical inspection.

 

[4Reeley]

Funny you say that, he sent photos of both the outlet and his electrical panel with a 50 amp breaker.

Since its a 50amp outlet on a 50 amp breaker, I'd say you're good. In my case where I had the 50amp outlet on a 30amp breaker, it was important to check because it wasn't clear if the wire was sized for the outlet or breaker. Plus I was bumping up the breaker, so it was easy to check at that time.

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