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Hey Livewire experts! I just bought our bike three days ago and have only charged it once on Level III DCFC. I would like to set up a slow charging Level 1 solution at home, but I have two major problems, one of which I was aware of before purchase:
1. I live in an apartment and will have to run a 100-ft extension cable from the only available 20-amp circuit from my apartment to the garage at the base of the building, where the Livewire is parked. I got permission from building management to do this.
I hope I am not the only Livewire owner that still lives in an apartment! I know there is some power loss with added length, but does anyone have experience with long extensions? The manual clearly says not to use extensions.
2. The 20-amp circuit in my apartment is the plug-in for our air conditioner, currently unused. It is a Nema 6-15R plug that looks like this:
I believe this means that this is 250v outlet. I am facing trouble finding the proper extension cord and plug adapter combo. My two options are:
A) use a Nema 6-15/20 extension cord (which happens to supports 250 volts), and use an adapter at the end to convert it to the household outlet (apparently called 5-15R, rated 125 volts) that I can connect the Livewire to. Here are the two products I am thinking:
.
Would that adapter "downgrade" (sorry for the incorrect term) the available 20amps to 15amps? I was told that 20amps is best for EV charging.
B) Use a "regular" extension, albeit 10-gauge rated for 15 amps (1875 watts, although some users report successfully pulling 20amps from this). At my home circuit plug, I would all need the black adapter as shown below:
.
The plug adapter warning states that this is NOT a voltage converter and should only be used on electrical equipment rated for 220/240V use. However, the extension cord itself is rated for 125 volts (and it's 15amps). Will there be a problem?
Which option is better, A or B?
Can the Livewire charge at either 120v AND 240v? I am confused, and don't want the place to burn down! Maybe I am overcomplicating all this... I clearly am fuzzy with the science. Any guidance will be appreciated.
1. I live in an apartment and will have to run a 100-ft extension cable from the only available 20-amp circuit from my apartment to the garage at the base of the building, where the Livewire is parked. I got permission from building management to do this.
I hope I am not the only Livewire owner that still lives in an apartment! I know there is some power loss with added length, but does anyone have experience with long extensions? The manual clearly says not to use extensions.
2. The 20-amp circuit in my apartment is the plug-in for our air conditioner, currently unused. It is a Nema 6-15R plug that looks like this:
I believe this means that this is 250v outlet. I am facing trouble finding the proper extension cord and plug adapter combo. My two options are:
A) use a Nema 6-15/20 extension cord (which happens to supports 250 volts), and use an adapter at the end to convert it to the household outlet (apparently called 5-15R, rated 125 volts) that I can connect the Livewire to. Here are the two products I am thinking:
Would that adapter "downgrade" (sorry for the incorrect term) the available 20amps to 15amps? I was told that 20amps is best for EV charging.
B) Use a "regular" extension, albeit 10-gauge rated for 15 amps (1875 watts, although some users report successfully pulling 20amps from this). At my home circuit plug, I would all need the black adapter as shown below:
The plug adapter warning states that this is NOT a voltage converter and should only be used on electrical equipment rated for 220/240V use. However, the extension cord itself is rated for 125 volts (and it's 15amps). Will there be a problem?
Which option is better, A or B?
Can the Livewire charge at either 120v AND 240v? I am confused, and don't want the place to burn down! Maybe I am overcomplicating all this... I clearly am fuzzy with the science. Any guidance will be appreciated.
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