What is a NEMA 5-15 Plug?
If you own an electric vehicle, it makes all the sense to have a home charging station to help get your car powered up overnight. However, charging an electric vehicle at home can be quite pricey as it involves installation expenses, especially if you’re installing an entirely new system. So what’s the best way out of it?
An alternative option is to use a mains plug-in charger, which is typically cheaper and more convenient. However, to do so, you’ll need to know what type of plug you can use, its current ratings, and whether it’s compatible with your car’s system. Below, we’ll look at the NEMA plug 5-15p and highlight how it's suited to EV charging.
What is a NEMA 5-15 Connector and How Does it Work?
A NEMA 5-15 plug is the most common type of power plug in North America. It’s characterized by two poles and a grounding wire, meaning it’s a 3-prong plug. Still, you may encounter a 2-prong plug, especially for conventional plugs that don’t feature a grounding wire. However, grounding wires are now the standard because they offer greater safety.
In principle, a NEMA 5-15P is just a standard electrical connector. The 2 powered prongs are positive and neutral, allowing electrical current to flow from the wall outlet into the device. The ground pin is the longest, so it can enter the outlet first hence providing a path of low resistance if something goes wrong in the plug or device, which prevents an electric shock.
What Are the Most Common Plugs in North America?
The NEMA 5-15 is the most common plug in North America. It’s used in both Canada and the US because both countries use 120V for their mains power voltage. Although the NEMA 5-15 isn’t the only 125V plug, it’s the most common because it provides a good combination of safety and flexibility.
What is the difference between 5-15P and 5-15R?
The fundamental difference between the NEMA 5-15P and the NEMA 5-15R is in the gender of the two. NEMA 5-15P is a plug (hence the ‘P’), meaning it’s a male connector meant to combine with a female receptacle which is the NEMA 5-15R. The R in the NEMA 5-15R represents the ‘receptacle'.
So, basically, the 5-15P is a plug featuring three pins, one of which (usually the longest) is the ground pin. Conversely, the 5-15R is a three-hole outlet into which the NEMA 5-15P plugs.
What type of NEMA 5-15 connector is available for electrical equipment in the US?
There’s technically only one type of NEMA 5-15 connector available for electrical equipment in the US. This is because it’s an official designation for a plug type rather than a brand or design. As mentioned, NEMA 5-15 connectors have three pins, one of which is a ground pin. The NEMA 5-15P connectors are rated 125V and have a maximum amperage of 15A.
NEMA 5-15 connectors are found on all kinds of devices and are available in locking and non-locking versions. Locking connectors will lock into the wall outlet, while non-locking connectors won’t. If you’re looking for a locking connector, look for codes that have L at the beginning, such as L5-15P.
What is a NEMA 5-15 connector and how does it work in EV charger area?
A NEMA 5-15 connector is an option for EV chargers, but there are reservations about using them for electric vehicle charging. The rule of thumb for EV charging is that as long as a charger has the correct plug, you can connect it directly to a mains wall outlet. This is convenient because it saves you from having to install a lot of extra wiring, including specific circuit breakers for high current and voltage.
However, NEMA 5-15 connectors are for Level 1 EV chargers. These are considered the slowest chargers for electric vehicles. But they’re also cheap, convenient, and reliable, so if you’re operating on a lean budget, you can consider charging your EV from the NEMA 5-15 receptacle available at your home. They’re a perfect fit if you have one EV or a hybrid car in your home, as this one doesn’t require much charge.
Can NEMA 5-15 Handle 240V?
NEMA 5-15 can’t handle a 240V current as it is rated to handle a maximum of 125V. The 5 refers to the voltage rating, which in this case is 125V with a ground pin. If you want a plug that can handle 240V, you’ll need one with the number 6 at the beginning.
Therefore, it’s unsafe to use a 5-15P in a 240V outlet, or vice versa. The 5-15 equipment isn’t rated to handle such a high voltage, and using it can lead to electrical shorts and fires. Luckily, 125V is standard in the US, but if you want a 240V outlet, you’ll need a new circuit breaker fitted in your home to handle the higher voltage.
How Many Miles Can an EV Drive After Using a NEMA 5-15 EV Charger for One Hour?
NEMA 5-15 chargers are considered Level 1 EV chargers capable of charging at a rate of up to 5 miles per hour. Hence, one hour of charge from a NEMA 5-15R outlet will power up your EV for only 5 miles.
The alternative to a better charging rate is to install a NEMA 15-50 outlet. This is for a Level 2 charger, which can handle 240V and up to 50A. Still, your Level 1 charger is not useless as you’d still use it for overnight charging or for plug-in hybrids, which usually have smaller batteries than full EVs.
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