How to Install NEMA 14-50R, 50 Amp Heavy Duty EV Outlets?

How to Wire NEMA 14-50R and 14-50W Receptacles with GFCI for Heavy-Duty Electric Vehicle Chargers and Connectors

The NEMA 14-50R outlets and receptacles are high-power devices commonly used in kitchens for electric ranges, ovens, stoves, dryers, and water heaters. One of the recent applications of the NEMA 14-50 outlet is EV charging stations and mobile connectors. In the updated versions, we will show how to wire and install a NEMA-14R receptacle with GFCI for electric vehicle charging with the exact breaker and wire size.

Installed downstream with a 60A GFCI breaker or a 2-pole, 50A, 240V AC breaker, the NEMA 14-50 outlet offers 37km (≈ 23 to 29 miles) per hour for the Tesla Model S and 32km (≈ 20 miles) for the Model X.

For charging while parked, every S model includes a 20-foot-long mobile connector with a set of adapters and standard electrical outlets. The NEMA 14-50 is one of the best adapters, ensuring the best charging experience with the mobile connector when used with NEMA 14-50 receptacles and outlets.

Good to Know:

Article 625.41 Electric Vehicle Branch circuit. Each outlet installed for the purpose of charging electric vehicles shall be supplied by an individual branch circuit. Each circuit shall have no other outlets.

The NEMA 14-50 Outlets and Receptacles

The NEMA 14-50R is a 240V receptacle used with 14-50P plug. As the name suggests, the “50” in the 14-50R indicates the maximum amperes of current, while the “R” stands for “Receptacle, outlet, or socket”. Similarly, the “P” in the NEMA-14-50P indicates “Plug”, with “50” denoting the maximum current in amperes.

Terminals of 14-40 Outlet - Wiring 50A, 14-50R Receptacle

Terminals

There are four terminals in a 14-50R outlet:

Electrical Specifications

How to Wire a NEMA 14-50R Outlet with a GFCI

A NEMA-14-50R receptacle can be used as plugin or hardwired for EV charging applications. If there is no bulletin ground fault protection, the NEMA-14-50R needs to be GFCI protected to avoid safety hazards.

In this wiring tutorial, we will demonstrate how to install NEMA 14-50R and 14-50W, 50 amp heavy-duty power receptacles with a 50A-60A GFCI outlet. The installation and wiring process will take a minimum of 15 minutes.

Tools & Materials Required

When installing and terminating a 14-50R power outlet, you will need the following tools:

Preparation

If you need to remove an existing device, do so now. Then cap off the exposed wires and separate them before proceeding. Be sure to document, take photos/videos, or label the wires for future reference.

Identify the two hot wires. To do this, turn the circuit breaker back on and carefully use the voltage tester to test each wire. Follow the instructions on your tester to identify the hot wires. Generally, the LED on the tester will flash when you touch the tester head to the phase (hot) wire. Once identified, turn off the circuit breaker to shut off power and test to ensure the power is off.

Use a small piece of electrical tape to label the hot wires. In this example, there are two wires (black and red) which are the “hot wires,” a white wire that is the “neutral,” and a green wire which is the “ground.” Keep in mind the color of the wires can vary.

The hot wires may be two black wires or a black and a red wire. The ground wire could be bare copper or green with a yellow stripe. The red and black wires are interchangeable here and it doesn’t matter which one goes on the top in the breaker or X and Y terminals of the outlet. If you are unsure, contact an electrician before wiring.

Ensure the wires are prepared for installation. Make sure the wires are straight and stripped, exposing 1.8 cm (11/16 inch) of conductor.

In the case of an existing device, cut off the used portion of wires and strip the new section up to ~1/2 in (~13 mm). It is critical that the wires are stripped accurately. Stripping wires too short may result in pinching insulation between the screw and terminal. It is important that conductors are not damaged during this process. If damage occurs, cut off the section and re-strip the wire.

Before wiring the circuit, make sure the rating of the overcurrent protection device (OCPD), Minimum Circuit Ampacity (MCA), and Maximum Overcurrent Protection (MOCP) of the device comply with the National Electrical Code (NEC) – NFPA 70.

Click image or open in new tab to enlarge

How to Install 14-50R Receptacle with 2-Pole GFCI
Wiring a 14-50R Receptacle with 2-Pole GFCI

Wiring NEMA 14-50 Outlet

Please be certain to follow all wiring instructions and diagrams provided with the product and user manual. If you are unsure about any part of the instructions or if you are not comfortable or familiar with working with electrical wiring, contact a licensed electrician.

Identify the terminals on the back of the device to ensure that you are wiring it correctly. The terminals labeled “X” and “Y” are for the hot wires. The terminal labeled “W” is for the neutral wire and the terminal labeled “G” is for the ground wire.

Click image or open in new tab to enlarge

Wiring a 14-50R Outlet with 2-P, 50A GFCI and Neutral
Wiring a 14-50R Outlet with 2-P, 50A GFCI and Neutral

Be sure to tighten all terminal screws to 75 in-lbs (2.8 N-m). Terminal screws must tighten onto the conductors only, not the insulation. The torque must be maintained for a minimum of 5 seconds with a constant torque reading of 75 in-lbs. This is an important note: once all terminals have been torqued to 75 in-lbs for 5 seconds each, repeat the process a second time to ensure all wires are correctly connected to the device.

The device is now terminated. Insert the product in the wall box, screw in the mounting screws in the wall box mounting holes, and then attach the wall plate. Restore power at the circuit breaker.

Note that the 14-50W (50A weather-resistant heavy duty flush mount receptacle) model must be protected by a properly sized weather-resistant cover and must be wired downstream from GFCI protection. Your 50 amp heavy-duty power receptacle is now ready for use.

Important Note:

FAQs

Should I Use a GFCI or Ordinary Breaker with NEMA 14-50 Outlet?

While some mobile connectors have built-in GFCI protection, using an additional GFCI breaker is still recommended. What if you change the model in the future or your spouse opts for a different model?

Using a GFCI breaker instead of a normal breaker for NEMA 14-50 outdoor outlets and receptacles, especially for EV charging, is required to comply with the National Electrical Code (NEC). Additionally, it is against the code to use outdoor and heavy-duty outlets and receptacles without ground fault circuit interrupter protection.

If you are in a state which adopted the NEC -2020, you have the following options:

Should I Use a 50A or 60A Breaker / GFCI with NEMA 14-50R?

As it is allowed in the code to use a 50A outlet with a 50A breaker, but it is recemented to use a 60A GFCI breaker instead of a 50A rated one especially for EV charging. The maximum current the NEMA 14-50 can handle is 50A. According to the 80% load formula, the max load of 40A should be connected through a 50A outlet. Most level-2 chargers have settings to adjust the maximum amperage. For example, if you set the max current to 32A in the charger, it will only draw 32A instead of the 48A that the car supports.

Alternatively, you may upgrade and round up to the next available 60A breaker size and outlet rated for 60A. To do so, you may remove the existing outlet and replace it with a new one (60 Amp 250V NEMA 14-60, 15-60R, 18-60R) when you need 48A charging amperes. This way, the 80% load formula allows you to draw 48A (such as Tesla Gen 3 mobile connectors and chargers).

Can I Use NEMA 14-50 Outlet on a 40A Breaker?

No and Yes.

NO: The maximum continuous load a NEMA 14-50 outlet can handle is 40A, while the non-continuous load is 50A. Similarly, a 40A breaker can handle 32A for continuous loads and 40A for non-continuous loads. Therefore, it is not allowed to wire a NEMA 14-50R outlet to a 40A breaker if the continuous load exceeds 32A.

YES: If you intend to draw a maximum of 32A for a continuous load, such as for a charging station, you may use a NEMA 14-50 outlet on a 40A breaker. However, it is crucial not to exceed the 32A limit for continuous loads. In this case, the breaker rating, not the outlet rating, should dictate the maximum load on the circuit.

Which Outlet is Suitable to Use with a Tesla Gen-3 Wall Connector?

NEMA 14-50 Outlet. You may install a 50A breaker with a 240V NEMA 14-50 outlet and use the mobile connector with the provided NEMA 14-50 adapter. For a 32A output charging, a branch circuit with a 40A breaker is required. According to the 80% load formula, the 40A breaker will safely handle a 32A output. For example, 40A x 80% load = 32A.

Which Breaker size is Suitable for 14-50 Outlet?

A NEMA 14-50R can be wired with 50A, 240V, 2-pole breaker.

According to the 80% load formula (whish shows only 80% of the load should be connected to the rated circuit breaker). In addition, the size of the OCPD (fuse or circuit breaker) should handle 125% of the load circuit.

What is the Right Wire Size to use with 14-50 Outlet?

In case of continuous load where the load circuits lasts 3 to 4 hours simultaneously, the outlet should be connected to the 80% of the rated load and breaker size should handle 125% of the load circuit.

Continuous Load: 50A × 80% = 40A

Now, the right breaker size for this 40A circuit is = 40A × 125% = 50A.

For this ampacity, the #6 AWG copper or # 4AWG aluminum wire size can carry 55A at 60°C (140°F) and 65A at 75°C (167°F) which is suitable wire size for NEMA 14-50R outlet according to NEC Table 310.15(B)(16).

How Many Amps Can 50A, 14-50R Outlet Handle Safely?

The NEMA 14-50R outlet is designed to safely handle a maximum of 50 amps of current. The NEC specifies that breakers should not be loaded to more than 80% of their rated capacity for continuous loads (defined as a load lasting three hours or more). Therefore, a 50A outlet should be used for a maximum of 40A continuous load circuits.

50A × 80% = 40A

For short, non-continuous loads, the outlet can handle up to 40 amps safely.

These ratings comply with NEC Sections 210.19(A), 215.2, and 230.42(A) for continuous and non-continuous loads, and 110.14(C) for ambient temperature.

How Many Watts Can a 50A, 14-50R Outlet Hold?

The power capacity of a 50-amp outlet can be calculated using the following formula:

A 2-P, 50A breaker in 240V circuit can hold the maximum power:

50 A × 240 V = 12,000 W

Applying the safety factor of 80% for continues load:

50 A × 80% = 40 A

No more than 8,640 watts of load should be connected to a 2-pole, 240V, 45A breaker and outlet:

40A × 240V = 9,600 watts

It means, you may use a 50A outlet with a 240V, 9.5kW electric ranges or water heater elements.

These calculations assume that the breaker is not continuously loaded to 100% of its capacity. For continuous loads, the safe wattage is 80% of these values:

Can you install NEMA 14-50R in 120V AC Circuit?

No, you cannot install a NEMA 14-50R in a 120V circuit because it is a 240-volt outlet with a maximum amperage of 50 amps. A 14-50R outlet needs 3+1 wires where two are HOT, 1 as Neutral and 1 is Ground. This configuration is not available in the 120V single phase AC circuit i.e. 120V circuit has only 1 Hot, 1 Neutral and 1 Ground .NEMA 14-50 outlets are commonly used for large appliances, electric ranges, and as EV chargers in RV parks and mobile homes.

While technically you can wire 14-50 outlet on a 120V circuit, but is is a bad as well as dangerous idea. If you do it, you will get 120V between one line and ground conductor, while the 0V between the second Line and ground. But what if someone accidentally plug an appliance which needs an exact 240V for proper operation? In this case, the appliance may damage at all.

Which Type of Cable is Suitable to Use with NEMA 14-50R Outlet?

The NEMA 14-50R outlet, typically used for electric ranges, RVs, and electric vehicle (EV) chargers, is a 50-amp, 240-volt outlet. The suitable type of wires and cable to use with this outlet depends on the installation environment, but here are common options:

Copper Wire:

    • Size: 6 AWG (American Wire Gauge)

Type of Cable:

  • For indoor installation: Use Type NM-B (Non-Metallic Sheathed Cable).
  • For outdoor or in-conduit installation: Use Type THHN/THWN (Thermoplastic High Heat-resistant Nylon-coated).

Aluminum Wire:

    • Size: 4 AWG

Type of Cable:

  • For indoor installation: Use Type SE (Service Entrance Cable).
  • For outdoor or in-conduit installation: Use Type XHHW (Cross-linked Polyethylene High Heat-resistant Water-resistant).

Good To Know

Good to Know:

Warning

Resources:

Exit mobile version